By: Tony Manyangadze

Interior Design students’ long days of hard work for the City Campus have finally paid off and the results … a new look for the 102-year-old campus!

The “My Campus Project” that kick started on the 28th of January 2013 is now complete and the three students that spearheaded the project couldn’t hide their joy.

“I am very happy that we managed to complete the project right on schedule. The effort was worth it and the transformation came out beautifully. Seeing our work come to life is a dream come true,” said Ndabezinhle Ncube, one of three team leaders.

The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design, Dr Kenneth Netshiombo, highlighted that there was a great need for a ‘magic’ touch on the campus to make it more conducive for learners. “The idea was to try and elevate City Campus to be a resemblance of a typical university campus,” Dr Netshiombo said.

The Executive Dean also confirmed that at least R125 000 was spent on this historic initiative that saw the campus’s two courtyards and cafeteria receiving a new dominantly red look to symbolise the new Faculty of Arts and Design colour. Additional concrete benches and tables were also mounted to enable a good number of learners to sit, socialise and make use of the Wi-Fi.

This unique opportunity also gave the second and third year Interior Design students a chance to get the feel of what happens in the industry. Third year interior Design student Sifiso Shange said, “It was an overwhelming experience, challenging at first having to work with a team and also to get to do what really happens in the industry.”

Michelle Hankinson, an Interior Design lecturer who was overseeing the project echoed the same sentiment, acknowledging that the whole experience was interesting as students applied what they are taught in class into the real world. “It’s the first real project that most of them have done so far, from working with a real client to working on a budget,” she said.

She also thanked the Dean of the Faculty of Arts for awarding the Interior Design Programme an opportunity to beautify the campus and at the same time showcase their talent. “We are thrilled to have been given the opportunity by the Dean to upgrade the campus, (I) hope it’s enjoyed by all programmes,” said Hankinson.

Dr Netshiombo encouraged students to treat the campus like their home by jealously safeguarding the refurbished areas.

“I would also want to appeal to my students to behave themselves and not to vandalise the benches and the umbrellas but to make good use of the courtyard. Enjoy yourself there, go there and relax, go there and have a group discussion. It is your campus, you paid for it, you deserve to be happy,” he said.