Parkwood Tech Centre

Need & Opportunity

Only 20% of residents in Parkwood, South Africa have finished high school. To help combat high unemployment and drop-out rates, the Parkwood Technology Centre (PTC) was built in 2017. The center encourages community involvement in an area known for high poverty and unemployment. The goal of PTC is to empower beneficiaries with practical computer knowledge and coding skills that will provide them with marketable job skills that will improve their employment opportunities.

Solution & Value Add

The technology center and computer laboratory serve the 500 students at the school and surrounding community members and adult learners. The new building is equipped with a rooftop solar array, lowering the cost of energy bills and reducing the impacts of human-driven climate change. In addition, this allows the school to achieve energy independence from frequent electrical blackouts due to the unreliable power grid.

Our Construction for Change project managers, Adrienne Johnson and Morgan Abbett, received 2017 Leadership Awards from the U.S. Green Building Council, which recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations at the forefront of the green building movement.

Project Results

• Infrastructure: A 1,000 square foot technology centre in Parkwood.
• Delivery: Completed in February 2017 at US$64,000 against an approved construction budget of US$85,000.