The purpose of the competition was to stimulate innovative thinking and applications, to raise awareness of critical environmental issues and to challenge notions of sustainability facing our society and all students studying architecture.
Pieter Greyventeyn of the Department of Architecture indicated that the department was proud of the student and the lecturer. “We were very proud about the fact that four of the nine finalists that were chosen nationally came from our department. The winning entry confirmed that we are one of the top schools, and a force to be reckoned with,” he said.
The judges were very impressed with Franco’s design. He was awarded a trophy and prizes, valued at R42 000, including airfare, accommodation and money for spending. Sonja Petrus of MAA architects said this year’s winning entry exceeded all expectations. “The concept of the winning design celebrates the duality of permanence and security (rock) and the transience and spiritual (air, steel and glass). For me, the winning entry is the possibility of stone as space-making and space-defining elements writ large and well,” she explained.
The Department of Architecture participated in many competitions in the course of 2009. Three Architecture students reached the finals in the 15th PG Bison student competition. Danie Steenkamp, a third-year student, took second place in the competition. He received an all expenses paid trip to the Design Indaba. Pieter Greyvensteyn was his lecturer and mentor who guided him throughout. In addition, Pieter Jonkers, a fourth-year student, took third place in the LaFarge student competition. He received a R10 000 book voucher. He did his project with the help of Errol Pieters, his lecturer and mentor.
In the Cement and Concrete Institute student competition, the Department of Architecture entered eight of its students in different categories of the competition. In the Reduce, Re-use and Recycle category, Morné Visser walked away with the first prize, which included a cash prize of R20 000. Errol Pieters, his lecturer, mentored him throughout the competition. In the Tripod Photography category, second and third prizes went to Adriaan Louw, who took home an overall cash prize of R2 500.
Out of a total of 16 entries entered by all architecture and film schools in the country, one entry by TUT students was chosen in the Movies on Architecture category. The chosen students were given R20 000 each to make a movie + exposure. The movie was screened at the architecture student congress and will also be broadcast nationally on SABC 3. The architecture students who made the movie are Anro Pelser, Henri Cloete, Johan du Toit, Soledad Martinez and Vincent Boonzaaier (all in their fourth year). |