26
T
he centre, designed by wellknown Namibian architect Nina
Maritz, offers plenty from a
design point of view, as does the
structural and civil engineering handled
by Buhrmann & Partners. All electricalmechanical engineering was carried
out by Emcon and G S Fainsinger &
Associates, while De Leeuw Namibia was
the quantity surveyor and Groenewald
Properties the building contractor.
Initiated by the Ministry of Regional
and Local Government, Housing and
Rural Development in 2002, the centre
was opened in 2004.
Design aspects
According to Maritz, the HRDC’s design
is based on the metaphor of a pangolin,
with overlapping “scales” as protection
against Namibia’s heat, complete with a
soft, inner core.
The public wing features a kitchen,
desIgn Namibia October - December 2013
library and exhibition hall which faces
north – keeping it cool in summer and
warm in winter, while making the most
of the predominant wind direction. The
roofs, which remind one of butterfly
wings, are of corrugated steel - they not
only catch wind and act as ventilators,
but have also become synonymous with
the centre.
Smart energy use
Around 60% of the centre’s energy
needs come from the sun thanks to
solar panels on the roof. Also, the
clever use of windows makes the most
of daylight and lights only need to be
switched on at night or on overcast
days.
Since the centre often hosts special
events, the kitchen was built to make
provision for several cooking methods,
including solar box and parabolic
cookers. Various wood-efficient stoves