November is the month for celebrating and showcasing every firm and project that was victorious at the inaugural SCAPE Award of Excellence. These names are raising the bar for excellence in the local architecture and design industry, standing on a stage set for international acclaim. In partnership with Infinity Surfaces and alongside our Impact Partner Oggie, we present the top firms and portfolios in the country for 2024. Introducing the Winner of Community Build of the Year: Local Studio
In 2021, Design Indaba invited South African architects to propose urban acupuncture initiatives aimed at fostering positive socioeconomic impacts in vulnerable contexts. Local Studio, captivated by the concept of the abandoned electrical substations that dotted the apartheid-era buffer zones, rose to this challenge. They proposed a meso-scaled acupuncture project entitled Sub-City, which sought to revitalise defunct electrical substations in the peripheral areas of Johannesburg.
The substation located at 28 Goud Street in Eldorado Park, an area in urgent need of community support, served as the project’s starting point. The original structure, a crumbling reminder of a painful past, has now become a new focal point for learning, gathering, and growth. Local Studio began with a simple question: ‘What if these structures could shift from a past role as electrical transformers to a new role as social transformers?’
As lights begin to flicker
At just 34 m², the original substation was too small for the expansive community space that Local Studio envisioned. The footprint was expanded using mass timber, designed to grow arboreally from the original brick structure. Following extensive community consultation and collaboration, the build began. The Cross Laminated Timber skeleton of Sub-City was erected within four days, and the entire project — comprising the building and public plaza — was completed in ten months. As the lights were switched on, the building’s glow sparked an evolution in its name; in 2023, Sub-City became known as Lantern House.
Hub of possibilities
The mass timber structure is supported by six 100×100 mm mild steel columns, each with stirrup fixings to the top and bottom of the Glulam timber beams. Rising three storeys from the remnants of the original substation, Lantern House boasts a roof terrace that offers a new perspective over Soweto. At ground level, a flexible maker’s space flows into an amphitheatre designed to accommodate up to 65 people, serving as a venue for performances, community meetings, and sporting events. Above, the digital learning wing features an outward-facing projection screen, animating the park beyond.
A new sub-station typology
Emphasising sustainability, the exterior of Lantern House features cladding crafted from Eucalyptus hardwood — an invasive species in South Africa. Each piece has been meticulously hand-sanded and sealed, not only for aesthetic appeal but also as part of a broader strategy to responsibly utilise local resources. The building operates entirely off-grid, powered by a photovoltaic system that provides the community with a sense of autonomy.
Lantern House presents a refreshing model of how architecture can blend functionality with ecological and community stewardship. The building glows like a lantern, both physically and symbolically, in a community that is tired of being left in the dark.
“This is an ambitious and thoughtful attempt to achieve positive social outcomes for disadvantaged communities. The modest building offers a welcoming environment that deploys formal and symbolic gestures to signal its sensitivity to adjacent building forms and local urban structure. It also reveals its civic operations to the community through its permeable timberscreened facade.” – Aaron Peters, Director at Vokes and Peters
This article is an extract from our November issue. Read the full issue here.
