Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS Modular Lecture Building gets national recognition

11 May 2023 | Story Samkelo Fetile | Photo iFlair Photography

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Modular Lecture Building on its Bloemfontein Campus recently received a National Merit Award from the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA). The awards were announced at the 2021/2022 Corobrik SAIA Awards of Merit and Awards for Excellence ceremony in Johannesburg.

The multi-functional Modular Lecture Building, considered a hub for innovative learning, was designed by Roodt Architects in partnership with GXY Architects.

The adjudication panel received a total of 42 architectural projects from around the country, including infrastructure developments in the public and private sector. The SAIA Awards programme is structured over a two-year period and is conducted in two stages. In stage one regional awards for architecture are presented by the nine regional institutes affiliated to SAIA. In stage two the winning regional projects that are consequently entered into the national awards receive either a Commendation, an Award of Merit, and/or an Award for Excellence, which recognises exceptional achievement in the field of architecture.

In their citation the adjudicators noted that the Modular Lecture Building sets a benchmark for rational planning and technical efficiency and helps complete the campus urban framework through its placing and material choices.

Multi-functional spaces for students

Nico Janse van Rensburg, Senior Director at UFS University Estates, said the recognition is a testament to the UFS’s aspirations to renew, rejuvenate, regenerate, and revisit facilities and infrastructure.

“This award proves that excellence can be achieved with a reasonable set budget,” Janse van Rensburg said. “Energy efficiency and green building principles can be achieved by careful planning and teamwork.”

The Modular Lecture Building offers a variety of much-needed flexible teaching and learning spaces. “I have been using the facilities in this building for two years now, and I can say the building is much more spacious and conducive to studying,” said Hymne Spies, a third-year BSc student majoring in biochemistry and genetics. “The many plugs make it more efficient for studying, as one can plug in his or her laptop. There is also a nice computer lab for us to make use of.”

The UFS is proud that the construction of this facility forms part of a bigger endeavour – to create a cohesive campus identity that improves core business and to further extend its innovation and excellence as per its Vision 130.

Take a tour of the new Modular Lecturing Space and Assessment Centre Building:

News Archive

Parent Day on 3 December 2011

2011-11-30

University. What happens next?

Is the campus a safe environment for my child? What will be expected from me as parent once my child arrives here? When and where should my child register and what does Kovsies offer him/her?

The University of the Free State (UFS) is aware of the fact that parents have continuous questions when their children enter the grown-up world for the first time.

Therefore the UFS offers parents or guardians the opportunity to ask these questions.

As part of Student Affairs’ Gateway programme, the UFS will host a Parent’s Day at the Bloemfontein Campus on Saturday 3 December 2011. Parents or guardians of prospective students will be able to find out more about everything the UFS offers, how students can get involved in organisations, when and where registration takes place and what life in a residence is like today, etc.

Mrs Cornelia Faasen, Senior Officer: Learning Communities and Orientation, says the Parent Day will enable parents to assist their children with the transition between school and university and make it easier for them.

“This Parent Day has been successfully hosted in 2010 for the first time. Students are facing far greater demands, responsibilities and challenges than they did at school. Parents need to better understand the university environment in order to have better insight into the world their children are entering into.”

The programme for the day includes several presentations on admissions, finances and scholarships, residences and more. There will also be a question-and-answer session with the heads of faculties.

Date: Saturday 3 December 2011

Time: 10:00-14:00

Place: Callie Human Centre, Bloemfontein Campus

For more information, contact Ms. Cornelia Faasen at faasen@ufs.ac.za or +27(0)51 401 9102

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept