Workshop Wednesday - Beyond just the bricks

What happens when you design a space around people first, and everything else second? How community-first thinking is reshaping the built environment.

We’re excited to welcome Andries Pretorius and Etienne Maritz, co-founders of Volley, Pretoria's premium student accommodation, who’ve built their careers on this philosophy. We’ll be chatting about how they’ve put community at the centre, changing not just how buildings look, but how people move through them, connect in them, and make them their own. From purpose-built student living to multi-use spaces like Workshop17 Hazelwood, creating spaces where people feel like they belong.

100% of ticket proceeds go to Tswalo House. South Africa faces a heartbreaking crisis, with millions of children suffering from the loss of parents or carers. Tswalo House relies completely on the generosity of the community to keep its doors open, the lights on, and the babies warm. By purchasing your ticket to Workshop Wednesday, you are directly funding essential resources like baby formula, nappies, medical check-ups, and 24-hour specialised care. You are quite literally becoming part of the "village" it takes to raise these children, helping give them the best possible start in life.