What if a building could do more than house a programme? What if it could support confidence, connection and long-term change?

That is the question behind SAOTA’s 9Miles Learning Centre. Designed for community-based non-profit organisation 9Miles Project, the centre is planned for Strandfontein, one of Cape Town’s historically underserved coastal settlements.

The project has now won the 2026 WAFX Award in the Power and Justice category. It was also recently shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival 2026 Future Projects – Education award. Together, these recognitions highlight the project’s powerful social narrative and community development focus.

However, the centre’s importance reaches beyond awards. Its ambition is to demonstrate that permanent, thoughtful architecture can become a long-term social intervention. It is not temporary aid infrastructure. Instead, it is a resilient piece of community infrastructure designed to serve future generations.

SAOTA and 9Miles Project: a partnership built over time

SAOTA has partnered with and supported 9Miles Project since 2016. The relationship reflects a shared commitment to creating lasting opportunities in Strandfontein and beyond.

9Miles Project works in a marginalised coastal settlement on Cape Town’s Cape Flats. The area has been historically disadvantaged. As a result, it lacks sufficient spaces for education, mentorship and uplifting interaction.

The proposed centre responds directly to that need. It will bring together learning, digital education, mentorship programmes and community activities. Importantly, it will offer a safe and resilient environment for vulnerable young people and the wider community.

Meanwhile, calls for construction to move forward in Strandfontein are now underway. 9Miles Project is actively pursuing funding and sponsorships. This support will help turn the design into a working centre and enable positive long-term change.

Why the WAFX Award 2026 matters

The WAFX Award is a discretionary recognition for the world’s most forward-looking architectural concepts. It celebrates future projects that identify challenges architects will need to address in the years ahead.

The judges recognise projects that respond to significant issues facing architecture, society and the planet. In the Power and Justice category, the 9Miles Learning Centre presents a clear case for architecture that expands access and opportunity.

Furthermore, its shortlist position at the World Architecture Festival 2026 places the project within an international conversation about the future of education spaces. The recognition is significant. Yet the project’s real measure will be its everyday value to the people of Strandfontein.

Learning centre design that extends beyond the classroom

The 9Miles Learning Centre is conceived as an adaptable learning environment. Its spaces are designed to support formal instruction, informal exchange and practical development.

Spaces for learning, mentorship and digital access

The centre will include educational rooms, quiet study areas and digital access. Conference rooms will support meetings and programmes. Recreational spaces will create room for rest, play and social connection.

A kitchen will support practical skills development. In addition, a café will operate as an informal co-working space. This will enable broader community use and help the centre remain active beyond scheduled lessons.

A rooftop garden and a court for creative expression

A rooftop vegetable garden will support practical education in gardening and sustainability. Therefore, learning will connect directly to everyday skills and environmental awareness.

The sports court will feature integrated artwork by renowned South African artist and designer Yay Abe. Created with input from local youth, the artwork will reinforce the centre’s role as a place of creativity, collaboration and shared identity.

These elements are deliberately integrated. They prioritise interaction among young people because mentorship and social exchange matter as much as formal instruction.

Designing opportunity, confidence and community resilience

The centre is more than a space for learning. It embodies 9Miles Project’s motto: ‘Going the Distance’. The building represents the organisation’s journey and its longstanding relationship with SAOTA. It also expresses a commitment to creating a meaningful legacy.

The project seeks to support children and young adults beyond education alone. Its aims are economic, emotional and psychological empowerment.

As a result, the centre is intended to help future generations become active citizens and agents of change. That impact could extend through Strandfontein and into the wider Cape Town community.