2017 Corobrik
Architectural Student of the Year Awards
S
ustainability in building design was the basis
for the winning entry at the 31st Corobrik
Architectural Student of the Year Awards.
The Award was won by Reneé Minnaar from the
University of Pretoria.
Sustainable building demands architectural design
that aims to minimise negative environmental impacts
through efficiency and balance in the use of materials,
energy and development space. It is a mindful
approach to energy and ecological conservation in
the creation of the built environment.
This was apparent in the designs submitted for
the 31st Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year
Awards according to Dirk Meyer, managing director
of Corobrik.
In this annual competition, the country’s best archi-
tectural students from eight major universities are
identified based on their final theses and presented
with awards at regional events. The winners of each
of the regional competitions then went on to compete
for the national title and a prize of R50,000 at the
Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year.
RENÉE MINNAAR – NATIONAL WINNER
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
Remediator - Restoring the dichotomous relationship between industry
and nature through an urban eco-textile mill and dye house.
Industrialisation brought about dramatic changes
in many major cities around the world, including
Johannesburg. However, rapid technological
advancements have resulted in the abandonment
of many industrial sites often within the confines
of expanding cities, as is the case with the old
Johannesburg Gasworks.
The repercussions of the hazardous industrial
processes of the past are still present on the site
in the form of pollution. This, together with South
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Africa’s lack of protection of our industrial heritage,
has awoken the fear that these post-industrial
artefacts might be in danger of becoming extinct if
their value is not recognised.
This project aims to investigate the potential of
redundant industrial sites such as the old Johannes-
burg Gasworks to mitigate the environmental and
social issues resulting from the past in an attempt to
reintegrate the site back into the surrounding urban
fabric. Through the understanding and application of
Student Awards