STADIO’s new comprehensive tertiary education campus in Durbanville, in Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs, is steaming ahead with Phase 1 set to launch mid-2025.
Phase 1 is progressing efficiently and remains on track for timely completion, says Salmon Smith, Senior Architectural Technologist at BPAS Architects, the firm behind the campus’ design. “With careful planning and execution, the project continues to meet key milestones. Phase 2, scheduled to commence in 2026, will build on this momentum, ensuring a seamless transition into the next stage of development,” he says.
Appointed contractor, Isipani Construction, has completed the erection of structural columns and the casting of floor slabs ahead of schedule.
Located in the developing Groot Phesantekraal precinct, STADIO Durbanville plans to offer schools in education, IT, law, media and design, commerce, architecture and engineering with a planned intake capacity of between 4 000 and 5 000 contact learning students from the 2026 academic year.
“The campus integrates solar power solutions and passive design principles to optimise energy efficiency and will be a pedestrian-friendly campus that enhances student well-being,” says Smith.
The evolution of the campus’ design came during the construction phase and entailed a different approach to learning spaces. “The design theory of ‘The fifth Teacher’ (being the community) was embraced and incorporated to create connected and inclusive spaces,” he says.
This builds on one of the people-first design philosophies BPAS adheres to, known as “environment as the third teacher”, which holds that students learn from teachers, peers and the space they’re in. This has evolved to include technology as a fourth teacher, and now community as a fifth.
