Oprah's school wins prize

By Colleen Dardagan

Recognised for its support of the environment and the Shayamoya community in Kokstad, talk show host Oprah Winfrey's school in southern KwaZulu-Natal has scooped the region's top award for architecture.

Gregg Sherkin, of Oprah's Angel Network, which was responsible for building the school with the KZN Education Department, said the organisation was "thrilled" at the award, which would be handed out to the designers, East Coast Architects, in Durban tonight.

"Seven Fountains Primary School was a partnership project between us and the KZN Department of Education, with the hope it would become a model for how schools could be built and embraced by communities throughout the province and the rest of South Africa."

KZN Institute of Architects president Miles Pennington said entrants were judged on three criteria: functional planning, durability and delight.

Noted local architect and competition judge Ivor Daniel said the panel had also taken into account global concerns regarding energy usage, recycling of old materials and how the building impacted on the quality of life of the people who passed by, used it or lived in it.

• This article was originally published on page 2 of The Mercury on October 05, 2009