Welcome to UCT’s Virtual Un/Sustainable Campus Tour. Through 15 short audio stops, the tour will guide you through UCT’s campus, and the flows that shape campus life, energy, water, waste, food, mobility, biodiversity and justice. It moves through where UCT is already changing, and where more work is still needed, following the name “Un/Sustainable”. The tour shows that sustainability is not a single project, but an ongoing transition made through infrastructure, research, behaviour, care and accountability.
Click the coordinates for directions to your stop, make your way there, and listen to each recording at your own pace.
For more information contact Manfred Braune, Director of Sustainability.
1 - 2. Introduction and Sarah Baartman Plaza
Begin at Sarah Baartman Plaza, where the mountain, city and campus meet. This stop introduces UCT as a living campus in transition, shaped by flows of people, energy, water, waste, biodiversity and ideas. Presented by Manfred Braune and Marieke Norton.
3. Energy Systems Research Group at New Engineering Building
At the New Engineering Building, the Energy Systems Research Group connects national energy planning to UCT’s own decarbonisation journey. This stop shows how cleaner energy systems, efficiency and data can help move campus away from fossil-fuel dependence. Presented by Matthew Gabin and Anne Ruzario.
4. Future Water Institute and Water Quality Lab
The Future Water Institute explores how campus could use water more wisely, especially after Cape Town’s drought experience. The audio looks at circular water ideas such as urine recycling, nutrient recovery and fit-for-purpose water reuse. Presented by Carmen Botes, Natangue Shongolo and Myron Sheldon. (Image: Tegan Gibaud)
5. UCT dam and Future Water
UCT’s dam captures stormwater flowing off the mountain and helps slow, store and reuse water before it rushes downhill. The stop considers how the dam can support irrigation, fire resilience and future water-sensitive design. Presented by Carmen Botes, Natangue Shongolo and Myron Sheldon. (Image: Tegan Gibaud)
6. Photovoltaic (PV) car port: North bus stop
The PV carport shows how a parking space can also become renewable energy infrastructure. It provides shade, generates solar power and points to future possibilities for electric mobility and larger campus solar installations. Presented by Matthew Gabin and Anne Ruzario. (Image: Michelle Shields)
7. Animal cutouts: Shared Edges Project
These animal cutouts mark the porous edge between UCT and Table Mountain National Park. They encourage noticing the wildlife that moves through campus, which are often unseen, and ask how human behaviour affects shared habitats. Presented by Gabi Leighton and Ben Wittenberg. (Image: Campus Wild)
8. While walking
This walking section asks you to notice everyday signs of unsustainability: cars, litter, underused spaces and the dominance of hard infrastructure. It also links environmental change to social change, reminding us that sustainability must include justice, access and institutional transformation. Presented by Tegan Gibaud. (Image: Tegan Gibaud)
9. Generators on campus
The diesel generators highlight the tension between reliability and sustainability. They keep essential services running during power cuts, but also bring fuel costs, emissions and local air pollution. Presented by Matthew Gabin and Anne Ruzario. (Image: Manfred Braune)
10. Recycling hub and animals
At the recycling hub, waste becomes visible as both a system and a behaviour challenge. This stop explains how sorting, contamination, wildlife access and pest management all shape whether recycling protects or harms the wider campus ecosystem. Presented by Gabi Leighton and Ben Wittenberg. (Image: Michelle Shields)
11. Cissie Gool Food Court
The food court is a clear example of the food-energy-water-waste nexus. Here, convenience, cost, packaging, leftovers and reusable alternatives all shape how sustainable campus food systems can become. Presented by Tegan Gibaud. (Image: Michelle Shields)
12. Water catchment and New Lecture Theatre
This stop brings together blue-green infrastructure and green building design. The planted catchment manages stormwater through soil and vegetation, while the New Lecture Theatre shows how building design can reduce environmental impact. Presented by Carmen Botes, Natangue Shongolo and Myron Sheldon. (Image: Michelle Shields)
13. Permeable pavement
Permeable paving lets rainwater soak through the surface instead of rushing straight into drains. It is a simple water-sensitive design feature, but it also shows how sustainable infrastructure needs ongoing maintenance to keep working. Presented by Carmen Botes, Natangue Shongolo and Myron Sheldon. (Image: Michelle Shields)
14. CeBER Biogas Plant
The CeBER biogas plant turns residence food waste into a living lab for circular systems. Food waste is digested to produce biogas, while nutrient-rich digestate can support plant growth and water reuse. Presented by Sharon Radmeyer and Brandon Webber. (Image: Tegan Gibaud)
15. Beyond upper campus and conclusion
The final stop reminds us that campus sustainability extends beyond Upper Campus. From the Sustainable Darkroom to the 6 Star Green Star d-school, UCT’s transition is happening across many spaces, disciplines and practices. Presented by Britta Rennkamp. (Image: Britta Rennkamp)
Thank you for joining the virtual Un/Sustainable Campus Tour. If you’re interested in more spots of sustainability at UCT, view our Sustainable Campus Map to learn more.