EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
15
Corobrik
Design excellence applauded at Corobrik-SAIA Awards
One hundred and eighty architects and built environment professionals gathered in Pretoria for the prestigious Corobrik-SAIA Awards 2018 evening . Through this event , top architectural projects of recent times were recognised .
Winners of the SAIA Award for Excellence .
“ The Corobrik-South African Institute of Architects ( SAIA ) Awards programme is run nationally every two years and this year , as president of SAIA and convenor of the awards programme , I had the privilege of being part of this prestigious awards programme ,” says Maryke Cronje .
“ SAIA ’ s mission is to pursue excellence and responsible design . It is also to uphold the dignity of the architectural profession and contribute meaningfully to the enhancement of society and the environment . These awards ratify SAIA ’ s mission by recognising and promoting excellence in architecture . We are delighted to have received a more varied cross-section of projects than in previous years . This is also a tribute to the impressively high standard of entries at regional level .”
Cronje adds , “ In travelling to the sites of all shortlisted entries , we have seen that sustainability and care for the environment have been prominent , with architects emphasising the nurturing of the environment . There is a great use of natural and sustainable materials , as well as consideration for the landscape .
“ While some materials used were imported , local tradespeople were used so that when a project was complete , the tradespeople walked off the site with a set of skills that could be applied elsewhere . This is good for our country ,” says Cronje .
Bryan Wallis , acting CEO of SAIA , supports Cronje ’ s sentiments by saying , “ The standard of projects submitted seems to improve exponentially at each of the national awards , and this year is no exception , with the quality higher than ever before . We are delighted that the members of SAIA are constantly advancing in technicality and design and this year ’ s entries can be benchmarked against global standards .”
“ Awarded projects are manifestations of how architects successfully interpret their clients ’ aspirations in the buildings produced ,” says Wallis .
Sixty-one regional winners were entered in the national awards . Each region submits their winning projects to go
www . plumbingafrica . co . za July 2018 Volume 24 I Number 5