Montic Project - Children's library
In 2007, the Architecture and Facility Management departments at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences launched their first international UNITY design-build project in South Africa. In collaboration with the Austrian NGO SARCH and with ongoing support from Mirador e.V., the project focused on the planning, funding, and construction of a children's library at Montic Primary School, located in a township about 60 kilometers south of Johannesburg.
Serving around 560 children aged 3 to 17, the school is situated on land owned by an Austrian dairy farmer. After an initial site visit, students identified a greater need for a library than the originally planned kindergarten. The project addressed the urgent educational needs of the local community, which faces high unemployment, limited access to clean water, and significant educational disadvantages in the post-apartheid context. The new library provides vital support for literacy and learning in an under-resourced environment.
Images and Plans
Technical Description
The Montic Primary School Children's Library was designed and built by an interdisciplinary team from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in 2007. The project responded to educational and environmental needs by creating a multifunctional space for reading, learning, and recreation, constructed within three months using local, cost-effective materials and simple building techniques for easy maintenance.
The building features a three-wing layout that completes the southern edge of the schoolyard, offering a multifunctional reading room with integrated book storage, a teacher’s office, sanitary facilities with an independent sewage system, and a central courtyard with a pergola for play and social interaction. Massive stone masonry construction ensures thermal comfort and aligns with local traditions.
The project was realized through a carefully phased construction process involving 30 students in planning and 18 in on-site building. The €62,392 budget was financed through university support, student contributions, grants, corporate donations, and fundraising activities, reflecting strong community and institutional engagement.
Supervised by Prof. Dr. Claus Dießenbacher and coordinated by Dipl.-Ing. Carola Rauch, the project stands as a model for hands-on, socially engaged architectural education and sustainable development.