Huis ten Bosch (HtB), the Stellenbosch University (SU) residence that closed after sustaining fire damage on 12 August 2019, was reopened for use by student residents on 21 February.
This is according to Antoinette Mouton, primaria of HtB, who said that HtB this year “received 94 first-year students and 52 senior students”.
Jessica Canter, vice-primaria of Huis ten Bosch, and Antoinette Mouton, primaria of Huis ten Bosch, stand in front of the new Huis ten Bosch building. PHOTO: Keanan Hemmonsbey
Numerous structural changes have been made to the building to ensure the safety of residents and to prevent fire-related incidents in the future. This was according to information from the main building contractor for Htb, Bambana Management Systems, and supplied to MatieMedia by Jessica Canter, head of safety and vice-primaria of the HtB house committee.
There are four fire extinguishers on each floor of the new Huis ten Bosch Building. PHOTO: Keanan Hemmonsbey
The doors of student bedrooms have, for example, been replaced with fire-resistant doors. A new fire-resistant public address (PA) system and fire detection system has been installed, they said.
An extended list of all the work done during the rebuilding and restructuring of the Huis ten Bosch building. INFOGRAPHICS: Keanan Hemmonsbey
During the welcoming week programme, the first-year students that moved into HtB were introduced to the fire preventative measures in the building, according to Punaje Kuvare, a first-year accounting student and resident at HtB.
“The day I got here, Jessica [Canter] gave a description of all the protocols [such as] the new doors, the smoke detectors and so forth, which eased away all of my anxiety,” said Kuvare.
A fire drill took place on 14 March. “We did the [evacuation of the] entire res in four minutes and 48 seconds. It needs to be under three minutes, but as a first fire drill with 90-odd first years, who have never done one before, it went well,” said Canter.
Listen to Antoinette Mouton and Jessica Canter, primaria and vice-primaria of Huis ten Bosch, talking about the first weeks back in the HtB residence. INTERVIEW: Keanan Hemmonsbey