SEED: sowing the seeds of knowledge. Project by Architects of Justice.

Livegreenblog continues its journey through the South African architectural scene. The Gauteng Institute for Architecture award-winning project by Architects of Justice for a semi-permanent library in one of the country’s toughest townships is an excellent example of architecture driving social change.



Metaphorically, SEED stands for the “seed of knowledge”, and literally for “Supplementary Extended Education Device”, a library supplementing the educational offer for the MC Weiler School in Alexandra, a township with a population of more than 180,000, just outside Johannesburg, in the province of Gauteng.





The initial project was larger and in the end too expensive, so the Architects of Justice went back to the drawing board and came up with an equally attractive, lower budget prototype. The SEED is made up of two old shipping containers, a burst of colour and joy in a seedy, desolate urban setting, stimulating the creativity of the school children.



The two volumes stand in the school courtyard and immediately turned into its focal point. Especially attractive for the children who come here not only for the books but to do their homework, access information, work and play together, all in a protected, safe place.



So, the SEED is more than just a school library. In the words of the jury from the Gauteng Institute of Architecture Award 2013 for Excellence: “SEED demonstrates the power of architecture as an agent for social change”.

Project: Architects of Justice http://www.architectsofjustice.com/
Location: Alexandra, Johannesburg, South Africa
Year: 2012
Photography: Courtesy of Architects of Justice
Award: Gauteng Institute of Architecture Award 2013 for Excellence