Silindokuhle Preschool / Collectif Saga

Architects: Collectif saga
Area: 220 m²
Year: 2017
Photographs: Joubert Loots, Gorka Biurrun, Yannis Frémont Marinopoulos, Yasmina González, Camille Mérimèche
Manufacturers: Aveng Steel, Howeden Donkin Fans, Mpact
Lead Architects: Collectif saga, Uncedo
Plumber: Clearwater Plumbers
Consulting Engineer: Poise Engineering
Founder of the Silindokuhle Preschool / Client: Patricia Piyani + Silindokuhle Preschool NPO
Funders: Région Pays de la Loire, Département Loire Atlantique, Ville de Nantes, Tavcor Motor Group, Dynaform and Paterson Road Investment PTY LTD.
Material Donations: Howden Donkin Fans, Mpact Port Elizabeth, Algoa Joinery, Cannibal, Barloworld Equipment, EPS, Plumblink
Budget: 70000 euros
City: Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth)
Country: South Africa

Silindokuhle Preschool, designed by Collectif saga, is part of an ongoing community project in Joe Slovo West, a rapidly developing informal area in the suburbs of Gqeberha, South Africa. After constructing a community hall in 2015, the team returned to build a preschool to support Patricia Piyani’s growing initiative that serves local children aged 1 to 6. Facing challenges in a constantly evolving neighborhood under the national RDP housing program, the project emphasizes the use of local resources, refurbished and reclaimed materials, and a collective design process with community involvement. The preschool features three large, naturally ventilated classrooms with open views, a canteen enclosing an outdoor playground, and rainwater-based sanitation. The building’s design reflects its surroundings, offering a warm, experiential learning environment while preserving the stories and efforts of the community that built it.

Since 2014, Collectif saga has been engaged in a community project in Joe Slovo West, an informal settlement in the suburbs of Gqeberha, South Africa. Collaborating closely with local residents, the team has helped implement various facilities in the area. After completing their first building, a community hall in 2015, they returned to Joe Slovo to continue with the second phase of the project.

Joe Slovo West is a rapidly developing area that is constantly changing, resembling a permanent construction site. Government-funded houses are being built to replace existing self-built shacks, with some residents waiting over ten years to receive one. Each house is a basic 36-square-meter concrete block shell. This large-scale construction effort, known as the RDP (Reconstruction and Development Program), is a nationwide initiative launched in 1994 to provide free housing for the underprivileged.

Despite the challenging living conditions, some local community members actively participate in initiatives to enhance their area. For nearly ten years, Patricia Piyani, founder of a local preschool and soup kitchen, has been caring for many children aged 1 to 6 in her community. Having missed the opportunity to attend school herself, Patricia dedicated her life to providing proper education to the children in her area. As her initiative grew, so did the number of children attending her preschool, creating a pressing need for new facilities.

The first step is to assess what already exists, identifying what can be reused or transformed, determining potential collaborators, and understanding what additional resources are needed. It is essential to learn about the environment and take the time to grasp the broader context. From this collective effort, a project takes shape, built from local resources and involving the community, aimed at providing appropriate shelter for the initiative. The design process is collaborative, with a focus on using refurbished and reclaimed local materials, proceeding incrementally with each step based on experimentation. Materials and objects gathered from across the city are assembled, reused, and altered, creating a new narrative rooted in collective effort.

The preschool serves as a space for new experiences for the children, with large windows offering expansive views of the surroundings and playing with light and shadows, revealing the honest nature of its construction. Assembled from raw materials, it creates a warm learning environment with three spacious, naturally ventilated classrooms that open widely to the landscape. The canteen, which encloses the outdoor playground, provides a shared space for children and community members, becoming a setting for stories, games, and events. The facility also includes sanitation systems primarily using rainwater and a large office for Patricia and the four teachers. The building itself tells the story of the preschool—unique in its dimensions and appearance, crafted by hand, and embodying the collective efforts and stories of the community, paving the way for new opportunities.