There are few people in the building, says facilities manager Pieter Gasthuis at around 9.00 am this morning. Most staff are working from home, but those with appointments – such as the student psychologists, amongst others – are in the office. They will have to provide their own water, although Gasthuis has a small supply ready. Anyone needing to use the toilet will have to walk a bit: to the Faculty of Law or the administration building on Minderbroedersberg.
Apart from that, the air conditioning units in the attic are broken. “It’s been going on for a while, but they’ll be fixed next week,” says Gasthuis. “We have lots of wings in this building; some are cooler than others. I just saw someone who normally works in the attic working in a cooler room. It’s all going very smoothly.” And this at a time when temperatures are rising again. Gasthuis remarks matter-of-factly: “Force majeure.”