joanviljoen

Winner of a Gold Footprint Award

I was approached by Mustard Seed Relationship Marketing, an agency specialising in Shopping Centre advertising, to conceptualise a mathematics lab for one of their clients - Pareto Limited.



The project, called NuMiracle, targets high school students from less privileged communities in an effort to assist them in bettering their mathematics performance in partnership with the Master Maths Program. Pareto Limited provided empty premises in three of their malls (The Pavillion, Westgate and Southgate) with my brief being the design of the needed infrastructure within the designated spaces.



First and foremost the design had to be practical, easily accommodating 12 learners, 2 staff members, a series of computers and a kitchenette area. Secondly, I wanted the design to physically represent the world of mathematics, by adhering to math principles and formulas. The brief guidelines encouraged futuristic design, and the Fibonacci Golden Spiral served as the perfect solution. This well-known mathematical sequence represents a structure, wherein each following number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. 


The Fibonacci series is a common feature in nature, with the mathematical equation of leaf arrangements in plants, florets in a flower, bracts in a pine cone and even the scales of a pineapple adhering to the same sequence. In the words of Stan Grist: “The Fibonacci numbers are applicable to the growth of every living thing, including a single cell, a grain of wheat, hive of bees, and even all of mankind.”



Lastly I wanted to provide a sheltered space for the learners, effectively blocking them off from the hustle and bustle of the mall and its masses. My design positioned learners around the spiral in such a way that they would face away from each other, and the public, when seated at their computers. The layout also allowed the tutor visibility of all learners from his or her desk space.


Other decor elements repeated the mathematical theme. I designed a giant rubix cube storage cabinet and added pie chart coffee tables (designed by Porky Hefer). These tables allow the pulling out of individual pie segments, adding a nice interactive element to the space for the kids during snack time. Specially designed wallpaper featuring mathematical formulas provided the finishing touches, with the lime corporate colours of Pareto Limited repeated throughout.



The first two NuMiracle laboratories, launched in July and October 2014, had been well received by all parties. The learners loved the space. Senamile from The Pavillion in Durban commented that it felt “really awesome to be here!”