Rhodes University has embarked on a R150 million project to boost the offering of residence accommodation to students. Construction work on the first three of the seven new residences will be built over the next three years, commenced in mid-December 2009.
The project signals another major milestone on the University infrastructure development programme. The residence system, one of the hallmarks of Rhodes, constitutes a key part of the programme. This is, according to Dean of Students, Dr Vivian de Klerk, one of the reasons why “Rhodes is more than simply an educational institution – it’s a community, and one of the Hallmarks which make that community especially remarkable is the Residence System, which is integral to the holistic development of students.”
It is through the residency that the students can study in “a home away from home”, creating the perfect community for “leaders to learn”.
The foundations are being laid
The first three of these residences, costing approximately R57.4 million, are being constructed on vacant land behind Kimberley Hall, an area dubbed ‘The Hill’ by Rhodes students. Scheduled for completion in December 2010, each of these residences will accommodate 87 students from the start of the academic year in February 2011.
The current phase of construction commenced mid-December 2009. The contractors are cutting platforms to get as close to the bedrock as possible and to lay the foundations.
A strict tender basis that is sensitive to the environment!
Because of its size, the building contract was dealt with on a strict tender basis and was awarded to Bartlett Construction, which has partnered with Exabuild Construction to form a black empowered joint venture.
The development is sensitive to issues of the environment and Rhodes’ Environmental Officer will conduct weekly site visits to ensure that the contractors are compliant with environmental impact measures. While the site has already been zoned for academic and residence development, environmentally friendly procedures and programmes are being implemented for the duration of the project.
In addition, the new residences will feature heat pumps instead of boilers and water tanks as a contribution to the efficient use of scarce resources and to reduce the carbon footprint of the new development.
The kitchens will be shared
The three residences will share the Kimberley Hall kitchen & Dining Hall facilities with the existing residences of the Kimberley East & West Halls. This will be achieved by the addition of an extra floor to each side of the Kimberley Dining Hall to accommodate the increased student numbers. Making use of the already existing kitchen facilities amounts to a saving of between R15 and R20 million on the project.
“The Kimberley Kitchen and dining halls will have to be reconfigured and restructured while 700 students are still being fed three meals a day,” said Director of Residential Operations Dr Iain L’Ange.
“The project has required extensive consultation with the contractor to make sure there is minimum disruption to the hall’s day-to-day operations. A separate tender will go out for this (dining hall extension) project in mid February,” Dr L’Ange added.
The target: to accommodate 55% of the student body
With an initial target to grow the student body to 6 500 by 2010, Rhodes overshot this mark when it reached 6 900 last year. The 2010 statistics expect the student body to reach 7 000, of which 25% are postgraduate students. Just over 1 600 of the remaining 5 200 undergraduates are first-year students.
The residence system sets as its target the accommodation of 55% of its entire student body, Rhodes this year is able to offer 3115 undergraduate beds and 142 postgraduate beds. The University is thus able to accommodate 60% of the undergraduate portion of the student body in residence this year. While in 2009 Rhodes had 400 first-years residing in digs off campus, this year there will be approximately 250 first-year Oppidans.