Pushing the boundaries of what a school looks like, the Redhill Early Learning Centre (ELC) was officially opened on 21 October 2024, and the Media in Africa team was there. 

Having done a site visit during construction, seeing the finished product was a joy. Each of the elements were brought to life with the children’s colourful artwork and the lived-in feeling of a school in daily use. 

The design is the brainchild of HUBO Studio, an award-winning architecture firm based in Norwood, Johannesburg, that specialises in education and kid-centric spaces. 

A crazy relationship 

The project is a result of a “crazy relationship” between Asher Marcus and Joseph Gerassi.

In his opening address, Joseph Gerassi, Redhill School’s Executive Head, explained the relationship between himself and HUBO Studio’s founder, Asher Marcus, as a partnership between two people who share a common vision and understanding about education. As Marcus explained: “It’s a crazy relationship that works.” 

Remarkable space 

This project is built and designed in Africa

Gerassi expressed gratitude to all who were involved in bringing the remarkable space to life, including the ELC staff. “This is the result of teamwork, vision and a shared purpose,” he confirmed.  

It is further a matter of great pride to Gerassi that this project is built and designed in Africa. While inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of learning, with the village piazza as a central gathering place that enriches the school experience, the building is undoubtedly Proudly South African. 

Child-focussed 

The Redhill ELC in Johannesburg is a ground-breaking space for children’s education.

Sue Pilkington-Williams, Head of the Early Learning Centre, explained that Reggio Emilia is an educational experience in early years’ learning where the child builds knowledge and constructs learning together with the teacher. 

“This is just a beautiful building, but it comes to life with the children and teachers,” said Pilkington-Williams.  

Before the guests set off to explore the multi-storey space, Gerassi reminded everyone: “The building is more than mortar, it is the building of young minds.” 

The Redhill Early Learning Centre has transformed from humble beginnings into a remarkable learning space with a future-focussed vision. 

Look out for our in-depth project article on the Redhill ELC in our next issue! 

Full acknowledgement and thanks go to http://www.redhill.co.za and https://www.hubostudio.com/ for the information in this article.