WORDS Gina Dionisio
Nelson Mandela University architecture student, Zander Etienne Deysel, has been announced as the winner of the 2021 PG Bison 1.618 Education Initiative.
The annual design competition aims to identify talented third-year South African architecture and interior design students. Zander Etienne Deysel took the top prize at this year’s event, winning a cash prize of R50 000 (and R50 000 for his lecturer too). Second place was scooped by Ashleigh Bennett, and interior design student at IIE Vega, Durban, taking home R25 000.
“It is the highest honour that I have received up to this point and will help me to build and develop my career in architecture,” says the Nelson Mandela University student. “In terms of the cash prize, a certain amount will go towards helping with my studies and the rest will be kept for future use.”
His winning submission is called Four Pillar Terminal – Revitalizing the Quarry. “It is specifically designed to create social spaces for human interaction, while still incorporating the terminal aspect of the building and the environment around it. The local Bo-Kaap heritage is represented by four large pillars, each colour coded in a different colour. With beautiful views to Table Mountain, Signal Hill, Lion’s Head, and the ocean, this would be a building for everyone to visit.”
Zander says the hardest part of the brief was not being from Cape Town, which meant he was unable to physically visit the site. “The hardest part of the brief for me was designing a functional building that was sensitive to its context and integrated the local Bo-Kaap heritage and community, but I believe my building stands out because it acts as an extension to the quarry cliff with a rooftop promenade that allows for beautiful views all over Cape Town. By doing this, the building has minimal impact on the site and this allows for the site to be landscaped and social spaces to be created, revitalising the quarry, and maintaining its heritage. Retail pods were also designed for the use of the local Bo-Kaap community.”
Nelson Mandela University has enjoyed many successes in the 1.618 Education Initiative over the years, with architecture lecturers Donald Flint and Barry Bradley having assisted many of their students to develop top submissions, including 2019 winner, Sanette de Villiers.
The remaining eight finalists were:
- Alexia Ausserhoffer from CAD4ALL Institute of Applied Architecture (interior design student)
- Mikayla Louw from CAD4ALL Institute of Applied Architecture (interior design student)
- Bianca de Villiers from Design Time School of Interior Design (interior design student)
- Dewan Kemp from IIE Vega Cape Town (interior design student)
- Tasmin Fourie from IIE Vega Cape Town (interior design student)
- Ivan Bester from Nelson Mandela University (architecture student)
- Joshua Baynes from Nelson Mandela University (architecture student)
- Lucky Tsotetsi from University of Johannesburg (architecture student)
“It was wonderful to meet all the finalists in person,” says Lian Markham, Communications Manager at PG Bison. “Every year, the location of the winning institution becomes the location for the next year’s brief, so we are already hard at work on the 2022 brief, which will be set in Gqerberha (Port Elizabeth). We look forward to announcing the new brief soon.”
For more information, visit 1sixoneeight.co.za.
Looking for more design or architectural inspiration? Take a look at who took home top honours at last year’s competition.
