22
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
OCTOBER
2014
PROJECT PROFILE
Presented by Corobrik and
the South African Insti-
tute for Architects (SAIA),
the awards represent the
highest accolade that can
be awarded to a building in
the country.
“It is heart-warming to note
that the majority of the projects
submitted by our members were of an excep-
tionally high standard,” said SAIA president,
Sindile Ngonyama. “Several office-bearers
from the International Union of Architects,
who are currently in Durban for their world
congress, attended our awards evening and
it was apparent that they supported the
adjudicating panel’s view that the winning
projects were on a par with outstanding
architectural design globally.”
The competition is open to SAIA
members nationally who enter their best
work. The Corobrik-SAIA Award for Excel-
lence, the highest tribute, recognises excep-
tional contributions to the field of architec-
ture. They have been presented every two
years since their introduction in 1990.
The Awards of Merit, introduced in
1999, acknowledge good design or a signif-
icant
architectural
achievement.
The
awards cycle begins with Awards for Archi-
tecture presented by SAIA regional insti-
tutes in the first year, followed by the Coro-
brik-SAIA Awards of Merit and Excellence the
second year.
Eight Awards of Excellence, 14 Awards of
Merit and two Special Commendations were
bestowed on the architects responsible for
24 projects selected from 49 entries from
eight SAIA regions. The winning projects
ranged from residential units and public
buildings to the restoration of heritage sites
and an academic research project.
“This year’s successful submissions
talked not only to materiality, program-
matic requirements, the employment of
resources and the application of socio-cul-
tural debates, but also engaged and articu-
lated the day-to-day intellectual and topical
discourse of our ever-changing biophysical
environment,” Ngonyama said.
The two projects which received special
commendations were deemed to have not
quite met the set criteria, but had demon-
strated certain qualities that were worthy of
ongoing architectural debate as the profes-
sion moves forward.
The adjudicating panel convened for
an intense two-day judging session, then
visited 25 shortlisted projects in person
before finalising their assessments. Headed
EXCELLENCE
Celebrating architectural
The cream of South
Africa’s architectural
talent was
acknowledged for their
talent and skill at the
2013/14 Corobrik-SAIA
Awards of Excellence
and Merit at a gala
dinner at the ICC
Durban in August.
1. Babylonstoren, Western Cape.
2. Dunkirk All Suites Hotel, KwaZulu-
Natal.
3. //HAPO Freedom Park Museum,
Gauteng.
1.
2.
