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67
DECEMBER • 2016
ST JOHANN
All of this was cleverly designed to feel spacious, light and airy,
although only 67 m² in size. The ski chalet sits on steel posts to
lift it above the flow of a natural stream through the middle of the
site. Clear storey windows right round the main bedroom and living
area affords views of the mostly clear blue skies and mountain
tops, while letting in copious amounts of natural light. Insulated
walls, floors and roof together with double glazing and hydronic
underfloor heating makes for a comfortable and cosy interior.
Modul8 modular units (a factory manufactured Modular
building system) serves as a ski chalet at adventure seekers
at Afriski Adventure & Ski Resort, Lesotho. Three Modul8
premanufactured modular units with channel/square/rectangular
profiles and cellular beams make up St Johann.
Steel was used to enable the designing and manufacturing of
a pre-manufactured, up market and modular system in Gauteng,
which could then be transported to a high altitude (3 300 m above
sea level) location, where it is not easy to assemble or build
projects. The use of tubular steel was a non-brainer for all its good
qualities: It is strong compared to its weight, flexible and durable.
The Modul8 unit was built in Gauteng in a controlled
environment and then transported to Lesotho and placed on a
prepared soil platform as it is much easier and cheaper to conduct
the construction in a controlled environment to ensure better
quality control.
The biggest challenge with Afriski is the inclement weather
conditions, the altitude and the location of the site. Because Afriski
Because of the difficulty to build at altitude, harsh
weather conditions and being 200 km from the
nearest building supply shop, it was decided by
Strey Architects to develop a pre-manufactured
and modular building system, called Modul8. The
ski chalet was designed by Strey Architects to
be built in two phases. Phase I consists of three
modules containing and entrance/wind break/
future stair shaft, two en-suite bedrooms and a
living area with kitchen, dining area and lounge.
is located in a bowl, the days are shorter as the sun rises later over
the east ridge and sets earlier over the west ridge.
A steel ring beam at the top and bottom, together with square
steel posts act as a rigid frame which can be picked up from the
top to load on a truck, transport to site and dropped off on a pre-
prepared foundation.
The roof structure was also pre-manufactured in a factory
in Gauteng, complete with double glazing and lifting brackets,
in order to have minimal work to be done in the harsh weather
conditions on site. The roof structure was placed on the Modul8
units by the same crane mounted on the truck horse, after which
the 90 mm thick PU foam SIPs were placed on the frames on site
as all-in-one roof covering, ceiling and insulation.
Because the Modul8 units are manufactured off site, there
is no damage to the site or the surroundings during the
construction process, as no construction takes place on site
accept for the foundations.
As the building is pre-manufactured off site and then brought
to site, the buildings can also be taken away again and the site can
be totally rehabilitated.
As the Modul8 units are modular, materials were optimised to
their modular size resulting in very little to no cutting, resulting in
no waste of materials, labour, equipment, tools or time.
All Modul8 units are properly insulated, made in a controlled
environment with strict quality control procedures and of high
quality materials and finishes, resulting in less heating and cooling
costs, as well as less maintenance.
Low maintenance to no maintenance materials were chosen
to reduce maintenance costs in the long run, as well as reducing
the materials, cleaning and maintaining agents which will go with
maintaining a building.
The ski chalet is lifted off the ground by placing it on the round
tubular steel columns, for a few reasons. Firstly there are more
than 400 natural water springs on the resort, of which two flow
from underneath the position of the ski chalet. By lifting the chalet
above the ground, the flow of the water is not restricted to flow
downhill, and cause damage to the structure.
Project information
• Company entering: Strey Architects
• Client: Johannes Grobbelaar
• End date: 2014
• Main contractor: Modul8
• Architect: Strey Architects
• Consulting engineer: Hull Consulting Engineers
• Subcontractor: Alugro Aluminium & Glass
• Project value: R850 000