Eastern Cape architecture on the rise

DECEMBER 10, 2013: IT’S been a good year for Eastern Cape architecture. The precedent-setting Eastern Cape Institute of Architects’ (ECIA) Urban Assembly conference was hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay in October coupled with the biennial ECIA awards, taking place amidst an incremental recovery in the regional construction sector.

“The Eastern Cape architectural community is reflecting on its growth and a heightened role in advocacy for better use of space and place”, said Tim Hewitt-Coleman, ECIA president after a recent institute board meeting.

Receiving the industry nod this year for outstanding design, as part of the ECIA regional awards, were six Eastern Cape firms, including Koop Designs for its Hopewell visitors centre building and Ngonyama Okpanum Hewitt-Coleman (NOH) Architects for its new Gqebera advice centre in Walmer.
The Matrix CC scooped two regional awards for the Helenvale multi-purpose community centre and the South African Police Service 10111 radio control centre in Korsten.

Residential design prowess was acknowledged for Thembela Architects’ House Thomson Bonnyview 2 and Erik Voigt Architects’ Walmer Link Houses – both of which gained regional awards. John Rushmere in collaboration with The Workplace Architects took a regional award for House Schoeman Little Walmer Golf Estate.
The ECIA awards allow entrants to compete on a national level for the South African Institute of Architects’ (SAIA) Corobrik National Award.

“The most meritorious design and projects were in a league of their own, transcending conventionality and formalistic, two-dimensionality, pushing design both functionally and ideologically,” said Hewit-Coleman.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape and national industry players rallied behind a motion put forward by the ECIA at its inaugural Urban Assembly conference at the PE Opera House in October.

“After engaging debate, discussion and input from top South African architects and urbanists, the conference was able to support the contention of the ECIA that the most significant obstacle to meaningful urban transformation in South Africa lies not in a shortage of academic ‘know how’, not in a shortage on public sector investment, not in a shortage of private sector mobilisation, but rather in the entrenched dysfunctional relationship between these three sectors,” said Hewitt-Coleman.
According to the ECIA, aoves are afoot within the Eastern Cape to push an agenda for change and strategic intervention to circumvent the dysfunction so the province can be better serviced with space and place-making gaining more prominence.

Hewitt-Coleman commended the ECIA team behind the conference, particularly Debbie Wintermeyer, ECIA promotions manager, who drove the first-ever conference, pulling in nationally acclaimed speakers, including Cape Town-based architect and urban designer Henri Comrie, Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) chief executive Pierre Voges, Johannesburg Development Agency head Thanduxolo Mendrew, chief executive of the Cape Town Partnership Andrew Boraine, NMMU School of Architecture director Prof Gavin McLachlan, architect Roger Fischer, among others.

Amongst the topics of discussion are debates on sprawl and low density mono-cultures; apartheid spatial planning; urban renewal and decay; the role of public spaces and art; heritage buildings and cultural tourism; and landscape, green spaces and gardens’ contribution to the renewal of cities.

The conference was delivered, true to ECIA’s focus on youth development and education, by local youth owned social entrepreneurship initiative, Numb City Productions. The Urban Assembly was sponsored by PPC Cement, Safintra Roofing and Steel, and the MBDA and the Awards by corporate members Corobrik, Hansgrohe, HBS Aluminium, Plascon and Schneider Electric. Both take place biennially.

For more information on the winning entries and Urban Assembly lecture recordings visit: www.ecia.co.za.