UFS STEM Academy, University of the Free State, BloemfonteinEducational

The proposed UFS STEM Academy is located to the north of the existing South Campus of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. Its location, adjacent to one of the poorest townships, provides an ideal opportunity to redress injustices of the past through innovative educational practices in the field of Maths, Science, Engineering and Technology – i.e STEM. The proposed building complex consists of a number of elements, of which the core functions will be grouped together to form the Incubator Core. This is the focus of the school, programmatically and in terms of building bulk and massing. It includes the school hall, reception, admin and a major courtyard lined by the core STEM classrooms. The Academy will also accommodate standard classrooms and teaching support facilities which will consist of Grade R Classrooms, a Preparatory, Middle and Upper College with classrooms for grades 1 to 12, innovation workshops, a science and maths centre, an outdoor classroom, a boarding house and a student intern facility, which will be used in the education of teachers.