University of KwaZulu-Natal architecture student Yolanda Mpanza was a joint winner of the 2022 PG Bison Education Initiative competition along with Daniel November from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).
They each won the R17 500 cash prize at the event, which was held in Johannesburg recently.
The PG Bison Education Initiative is an annual design competition aimed at third-year architecture and interior design students around South Africa, aiming to nurture and recognise young talent, introduce students to real-world briefs and products, and encourage creative thinking.
Marking its 30th edition, this year’s challenge was titled “Sunbird’s Nest” and focused on how they built their nests.
The competition showcased talent from across the country, challenging them to produce a creative design based on a brief written into the third-year curricula of participating educational institutions.
The design had to be practical, be built in relation to its surrounding context, and be inclusive to sustainable living.
Marketing manager at PG Bison Jason Wells said their entries showed great promise and addressed most elements of the brief.
“Congratulations to Yolanda and Daniel, as well as their lecturers and institutions. We encourage the education institutions to spend more time on the human aspect of future briefs,” Wells said.
Mpanza won for her design of a mixed-use – residential and retail – housing project.
“For a space to become a place, it needs to have meaning attached to it, and that meaning is attached by the people. I am also really happy that the submission I made has won,” she said.
Education