Best of South African architecture set to be recognised at 2011/12 Corobrik-SAIA Awards of Merit

Sept. 2, 2012 - PRLog -- Awards for fine buildings and outstanding contributions in the field of architecture are one of the most effective means of creating public awareness of architecture. The South African Institute of Architects Awards for Excellence were introduced in 1990.

It is conferred every second year where the Institute of Architects recognises an exceptional contribution to the field of architecture. The award programme was revised in 1999, and now includes the Awards of Merit running concurrently.

The Awards programme is structured over a period of two years, and conducted in three stages. In the first year Awards for Architecture are presented by the various Regional Institutes affiliated to SAIA. The Corobrik-SAIA Awards of Merit are bestowed in the second year and thereafter, the Awards for Excellence are announced.

The Corobrik-SAIA Awards of Merit is made to members of SAIA to encourage and recognise good design or a significant contribution in the field of architecture. The Award for Excellence is made only for an exceptional achievement in the field of architecture. Projects that have received an Award of Merit are eligible for this award

The 2011/12 awards have seen a total of 56 entries, a marked increase from previous years, and significantly, the Institute received entries from two new regions – the Northern Cape Institute of Architects and the North West Province Institute of Architects.

The Corobrik-SAIA Awards of Merit are to be conferred at a function to be held in September 2012 as part of the SAIA AZA Biennial convention which is being held in Cape Town. The Corobrik-SAIA Award for Excellence Gala function will take place on one of the evenings during the convention. The panel of adjudicators for the 2011/12 Awards is being convened by the President of the Institute, Fanuel Motsepe, and consists of Peter Kidger from Corobrik, architect Linda Mvusi and an academic architect, Philippa Tumubweinee.

Quote from the President of the SAIA on the Awards
As the current President of SAIA, I seek to ignite what I hope will be a debate that challenges our professional world view and the socio-cultural and economic values entrenched within this world view. I dare not pre-empt the topic/s that might emanate from the debate and would rather allow the subject matter/s to germinate naturally through the responses that develop out of the decisions taken by the panel of judges.

In not pre-empting the topics, hopefully we'll all, myself included, be enlightened about where our hearts and minds are as practitioners who create spaces and structures that are the interface between people and the natural environment. All I dare ask is:

As architects in Africa and South Africa, are we responsible in what we practice and preach, and if so to what extent are we responsible agents of the relationship between people, the built and natural environments?

Why I ask this question to architects on this continent and in this country, is because I believe it alone spawns a range of other questions about eg cultural adequacy vis a vis globalization, development vs sustainability, modernity vs tradition, local vs global, etc. hopefully these questions and their answers will present more questions and answers with which we can strategically navigate a path towards a better equitable future for all Africans and South Africans.

Fanuel   J  C   Chaane Motsepe
     Pr. Arch. MIArch MGIfA


Ends
Distributed on behalf of the SA Institute of Architects
For more information contact Su Lining or Marina Meyer on 011 782 1315