Ithuba Project - Training and education center
In 2009, the Architecture and Facility Management departments at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences launched their second international design-build project in South Africa as part of the UNITY program. This initiative, developed in partnership with the Austrian non-profit SARCH and later supported by Mirador e.V., focused on the planning, funding, and construction of a new school and vocational training facility for the Ithuba Skills College.
Located at Montic Primary School in Magagula Heights, about 60 kilometers south of Johannesburg, the Ithuba Skills College was established to address the educational needs of youth from nearby townships. The project aimed to provide both academic education and practical vocational training, responding to persistent social and economic inequalities in post-apartheid South Africa. With high unemployment rates and inadequate educational infrastructure in township areas, the initiative offered essential opportunities for disadvantaged students.
Serving as an extension of the existing Montic Primary School, which educates around 560 children aged 3 to 17, the new Skills College was designed to build upon primary education and equip young people with valuable skills for their future.
Images and Plans
Technical Description
The Ithuba Skills College educational facility was designed and built by an interdisciplinary team from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in 2009. Responding to the dual need for academic and vocational training in a South African township, the project created a multifunctional building within three months, using local, cost-effective materials and climate-adapted construction techniques for long-term durability and easy maintenance.
The 188 m² building provides classrooms for subjects such as English, mathematics, and science, alongside workshops for masonry, carpentry, and electrical training—reflecting the college’s mission to empower youth with practical skills for self-employment. The design prioritized thermal comfort, cultural sensitivity, and sustainability, drawing on local building traditions.
The project was realized through a 15-month planning phase and a tightly coordinated construction process involving 17 students in planning and 16 on-site, working collaboratively with local workers and students. This approach fostered knowledge exchange and ensured the building could be maintained and expanded by the community.
With a total budget of €68,683—funded by university support, student contributions, corporate and foundation donations, and fundraising—the project exemplified strong institutional and community engagement. Supervised by Prof. Dr. Claus Dießenbacher and coordinated by Dipl.-Ing. Carola Rauch, the initiative stands as a model for socially engaged, hands-on architectural education and sustainable development in challenging contexts.