From waste to wonderland: Crèche made of recycled material
Goal50 is an ECD centre made from recycled waste. This innovative centre is not only eco-friendly but also a work of art, providing a safe and nurturing environment for young minds.
In the heart of Heideveld, Cape Town, a revolutionary Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre is taking shape.
Goal50 is an innovative space that's being built with unconventional materials, including tyres, bottles, mud, eco-bricks and other recycled waste.
The result is a stunning, eco-friendly structure that's not only sustainable but also a beacon of hope for the community.
The brainchild of Uthando (Love) South Africa, a non-profit organisation, Goal50 is the second ECD centre built using tyres.
The first, Ulwazi Educare in Delft, was completed in 2022, reports GroundUp. This new centre will serve 100 children and 10 staff, providing a safe and nurturing environment for young minds to grow.
The building's design and construction are the work of the Natural Building Collective, a team of experts passionate about sustainable building practices. Using recycled materials, they're creating a structure that's not only environmentally friendly but also uniquely beautiful.
The tyres, sourced from the municipal waste bureau in Atlantis, are filled with crushed building rubble, making them sturdy and heavy. The outer layer is made from a mixture of sand, clay, and straw, called cob, which is mixed in a traditional way (by stamping it with feet).
Eco-bricks, made from plastic-filled bottles, are used to fill gaps between tyres, while windows are crafted from stormwater manholes.
According to James Fernie, founder of Uthando, "These buildings are so unique, so beautiful, and so artistic. They give people hope."
The centre is expected to open in mid-2025 and will be free to use. The project's first phase will cost over R5 million, using 1,400 tyres, with the entire project requiring 5,000 tyres.
While using recycled materials is cost-effective, the labour-intensive process requires skilled workers. To address this, workers from Heideveld have been trained in using recycled materials, acquiring skills that will benefit them long after the project is completed.
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Image courtesy of Goal50