The winning projects in the sixth AfriSam-SAIA Sustainable Design Awards were announced recently at a virtual awards ceremony. The awards advocates for design projects that are responsive to the social complexities, growth requirements and the needs of marginalised communities in South Africa and throughout the Africa diaspora.
Dr Luyanda Mpahlwa, director, DesignSpaceAfrica and immediate past president of SAIA
Each of the four categories was judged according to five criteria, namely harmonisation, people upliftment, new ways of thinking, placemaking performance and leadership.
The adjudicator panel for the 2019/2020 awards included:
- Dr Luyanda Mpahlwa, immediate past president of SAIA, professional architect, and adjudication panel convener;
- Somers Govender, practising professional architect;
- Dr Gillian Adendorff, practising senior professional architect;
- Nkosinathi Manzana, past non-executive director, Green Building Council South Africa and executive head of Group Real Estate Services: Commercial Buildings for the Standard Bank Group;
- Dr Philippa Tumubweinee, practising professional architect, academic and expert in sustainable architecture; and
- Sphephelo Mhlongo, a previous winner and professional architect currently working for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works.
Construction & Engineering 14 Jun 2021
Eben Keun, general manager for the AfriSam-SAIA Sustainable Design Award since inception in 2009, said the growth of the award over the years bears testimony to the positive impact sustainable design can have on the planet and its most in-need communities. “The projects that were recognised this year are an exciting indication of what can be achieved when sustainability considerations are front and centre.”
Dr Philippa Tumubweinee, practising professional architect, academic and expert in sustainable architecture
Awarded and commended projects in the 2019/2020 AfriSam-SAIA Sustainable Awards:
Category A: Sustainable New Building or the Conservation and Restoration of an Existing One
Awarded projects:
- Additions to the Vredenburg Provincial Hospital (Wolff Architects)
- Botha's Halte Primary School (Meyer and Associates Architect, Urban Designers)
- Arklow Villa III (Douglas & Company Architects)
- Future Africa Campus (Earthworld Architects)
- House of the Big Arch (Frankie Pappas International)
- Thanda Early Childhood Development Centre (AOJ (Architects Of Justice))
- Witklipfontein Eco Lodge (Grosskopff Lombart Huyberechts and Associates Architects)
- Hillside Clinic, Beaufort West (Gabriel Fagan Architects)
Commended projects
- Bridges for Music Academy (Tsai Design Studio)
- Skukuza Science Leadership Initiative (Nicholas Whitcutt Architects, Kevin Mitchell Architects)
- New Thanda School Facilities (Earth:Switch Architects)
Category B: Practice-based Action and Research Work in the Field of Sustainability and the Built Environment
Awarded project
- Towards applying a green infrastructure approach in the Gauteng City-Region (Gauteng City-Region Observatory)
Category C: Sustainable Product or Technology
Awarded projects
- PVT 1680 (Modular Heat Sink for Solar Panel) (Energy Shift)
- BOXA Possibilities (BOXA Possibilities)
Commended projects
- The Mama Jersey (The Seen Collective)
- Nchenje Homestead (Simply Sustainable Consulting)
Category D: Sustainable Social Programmes
Awarded projects
- Access to affordable housing (Hustlenomics (Pty) Ltd)
- Gahinga Batwa Village, Uganda (Localworks)
Commended projects
- Bio-efficient Cookstove (Richard Dobson Architects)
- Pop-up Micro Childcare Facility (Richard Dobson Architects)
- The Retrade Project: Live Responsibly, while helping those in need (The Retrade Project)
- Women in STEM: A science and leadership initiative of the Nsasani Trust (Nsasani Trust)
Click here for more information on all successful submissions.
