Green School Building for Disadvantaged children in Johannesburg

The Kingsway Centre of Concern was founded by a group of women in South Africa who were concerned by the restricted access children from disadvantaged communities had to education. The Kingsway School first started in a garage, where 7 children were given basic education on a daily basis. Today, the school is running at full capacity of 240 children from Grade 0 – Grade 7. The property they are currently occupying will not be available much longer; therefore the school is planning to construct a new building that will be able to host 1,500 students. They have taken the opportunity to design this building with green guidelines covering energy efficiency measures, water savings installations, and waste recycling.

ERM consultants in South Africa and Germany have collaborated to provide pro-bono technical input to the Kingsway Centre during the design and construction phase of the new building. For instance, as the energy supply of the region is unreliable, ERM is helping the school become more energy independent. Local ERM consultants are also keen to work with the children, parents and teachers to provide environmental education and are also assisting with the fundraising effort.