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 Educational & Sustainable Build of the Year: Local Studio
Lapalala Wilderness School is a cornerstone of Local Studio’s identity as a firm, reflecting not only architectural brilliance but also a profound commitment to educational and environmental impact. This remarkable institution exemplifies the harmonious interplay between sustainability and education, championing the belief that a love for the planet starts with immersive, handson learning.
Annually, the school serves approximately 4000 students aged 10 to 18, primarily from local Waterberg communities. By intertwining a space that effortlessly promotes environmental stewardship with a curriculum designed to ignite curiosity and reverence for nature, Lapalala Wilderness School shapes young minds into the next generation of guardians of our environment.
A classroom retold
The school’s architectural design is refreshingly innovative, rejecting traditional classrooms in favour of open courtyards that admire the surrounding bushveld. Noteworthy for its context-driven materiality and net-zero carbon footprint, the school utilises rammed earth, rock, and timber, complemented by concrete and masonry bases.
“What a lovely (and challenging) context to build a school! A sophisticated use of local and traditional materials, detailed really well, makes a complex network of buildings with lovely interior spatial relationships and visual connections, capitalising on the existing natural landscape.” – Cyrus Patell, Co-founder of CollectiveProject
Going off-grid
The school operates entirely off-grid, featuring two boreholes for water, a thermodynamic solar hot water system, and a subsurface wastewater recycling plant. Solar energy powers the campus, with a backup generator available. Interior elements like sealed laminated rafters, exposed plywood ceilings, and polished concrete floors — tinged with pink from on-site aggregates — enhance the holistic experience. From its inception, the commitment to sustainability has been integral to the school’s vision, ensuring that conservation, ecology, and the protection of natural resources are embodied in its design, without at any point compromising how learners and teachers would operate within the space.
Both eyes on the future
The mission of Lapalala Wilderness School is to cultivate environmentally conscious citizens, and with this mission comes further expansion and growth for the school’s campus. A 300 m² off-grid biodiversity centre, set to open in early 2025, will feature interactive exhibitions and serve as a vital learning hub, furthering the commitment to sustainable and environmentally-led education.
As the school continues to evolve, it recommits to its promise to inspire future generations to cherish and protect their extraordinary surroundings, long after they have left these unique corridors.
“The project has an extensive list of consultants with clear deliberation and execution in its sustainable choice of materials, a clever siting strategy while tackling a large and complex program. The orientation and placement of rooms creates formally interesting courtyards and spatial connections between. Undulating canopies at various datum heights consider climate and external use by students. The rammed earth walls tie the project to its site. Well done, Local Studio!” – Andrew Maynard, Founder of Austin Maynard Architects
This article is an extract from our November issue. Read the full issue here.
