The objective of the project was to design a temporary security access gatehouse for the University of Mpumalanga for the period that the new main entrance is being constructed. A big challenge from the onset of the project was the extremely limited timeframe to implement the gatehouse paired with its temporary nature.
A combined consciousness of time and temporality informed the design approach and explored the conversion of two 6m containers into a gatehouse facility that contains security offices, ablutions, pedestrian, and vehicular access control to the university campus.
Beyond the time advantage of a container conversion, this construction method would give a physically lighter footprint onsite which is advantageous given its temporary nature. When the building has served its purpose, the structures can be relocated to a new site as identified by the client, with only the concrete support stilts that would have to be removed.
The building design is expressed as a series of fiber-cement clad structures with panoramic glazed openings, brought together under a simple sheet metal roof. The second roof over provides a shaded covered outdoor area and reduces the direct sun load on the structure below, a welcome design gesture in the hot, humid Mpumalanga region.
