Beehive Hall -Krizevac Project

Chilomoni, Blantyre

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“It is a breath-taking, large, multi-functional space. I rank it number one of all the buildings on campus in terms of ventilation”

(Tiyezge Ngwira, Beehive Employee based in one of the Beehive Hall offices)

Location

Beehive Main Campus, Chilomoni, Blantyre, Malawi

Type

School Hall / Community Hall

Year of Construction

2018 – 2019

Design Architect

Steven Smith

Project Architect

Julianne Cassidy

Design Engineer

Zedi Nyirenda

Geotechnical Engineer

Zedi Nyirenda

Project Engineers

Hendrix Mgawana and Zedi Nyirenda

Total Building Area (Approx. GEA)

1104m²

Number of Storeys

Construction Cost

510,000,000 MWK
(£520,566 GBP – rate correct as of 24th August 2020)

Cost per m²

461,956 MWK/m²
(£472 GBP/m²)

Although separate entities, all Beehive enterprises share a unique bond, and are all connected by Beehive’s overarching ethos of ‘public service, personal sacrifice’. As the number of Beehive enterprises began to grow, and the number of employees and students increased, the need for a common space for gathering, meeting and collective worship became necessary.

The Beehive Hall is therefore a multipurpose building, suitable for a wide range of activities, from workshops and meetings to assemblies and dining. The main Hall space is double-height, with a floor area of 420m2 to accommodate up to 500 people at a time. A large, raised stage creates a point of focus, beneath which a generous basement provides storage for furniture and equipment.

A ‘service’ spine is located to the North of the main Hall area, containing WCs and a modern Kitchen at ground level, and a series of office/classroom spaces at first floor level. Slot windows penetrate the walls of the corridor to the upper level, creating visual connections to the main Hall space below. Above the main entrance to the West, an open Balcony provides a cool, informal workspace for students at break times. A series of louvred windows to the East wall of the balcony allow views down to the main Hall space when required.

The Hall is framed with a series of reinforced concrete columns, clad externally with Beehive’s site-made Hydraform blocks. Column-free spans are created in the main hall space via a series of steel trusses at roof level, which extend beyond the bounds of the walls to create shaded external areas directly adjacent to the building, including a dramatic entrance plaza. The roof is ‘lifted’ at the connection with the walls, and filled in with mesh screens, which allow the Hall to be naturally ventilated. A row of tall glazed doors occupy the South façade of the Hall, providing access to a paved external ‘Terrace,’ which is shaded by the overhanging roof. The Terrace offers stunning views out to the mountains beyond and, eventually, will create a visual connection to the St. Kizito Primary School below.