The Ravenscraig House Student Accommodation

Compiled by Megan O’Connor, with technical input from Richard Craig, Greenfields Plumbing Design

The construction of the R290-million Ravenscraig House Student Accommodation in Woodstock was completed in December 2025, after starting in August 2024.

The wheelchair accessible bathrooms. Supplied by Greenfields Plumbing Design

Located just 1.5km from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), the student accommodation covers an impressive 14 315m², and houses 860 beds, with nine wheelchair-accessible rooms and accessible amenities.

SVA International, the assigned architect for the project, describes Ravenscraig House as “a vibrant student accommodation development”, designed to “foster community and comfort. The nine-storey residence will accommodate 860 students in a mix of single, double and accessible rooms, each supported by communal ablutions and accessible bathrooms.”

The accommodation features shared kitchens, TV and games rooms, as well as study areas – promoting a balanced student lifestyle. “At ground level, a landscaped courtyard offers green space, while designated feature walls provide a canvas for street and graffiti artists, adding

a creative and cultural layer to the student experience. Ravenscraig House is more than accommodation – it’s a vibrant, inclusive and inspiring place to live and learn” concludes SVA International1. Adowa

Property Developers agrees with this, describing Ravenscraig house as “urban living mixed with suburban vibes, with gardens and pockets of community living within the building”.2

Spanning ten floors, the traditional hostel design of the House provides bedrooms on either side of spacious corridors, and each floor has communal kitchens, communal ablutions and accessible bathrooms.

Preparation for the project

Before the actual plumbing work started, Greenfields Plumbing did substantial preparations, including:

• From the outset Greenfields Plumbing, together with the PQS team from RLB, helped value-engineer the initial bill of
• Greenfields then met with the wet works engineer, Richard Ramplin (RRCA), to confirm design proposals, after which they engaged with the builder, Washirika 3 Oaks (W3O), to ensure best targeted support.
• Greenfields Plumbing submitted their method statement, quality assessment and quality control documents for prior approval.
• Greenfields’ in-house safety officer was briefed on the safety targets, which they wanted to achieve.
• Suppliers and merchants were all notified at an early stage, to ensure best site support and options.
• The QS team drafted sales and cost projections for this
• Greenfields established a secure site store, to best manage their material supplies.
• The site team was provided with additional training and support, to help upskill them.
• Additional plant and equipment needed to boost productivity were sourced.
  

  The heating plant installed on the roof. Supplied by Greenbro

  

  The construction of the ten-floor, 14 315m2 student accommodation. Supplied by Adowa Property Developers

The installation

Then, the plumbing work started, and included:

• The first production focus was wet work requirements, in the riser shafts.
• Basement soffit waste and water reticulation followed this, when Greenfields obtained access to the necessary areas.
• The project used a lightweight Cemteq Q block installation for a fast build solution.
• Within the ablution areas a second skin was added, onto which a projection bolt system to fix the basins was used.
• Once the final slabs were cast, the delivery, hoisting and installation of the hot water plant onto the roof was executed.
• Once bathrooms were secure, tiled and ready, the sanitaryware installation commenced.

The wheel-chair accessible showers. Supplied by Greenfields Plumbing Design

The communal bathrooms. Supplied by Greenfields Plumbing Design

The grand opening. Supplied by Nthina Piliso

References:

1. SVA international – svarchitects.com/sva-projects/ravenscraig-house
2. Adowa Property Developers – adowa.co.za/projects/cape-town-student-accommodation