UBUNTU
PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA
The Ubuntu Center's folded concrete forms read as independent volumes that lean on each other for support, an architectural reflection the literal message of Ubuntu, a word that means "I am because you are." Pedestrian walkways, plotted from existing footpaths and with a deep respect for extant use patterns, weave throughout the distributed mass of the buildings. Instead of a formal entrance, the building relies on these interspersed voids, creating opportunities for chance encounters.
The Center and its design are intended as a model for sustainable development that begins with the environment and extends to the preservation of life.
Funded globally and operated locally, Ubuntu Center brings services to vulnerable children by providing centrally located, free, and accessible social services in a single facility. The program includes a multi-purpose hall for education, concerts and shelter when needed; an empowerment wing with career guidance and a computer center; and a fully equipped Pediatric HIV/TB testing and counseling clinic serving nearly 50,000 people through community HIV prevention outreach. The Center's organic rooftop garden together with Ubuntu's neighborhood gardens feed 2,245 students daily. Ubuntu was adopted by the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and has become a model of success for the Clinton Global Initiative, the Kresge Foundation, and countless individual supporters.
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Joe Fletcher Photography
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2009 Progressive Architecture (P/A) Award, Honor
Architect Magazine2012 Award of Excellence
South African Institute of Architects2011 Regional Award for Architecture
South African Institute of Architects2011 Fulton Award, Overall Building
Concrete Society of Southern Africa2011 Fulton Award, Concrete in Architecture
Concrete Society of Southern Africa2008 Honor Award
American Institute of Architects – San Mateo