The Chemical Engineering Building, situated on the upper campus of the University of Cape Town, was theproduct of a three-year collaborative process involvingacademics, researchers, architects, engineers, artists,builders and students.

Materially the building blends in with the rest of the campus using “university plaster”, however it blends this with contemporary elements in order to contrast the new with the old. The base of the building is clad in stone and three storeys are raised up on piloti to form aglazed entrance on ground level. The plastered facade steps away from the glazed skin of the building in orderto provide shading to the inside spaces, while allowingviews and ventilation. The top storey steps back tocreate balconies that also have picturesque views ofthe city. Meshed “fins” attach to the edges of the roof inorder to shade the inside spaces on this level