The top 10 finalists have been announced for the 2020 PG Bison 1.618 Education Initiative, an annual design competition that aims to identify talented young South African third-year architecture and interior design students.
The top 10 finalists submitted the best entries for transforming a site in the Lower Baakens Valley, South End, Port Elizabeth.
PG Bison, trusted wood panel manufacturer, asked entrants to select a tenant or brand and design a fit-for-purpose space within the existing development, balancing the tenant/brand requirements with a social cause to elevate the brand experience.
The finalists are, in alphabetical order:
- Abigail Wagner, interior design student at IIE Vega
- Amike du Plessis, interior design student at Design Time School of Interior Design
- Armand Barnard, interior design student at Design Time School of Interior Design
- Aubrey Coetzee, architectural technology student at CAD4ALL
- Charné Janse van Rensburg, interior design student at IIE Vega
- Dillon Titus, architecture student at Design Time School of Interior Design
- Jaime Scholz, interior design student at BHC School of Design
- Nathon Ehrke, interior design student at the University of Johannesburg
- Paula Ferreira, interior design student at Greenside Design Center
- Sarah Jane Sperryn, interior design student at Design Time School of School of Interior Design
The winner will be announced on 11 November at the first-ever digital 1.618 Education Initiative awards ceremony, and the students and their lecturers are looking forward to finding out who will take home the R50 000 first place prize.
Livia Coetzee-Stein, Creative Executive at interior brand and architectural studio DHQ and one of the judges for this year’s competition, says the judges picked the finalists based on their ability to strike a balance between applying the brief to the “experience” component of design and the actual site and its distinct elements.
The top 10 entries proposed site uses ranging from a Kindle library to a virtual reality experience centre, a community empowerment initiative and a men’s grooming shop with a link to mental health, among others.
Livia Coetzee-Stein, one of the expert judges for this year’s PG Bison 1.618 Education Initiative, shares insights into the competition brief.
Read more about the top 10 entries, and their creators’ thoughts on the 2020 competition brief, here.
