The Vissershok Container Classroom
Everyone has the right to study, but some children are less privileged than the other. This is the case of the children from the Durbanville wine valley, situated on the outskirt of Cape Town. However, three SA companies, Woolworths, Safmarine and AfriSam, sponsored an improvised school for these underprivileged children. The Vissershok Container Classroom is their actual school, a 12m recycled container and was designed by Tsai Studio.
This classroom is reserved to 25 Grade R pupils with ages between 5 and 6 years and what in the morning is a school, becomes a library in the evening and afternoon. The idea of this classroom came thanks to a design competition, called ‘Making the Difference Through Design’. The winner of the competition, which is a 15 years old pupil, named Marshaarn Brink, came with this ingenious idea. Besides the idea of a classroom, the pupil also thought about an outdoor jungle gym class.
The container has a big sheltering roof which allows the children to shelter from the sun when they are outside. More, the steel frames of the container are used as supports for equipment for play. Outside there is also an outdoor amphitheatre used also for educational activities and for the kids to socialize on their breaks. Near the container there is also a vegetable garden which, besides it educational purpose, is also destined to provide fresh food for the children’s feeding program.
This is an example about how people can do a lot with limited means of budget. The important thing is to want to make a change. Most impressive is the implication, imagination and practical spirit of young Marshaarn Brink.{found on architezer}.