pipeline

“Whatever good things we build end up building us.”

This quote from Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker, rings true for the NWU’s building and infrastructure projects, which are indeed aimed at empowering and building staff and students.

In this article, we feature some of the bigger building projects on the three campuses.

Building the future,

brick by brick

“Whatever good things we build end up building us.”

Jim Rohn

Projects in the pipeline

Upgrading the Base Building — comprising lecture halls, computer rooms and offices — in phases. (The first phase is almost completed.)

Upgrading the Central Lecture Building in different phases so that lectures won’t be interrupted.

An additional parking area (for postgraduate housing, the library and adjacent buildings), at a cost of R2,4 million. Construction will take place during the winter months.

Relocation of the NWU Business School and provision for and provision of space for the new Unit for Continuing Education. The planning of this R8,5 million project started in March 2018, and it is expected that the space will be available at the beginning of 2019.

Extended Student Council offices, the budget for which is R1,5 million; investigations started in February 2018.

Development of a multi-purpose facility for student social life at a cost of R3,5 million, and the construction of a new student recreation facility at a cost of R2,5 million. Planning of the project starts in May 2018.

This is the entrance to the new building for the Faculty of Law on the NWU’s campus in Mahikeng.

Improvements full steam ahead

You might have seen a new building going up and other renovation and maintenance projects being undertaken around the campus in Mahikeng.

Staff have already moved into their spanking new offices in the recently constructed building for the Faculty of Law. Staff members have also started occupying the offices in the administration building that has been renovated after it was set alight during the student unrest in 2016. The renovated building also boasts new lecture halls.

Other projects that recently started are the upgrading of paved walkways, new student housing and the maintenance of water and sewerage infrastructure.

Two projects, the upgrading of fencing and the construction of a piggery, are also envisaged on the Molelwane farm. Planning will start as soon as an environmental impact assessment has been done and the go-ahead given.

Major maintenance programmes include the phased renovation of the Kayalitsha residence, the third phase of which is currently in progress.

Mahikeng

Hover over the circles above to read more about each campus' building projects.

Projects in the pipeline

Work is progressing on the R9,8 million facility for Occupational Hygiene.

Consolidation of the High Performance Institute centre and additional space for the School for Biokinetics, Sport and Recreation, subject to the availability of land. Planning begins in June 2018.

At Building G23, planning is under way for the partial refurbishment of the second floor at a cost of R4,2 million.

At the Faculty of Engineering, planning is in progress for new services infrastructure and roads to accommodate a research and innovation facility at a cost of R2,6 million.

Planning begins in April 2018 for phase one of the R4 million reservoir and emergency water distribution project.

This church that the university bought – just outside the President Street gate of the campus in Potchefstroom – was refurbished as a lecturing facility.

Expansion is key

On the campus in Potchefstroom, the Oosterhof residence recently had a complete makeover at a cost of R10,9 million.

Various spaces were provided for the Unit for Open and Distance Learning (ODL). Just outside the President Street gate, the church that the university bought a while ago was refurbished as a lecturing facility, providing two lecture rooms for ODL at a cost of R9,8 million. Initiated and completed at short notice, the B6 building’s existing spaces were also refurbished for them.

Two other projects on the cards are the refurbishment of space for the central admissions office in Building F20 and the maintenance of Cachet Park, mainly in the form of fencing, signage and the parking area.

Large maintenance and upgrade projects currently under way include work at the Oppirif and Kom en Gaan residences, the Perskor building for Communication Studies and the Heimat building.

Also in the pipeline are plans to replace the synthetic areas at the Hockey Academy’s sports fields and tracks.

Potchefstroom

Hover over the circles above to read more about each campus' building projects.

Projects in the pipeline

Campus requirements are being confirmed for a R39,4 million administration building.

Additional space is planned for Health Sciences, including the use of under-utilised spaces on the campus at a cost of R14,5 million. The project should be ready for use by March 2019.

Planning for phase one of the construction of a new lecture room complex at a cost of R18,8 million started in March, and the construction work will start in July 2018.

Working to an extremely tight schedule, it is expected that the construction will take eight months to complete.

The large building in the centre is the current administration building which will be converted into a hall for events. The idea is to connect it to adjacent buildings, where catering services, conference facilities and dressing rooms would be housed.

A great hall on the banks

of the Vaal?

There is a huge need on the campus in Vanderbijlpark for a hall for graduation ceremonies and other student-related events.

Building 24, the administrative centre of the campus, would be ideal for such events, but using it for this purpose would mean that the colleagues from Student Academic Lifecycle Administration, Finance and the office of the deputy vice-chancellor would have to move elsewhere.

That said, it could be a good idea to move the administrative function to a building closer to the main gate, making it easier for prospective students to access. Discussions are in progress about building a brand-new administrative facility closer to the gate and repurposing Building 24 as a great hall on the beautiful banks of the Vaal River.

The campus is also looking forward to the completion of the building project funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training that will enable the campus to house an additional 256 students. The new building includes a residence hall and supervisors’ quarters. The completion date for this project is June 2019

Vanderbijlpark

Hover over the circles above to read more about each campus' building projects.