The Chronicle 2022

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS

uncompromisable security with high-speed, consistent internet coverage and network integration across the school.

Written by Joni Warburton

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s COVID-19 released its grip, the school was back in full swing with buzzing corridors, packed stands at weekend sport fixtures, and the hustle and bustle of a busy campus. With this we were able to proceed with planned Buildings and Grounds projects for 2022. We tackled multiple large-scale projects which will take us into the modern world of innovation in education and sustainability through the generosity of donors, along with the strategic use of funds earmarked for capital expenditure. GENERATOR AND SOLAR INSTALLATION With rolling blackouts and Eskom unable to supply the country with reliable power, the generators installed at Michaelhouse many years ago took major strain and the need to look at alternative energy became a necessity. As a temporary fix and reprioritization of load-capacity throughout the school, we purchased a 350kVA generator to rotate generators around the school to more high-demand areas. This then allowed us to retire an older generator that was requiring a significant amount of maintenance. In planning long-term, and to avoid ever-increasing fuel costs, the execution of installing a 250kWp rooftop solar PV system on the Indoor Centre roof was completed just before A Block end of-year exams commenced. This allows us to self-power 15% of our demand and obviates reliance on Eskom, while easing the burden of the cost of diesel to power the area and buildings in and around the Indoor Centre. MAKAN CENTRE AND MEDIA CENTRE We broke ground on the Makan Centre, funded through the generosity of a donor, in the second quarter of 2022. The facility meets the need for innovation and modernization in collaborative workspaces where boys can hone their skills with cutting-edge technology. The internal remodeling of the Media Centre and the seamless integration of the Makan Centre attaching directly to it, will see Michaelhouse positioned at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Even though we could not see this project completed in 2022, we look forward to it being fully functional by the beginning of the second quarter in 2023. IT INFRASTRUCTURE Along with sustainability and evolving and innovative forms of education at Michaelhouse, with all E Block boys working with standardized laptop devices for the first time in 2022, our IT backbone needed to be secure, stable and of the highest quality. During 2022, with the guidance of the new Head of Digital Strategy and his team of IT technicians the upgrading of the entire fibre configuration and physical layout and cabling of the school was embarked upon, along with the upgrading of access points and switches. The project created a rigid environment of

CLASSROOM UPGRADES As the school moves with innovations in teaching, the need for practical and open areas for world-class education is becoming a priority. In the English Department especially, this was something of a necessity. Added to the existing structure was a multi-story stacked block of spacious and inviting new classrooms. Balconies and bigger windows with million-dollar views and wider spaces in classrooms, and the capacity to install better projectors, whiteboards and teaching equipment became features of the newly reconfigured English Department. The project necessitated the widening of the road outside the Sanatorium; and for the dark and dingy staircase that once led boys up to Shakespeare to be broken down, as the corridors from IT now lead them to the exciting prose of yester-year. Along with improvements to the English classrooms, History and Learning Support received significant internal upgrades along with the more standard modernizations which many other departments enjoyed throughout the year. Vitally important as an adjunct to the classroom spaces is the Print Room which now hosts a permanent Print Room Operator with a large production machine as well as a colour machine and a second mono printer where teachers can either print their own work or where the Print Room Operator is able to prep all printed material and examination papers with ease. Once the site of the Tuck Shop under the Junior Dining Hall, the transformation of this area has seen the Book Room move into this area as well while the old Print Room is now solely for use by the boys. GROUNDS AND SURROUNDS A hotspot, especially during the Michaelhouse/Hilton Derby, is the parking area between Marketing (previously the Old Boys’ Clubhouse) and Meadows. Through the generosity of a regular benefactor, this area was stripped down and cobbled for a neater and more aesthetically-pleasing finish, which is now regularly used and enjoyed by a range of visitors, from those visiting Admissions at the very start of their Michaelhouse journey to Old Boys visiting the Heritage Centre and new Old Boys’ Clubhouse to catch up with old friends. The thatch buildings which overlook Baileys and the Punchbowl Astro were also redone to be safer and more inviting – especially with all the lightning strikes and rain we experience in the Midlands (only a slight inconvenience for being in such a beautiful part of the country). As we do every year, we understood that our staff who give their time, enthusiasm and commitment, term in and term out to ensure that our boys leave as men of significance deserve carefully maintained and upgraded homes on campus. The appeal of on campus living remains a major drawcard in attracting quality staff.

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