SA Affordable Housing January - February 2020 // ISSUE: 80 | Page 13

EVENTS OTHER CATEGORY WINNERS ARE AS FOLLOWS: • In the Mitek Industries South Africa LSF building category, the winner was the Protea Glen Secondary School, constructed for the Gauteng Department of Education. The project capitalised on the key features of LSF building, namely: speed, thermal efficiency, acoustics and flexibility of design. • In the ArcelorMittal South Africa Architectural category, the winning entry was the Peech Hotel located in Melrose, Johannesburg. Steel was used throughout the project to express a layered architecture of lightness, and as a tool in the integration of built form with landscape. • In the Industrial category, the winner’s trophy went to the Omnia Nitro Phosphate Plant constructed for the diversified chemicals group Omnia. • Winner in the Global Roofing Solutions Metal Cladding Category was a building named the 1054. The contrast of the building’s solid exterior with a light and airy interior succeeds in creating a welcoming and connecting space. • In the SAISC Steel Awards Commercial Category, the building constructed for KTM Raceworx made innovative use of a steel frame system with cellular beams to support the floors and accommodate HVAC and other services. • The Association of Steel Tube and Pipe Manufacturers of South Africa’s (ASTPM’s) Tubular Category was won by the structure Fourways Mall Promotions Court. As part of the upgrade of the Fourways Mall, the new roof is essentially a tubular structure, which is lightweight and aesthetically pleasing. • In the Safintra South Africa Factory and Warehouse category, top honours went to Chilleweni Cold Storage Solutions. Constructed in Gosforth Park Germiston, the building’s fresh design approach has given rise to a visually appealing industrial, fit-for-purpose industrial building. • The SAISC Steel Awards Bridges Category went to the CTICC Skybridge, which connects the Cape Town International Convention Centre with the CTICC East Expansion. This bridge allows the two buildings to function effectively as an integrated unit and epitomises the CTICC’s main purpose of connecting people. AfriBuild 2020 recognises and supports critical need for skills development in local building sector S kills development is becoming an increasingly pressing concern and an essential priority for South Africa business at all levels. Local unemployment rates continue to climb, with Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the Q2 of 2019 stating that the number of unemployed persons increased by 455 000 to 6.7 million in Q2: 2019, compared to the first three months of the year. It is clear that there is an urgent need for skills transfer and education at the artisan level, with an emphasis on fast, but high-quality technical training. This will not only play an important role in boosting the economy, but also create a positive turn-around in unemployment levels. It is here that a platform like the upcoming AfriBuild 2020 show, the new building services trade expo, can play a strategic role. The show, which will run alongside the continent’s only tradeshow focused on all elements of plumbing, PlumbDrain Africa, aims to provide the local building industry with the opportunity to deepen learning, with a dedicated skills development area. The show’s dedicated Skills Development Zone will be managed by private training provider, the Artisan Training Institute (ATI). It is exclusively earmarked to give a hands-on demonstration of technical skills such as fitting & turning, fabrication, welding, boilermaking, electrical & instrumentation, as well as pneumatics, hydraulics and electro-pneumatics. It takes on an interactive workshop format during which conference delegates can ask ATI’s training managers specific www.saaffordablehousing.co.za questions about training opportunities and career pathways for future artisans. It also aims to fill the gap between the demand and supply of technical skills. According to Sean Jones, managing director of ATI, the AfriBuild Skills Development Zone concept proved to be highly successful at other exhibitions such as Electra Mining and the Local Manufacturing Expo. “The Skills Development Zone is geared at showing young people the endless possibilities of a career in artisan training and encouraging companies to invest in artisan training as a solution to South Africa’s unemployment problems,” says Jones. “We are excited to again host this highlight at AfriBuild 2020. Skills development can unlock a multitude of opportunities in Africa’s building sector, and we look forward to explore these opportunities with delegates,” he concludes. In addition to this, AfriBuild 2020 puts a strong emphasis on practical knowledge exchange, providing real-life experience through multiple demonstration areas, and offers two free, fit-for-purpose seminar theatres featuring expert speakers providing business-related guidance. AfriBuild is gearing up for its exciting launch at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, 13-15 October 2020. The trade-only expo will be a biennial event that will take place over three days and intends to become a hands-on building solutions show for the entire sector. JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2020 11