2018 Corobrik
Architectural Student of the Year Awards
T
he architects of the future will be the path-
finders who use the sophisticated technologies
of the future to tackle the challenges of today
whilst addressing both the learnings and the mistakes
of the past, CEO of Corobrik, Mr Dirk Meyer, told key
stakeholders in the world of academia, architecture
and construction. Speaking at the 32nd Corobrik
Architectural Student of the Year Award at the
Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, he said this
applied to both this year’s winner - Riaan Huiskens
from the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) - and the
seven regional finalists whose work showcased the
high calibre of young professionals that were entering
this respected profession in South Africa.
RIAAN HUISKENS
NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
The design of a 3D printing facility in Central, Port Elizabeth
Huiskens’ thesis explores how architecture is
moving towards a paradigm shift with the develop-
ment and incorporation of digital fabrication
technology. This is extended into the discussion of
recycling existing infrastructure and ties together both
the heritage and ecological discourse and recognises
the significance of historical urban elements and the
finite quality of heritage resources within the city.
“A historical building used as a host for the design
of a 3D printing facility invites a dialogue between the
architecture of the old and the expression of the new.
The Premier Mill Building is identified as a historical
urban artefact and the programme complements the
historical background of the building, which was a
granary. The primary architectural exploration focuses
on the possibilities offered by 3D printing in the
making and expression of architecture.
The nature of the facility organises function
before sign. Meaning the initial architecture lies
in the systematic operations of the facility as a
place of digital fabrication. Therefore, it focuses on
successfully incorporating existing infrastructure as
functioning components to the system. Secondly, the
building is a sign of its function, a visual opportunity
for a new architecture to reflect the nature of the
facility,” he explains.
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Andrew Palframan, head of the Department
of Architecture at NMU, believes that this thesis
addresses a very relevant topic as we head into the
Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“While increasingly mechanised and techno-
logically advanced, the building process has
essentially not changed for millennia. Riaan’s thesis
creatively explores the potential for a fundamentally
new way of making buildings, implementing cyber-
physical systems that blur the lines between the
physical, digital and biological spheres. The project
lends insight not only into the systems and materials
involved in this new way of making but comments on
how these might be implemented in the preservation
of our built heritage, he pointed out.
Student Awards