Open Architecture Network

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Gqunube Green consists of 95 Ha of riverine forest, coastal grassland, mud flats and agricultural land on the banks of the Gqunube River near the city of East London in South Africa.

Gqunube Green Tricircle Pavilion is a multi use hall / church situated within Gqunube Green Ecovillage. The design concept is intended to visually show in a didactic way the relationship between man, and the environment. This is achieved by three overlapping circles consisting of the pavilion building, a medicinal herbal garden and a cattle kraal which doubles as an outdoor teaching arena.

Gqunube Green Ecovillage is intended to be a mixed income development which showcases aspects of an alternative low energy lifestyle. The developers hold strong convictions that voluntary examples of sustainable living are needed and this is a further didactic role of the village. Too often alternative construction methods are imposed on emerging communities without regard or sensitivity towards the aspirations of these emerging communities. Central to Gqunube Green is a learning / training centre currently in development that will target municipal, regional government, national government and corporate decision makers to explain the implementation of the environmental laws of South Africa. The Tricircle Pavilion will be the main venue for instruction. Other components will be a hospitality centre intended to run as a viable business by emerging entrepreneurs which will provide accommodation to those attending the learning centre courses, farming activities based upon permaculture which will supply the hospitality component and adjacent communities with healthy food and a ministry centre aimed at developing a Christian based approach to Stewardship and care of the environment.

The pavilion is built using timber harvested, and rammed earth dug, from the site. Window and door frames are made from reclaimed railway sleepers and the floor from locally harvested timber.

The pavilion is designed so that the mass rammed earth “drum” is in shade during summer and exposed to the sun during winter in order to maximise the effect of solar heat gain and thermal mass.

The roof is corrugated sheet metal which is a material with low embodied energy due to its efficient use of material, long life span and ease of recycling in the South African context.

Construction is nearing completion. Many lessons - good and bad - have been learned during the process. The authors would be willing to share their experience with others.