Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa May/June 2015 | Page 74
ALEXANDRA WILMOT
NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Eco-nnection: integrating the systems of a
disconnected urban environment through the design
of a photographic museum for Port Elizabeth
Wilmot says, “the increasing concern for sustainability in architecture has often
failed to adequately address the social aspect of the issue. Arguably, social
sustainability is a fundamental part of remedying the challenges faced by the
post-apartheid city. This project examines the nature of spatial segregation
in the post-apartheid city and aims to produce an architectural proposal that
will provide a strategy for physical connectivity and social integration in a
segregated environment.”
She has sited the photographic museum in Port Elizabeth at the crossing of two
primary commercial corridors - Govan Mbeki Avenue and Cape Road, amidst the
cities’ primary transport interchange and highway flyovers. The existing residence,
office and commercial activities on the site are integrated with the proposed
museum activity. The idea of connection is pulled through into all aspects of the
building, creating a continuous ribbon of activity. Looking to photography as a
medium for social change, exhibition spaces that present the history of the city
engage with pedestrian movement routes, facilitating the interaction between
users from both the northern townships and the southern suburbs.
GRAEME NORTH
TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
The design of an international school of
astronomy & astro-tourism centre
Graeme Noeth said that his project, ‘The design of an
international school of astronomy & astro-tourism centre represents the
symbiotic relationship between earth, man and the sky. This dissertation
proposes an International School of Astronomy and Astro-Tourism Centre. The
proposed building aims to introduce a unique facility in the Northern Cape that
would benefit the field of astronomy worldwide.”
The design focuses on the celebration of astronomy and cosmology and the
resultant product is a contemporary interpretation of pertinent astronomical
events. The proposal is based on available research and experiments,
documenting the solstices, stars and various cosmic bodies- as well as framing
these objects in the cosmic landscape.
The proposed facility is situated at the South African Astronomical Observatory
(SAAO) in Sutherland. It is nested within the South-west-embankment of the
mountain, currently hosting the Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT). The
design comprises a linear building typology with radial aspects to document
astronomical events. The project investigates the semi-arid Karoo climate and
how the resultant architecture reacts to harsh environmental conditions.
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Student Awards