Corobrik’s annual Student Architecture Awards, now in its 37th year, has announced its eight finalists that are selected from eight major universities across South Africa, based on their Architectural Master’s theses from the Class of 2023.
This year’s judges were Carin Smuts from CS Studio, Somers Govender from Artek 4 Architects, and Rudolf Roos from HDG Pretoria. The finalists each received a R12 000 prize and an opportunity to compete for the top title with a R70 000 grand prize at the live event on the 10th of May 2024:
Taryn Glazebrook, University of Pretoria (WINNER: Best Use of Brick)
Her project ‘Marabastad: From Arrival to Revival’ highlights the importance of investment in architecture for those most in need, emphasising innovation and sensitivity to context. In SA especially, architectural interventions should extend beyond mere structures to address broader societal issues and support marginalised communities.
The project utilised various types of bricks for a range of elements, including seating, ventilated screen walls, chimneys, planters, and more. In addition, pavers were used for façade screening elements to assist with solar control.
“The flexibility, modularity, and ease of construction with brick made incorporating it into my project enjoyable; it is not only sustainable, but also offers endless possibilities,” she explains.
Sabela Rey Vila, University of the Witwatersrand
Sabela is passionate about the role architecture plays in shaping our future, particularly its capacity to address social challenges through innovative design thinking. Her project is entitled ‘Revitalising the Vintage: Supporting Novel Ways of Living for Older Adults in Galicia, Spain’. It focuses on enhancing the quality of life for elderly individuals living in isolated areas.
It achieves this by revitalising an abandoned village and transforming it into a satellite community that can serve other small population centres. These remote areas often lack essential services and support systems for ageing residents. “I am motivated by the belief that this segment of society is frequently overlooked. I wanted to explore how architecture, integrated into broader networks of services, can improve their lives,” explains Sabela.
Moreover, these abandoned villages have significant heritage value in local architecture, much of which is in danger of being lost due to neglect. “It was important to me to not only preserve but also showcase this local architectural tradition, ensuring that its knowledge, practicality and beauty endure for future generations,” adds Sabela.
She aspires to integrate practice-based research with academia in her ongoing professional journey. “I am currently exploring the potential of pursuing a PhD while developing my own architectural practice in the in the near future,” she says.
Kelly De Gouveia, University of Cape Town
Kelly’s project is entitled ‘Crafting Endurance: Form, Time, Space, and Memory in the Construction of a Civic Urban Artefact for Cape Town’s East City’. In researching her key themes of time, memory, and endurance, Kelly says she has come to appreciate the importance of adopting ‘slow’ means of producing architecture.
Kelly adds that architects have a profound opportunity to make a tangible impact on people’s daily lives. While recognising that architecture alone cannot revolutionise the world, Kelly is inspired by its potential to enact significant change. Even small, incremental, carefully crafted interventions can lead to substantial enhancements in the quality of life for individuals and communities.
Commenting on the use of brick in her project, Kelly points out that it is a conventional material that almost everyone has some form of association with. It is affordable, long-lasting, and requires very little maintenance, making it a sustainable material choice. Kelly’s proposed design uses concrete as the primary material and incorporates moments of artisanal clay brick detailing to evoke a sense of familiarity and memory into the otherwise heavy, dominating concrete structure.
Kelly is currently undertaking an internship at Shigeru Ban Architects in Paris, where she is discovering a new world of possibilities in architecture and design previously unknown to her. “My goal is to absorb as much knowledge as possible before returning to South Africa, where I intend to apply the valuable lessons, I have gained along the way,” she says.
Arran Wood, University of the Free State (Grand Prize Winner)
Being able to contribute to the historic record of South Africa’s nuclear weapons programme in a small way and highlight forgotten history was very important to Arran in his thesis, entitled ‘Spectral Flesh – Remembrance’. It was a goal that the thesis become a small part of history itself by documenting South Africa’s nuclear arms development during the Angola South African War.
“I am very passionate about my home country and hope to contribute to the built environment of South Africa,” he says.
Gideon Williams, Nelson Mandela University (Special Commendation)
‘The Design of an Archive at King’s Beach, Gqeberha’ invents “a useless, idiotic, whimsical architecture that houses all the unwanted and unrepresented objects in the city, giving the voiceless a platform to scream,” explains Gideon. “Architecture should be fearless and true.”
“I am inspired by the potential of radically creative design ideas implemented on a practical scale where it directly and personally improves the spaces people inhabit. I also find the potentiality of recycling materials and reusing built structures and objects exciting.”
Gareth Calvert, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Gareth’s project, ‘An Exploration of Childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Through Architecture: Towards an Inclusive Education Facility in Greater Durban’, uses Corobrik’s Country Classic Satin face brick on all the various buildings throughout the school’s design.
Besides the sustainable aspect of incorporating this brick, using natural materials such as clay relates to Gareth’s research findings. Incorporating clay face brick throughout his design linked the architectural language of the various buildings and limited the need for costly maintenance throughout the lifecycle of the project.
He plans to become involved in educational architectural projects by implementing what he has learnt, focusing more on inclusivity from inception to completion. “If you love what you do, keep progressing and growing in that field, and never settle, there is always more to learn – enjoy the journey.“
Titus Shitaatala, University of Johannesburg
‘The Archive of Silences: Redistributing Archival Power through Phygital Spaces in Pretoria’ empowers communities to write their own stories and record their own histories spatially through the construction of their archive. The archive then systematically decays to empower future generations to write their narratives as well through reconstruction.
Using Marabastad as a site, Titus looked at a range of clay bricks being used in the community. The patterns, colours, and usage of the bricks saw them carry the memory and identities of the residents. Sustainably, like other items in the community, the bricks are repurposed by generations in a speculative future to reflect their own identities which were undoubtedly shaped by the memories of these past residents.
He plans on growing his skills and knowledge as an architect while also practicing as a visual artist to create speculative spatial landscapes and narratives in Southern Africa. “My interest in art and architecture sparks curiosity in the future Southern Africa. I also hope to get into digital and physical set design someday,” says Titus.
Letlhogonolo Sesana, Tshwane University of Technology
‘Investigating Architecture’s Role in Preserving South African Birth Rituals’ delves into the intersection of selfhood, spirituality, and space in African contexts, enriching architectural discourse by exploring the role of architecture in preserving birth rituals amid cultural erosion in South Africa. It emphasises ritual, liminality, scale, site, materiality, and user experience, drawing from African philosophies of identity and scale.
Looking ahead, Letlhogonolo is eager to continue his journey as an architect by pursuing opportunities that allow him to further refine his skills, expand his knowledge, and make meaningful contributions to the built environment. “Whether through professional practice, further academic research, or community engagement initiatives, he aspires to mentor and inspire the next generation of architects, designers, and makers, fostering a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability within the profession,” says Letlhogonolo.
As she embarks on the next phase of her career, Letlhogonolo is excited to continue pushing the boundaries of design, advocating for positive change, and contributing to the advancement of architectural practice and theory.
