The Hearth

The Hearth sits on an industrial-park site in Kwaggafontein, Mpumalanga, near Moloto Road. The existing buildings have clay brick walls, a steel frame, concrete floors and a metal sheet roof. The site analysis treats these as a foundation for adaptive reuse: reusable structure, thermal mass, and a large open span that allows flexible use.

Three conceptual drivers guide the design. Unify brings the Manala and Ndzundza communities together through maternal care. Nurture sets the mother as guide, protector and nurturer within the space. Grow is a journey from roots to bloom.

The plans organise spaces for care, learning and gathering, including resting chambers, a meditation and journaling room, a dance and music studio, a new-mom classroom and nursery, a counselling chamber, and a performance space with an amphitheatre. A circular pavilion wrapped in vertical timber slats anchors the courtyard.