TSEBE HOUSE
ST ALBAN ’ S COLLEGE
TSEBE HOUSE St Alban ’ s College , Pretoria
CLIENT St Alban ’ s College
ARCHITECT ARC MU : V
QUANTITY SURVEYOR Rider Levett Bucknall
CIVIL , STRUCTURAL , FIRE , ELECTRICAL & WET SERVICES CKR Consulting Engineers
MAIN CONTRACTOR Jovan Projects
PHOTOGRAPHY Breniann Labuschagne Franz Rabe
Perched within the undulating landscape of Pretoria ’ s koppies , Tsebe House at St Alban ’ s College emerges as a radical reinterpretation of the boarding experience , weaving together the threads of South African heritage , avant-garde architectural innovation and communal ethos . Designed by ARC MU : V , Tsebe House transcends conventional typologies , engaging with the spatial narrative that caters to the discerning needs of Gen Z and Gen Alpha . This project is a symbiotic convergence of space , light , and form - a dialogue between past and future , tradition and transformation .
Site and Contextual Dialogue Founded in 1963 in Lynnwood Glen , Pretoria , St Alban ’ s College is a campus that speaks to the interlacing of nature and academia . Strategically sited opposite the historic chapel , Tsebe House serves as both counterpoint and complement , harmonising with the college ’ s vernacular while establishing its own modern identity . This spatial dialogue extends beyond mere adjacency ; it is an architectural mediation between the sacred and the secular , between the inherited and the envisioned .
Client Brief and Programmatic Response Addressing the burgeoning needs of the college ’ s expanding student body , the client brief called for an environment that goes beyond mere accommodation , advocating for spaces that support intimate , small-group living . The design delivers this through precisely calibrated room layouts , en-suite dormitories , and communal spaces that cultivate a profound sense of belonging . It ’ s an articulation of modern
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