Anchor House (also known as “Matrooshuis”) was constructed circa 1931 and no original building plans are available. Oral history tells that the house was built by a retired sailor (who was an Italian POW from the Zonderwater Jail near Cullinan), hence the distinct castellated and nautical features of the building fabric. The building is currently occupied by the University of Pretoria (UP) Department of Residence Affairs and Accommodation, which administrates the residency and food affairs of approximately 10 000 UP students.
At project inception, rising damp was identified in the building which resulted in airborne mould (highly toxic) & high moisture levels.
DriWay https://driway.co.za/ is a patented methodology and was implemented to address the problems as identified. On 24 October 2022, UP started a pilot project to address challenges around rising damp and toxic air quality. All problems around rising damp and airborne mould were successfully addressed and resolved, and the service rendered by Driway, throughout the project duration, was excellent.
