PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Hill Hope
Context
The project tries to have a minimal impact on the beautiful hilly South African landscape. It is designed as another hill, a hill with a big and inviting entrance. The hill is created by excavating part of the programme, including the pitch, to a depth of 1.5 meters. The excavated soil is used to both create a seating arena around the pitch and to cover the main part of the built programme which will be lit with skylights.
Sustainability
Earth itself will play a main part in the sustainability of the project. Since the main programme is half sunken in the earth and the roof is covered by earth it will keep the indoor climate cooler in summer and warmer in winter. In this way the maintenance costs will be limited after the project is completed.
Programme
The pitch is surrounded on two sides by a seating arena and on the other two sides it is surrounded by a 2.5 meters wide covered corridor which gives shade to the main functions that lie on that corridor. Because of its width it can also be used as the simultaneously as the informal meeting space of the centre.
Expandability
The project can be expanded by using the same principle of excavating and covering on the spot where now the southern seating arena is located. The entrance, with the reception nearby, will stay at the same place and the eastern seating arena will be elongated.
