Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa September/October 2013 | Page 26

Westerford High school, rondebosch - New Classroom Building
mlh architects & planners are busy with
a new classroom building for Westerford
High School, on the existing school campus.
The new building, now under construction,
includes 3 classrooms and a tuck-shop at
ground floor and a further classroom and
large teaching venue at first floor level.This

large first floor space has expansive views
up towards the mountain and across the
sports fields, and is envisaged as a multipurpose space. Edel Construction started
construction on site at the end of June,
with a project completion date of midDecember 2013.

Architects: mlh architects and planners
Quantity Surveyor: Turner Townsend
Consulting Engineers:
Structural:
KFD Wilkinson Consulting Engineers
Electrical: BFBA Consultants
Main Contractor: Edel Construction

Langa Shopping Centre, Cape Town
Johannesburg
developers,
Krisp
Properties, have been given the go-ahead
to develop a 5,000m² pedestrianised
shopping centre alongside Cape Town’s
busy Langa train station. The approval
comes alongside plans by the City of Cape
Town to invest in pedestrianising the area
with paving and landscaping the station
forecourt and access roads. According to
architect, Boets Smuts, of Smuts & de Kock
Architects, the development of the centre
and the gentrification plans by the city
went hand-in-hand.
The centre was designed to be “pleasant
and convenient”, said Smuts.
“It will be the first convenient shopping
centre for Langa. There is a need for
centres like this, so people don’t need to

take a train to town to do their shopping.
It’s also very central and will be in walking
distance for many residents in the suburbs,
while the Epping industrial area is situated
just across the railway line.”
Krisp Properties executive director,
Jordan Mann, said the plan was for
the centre to be a hub for public
transport commuters.
“The railway has been upgraded and
is, in fact, a First World station. Langa
Junction is a very nice fit for the station
itself,” said Mann, adding that he hoped to
have the centre completed by the second
half of 2014.
“People will be able to pop into the
centre after work, before taking the
train home. The beauty of Langa Junction

is its location right next to the station,
making it easier for commuting residents.
We are creating a shopping experience for
commuters and residents in the area.”
The suburb, well known for its apartheid
struggle history, is also frequented by
tourists. “We are addressing a major need
for retail in the area. Retailers have been
clamouring for us to get this centre up and
running,” said Mann.
According to town planners, NuPlan,
the lack of amenities in Langa township
and the adjoining Epping industrial area
“more than warrants the construction
of a local shopping centre, as no other
commercial/retail opportunities exists
within the immediate environs”.
“Due to the proximity of the proposed
shopping centre to the Langa Station,
the centre has been designed around
the pedestrian with easy, safe and wellbalanced pedestrian links, walkways and
landsca [