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UFS infrastructure recognised at SAIA Regional Awards

12 November 2021 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Andre Ferreira

UFS Council Chambe — The refurbished Council Chambers of the University of the Free State was recognised with a South African Institute of Architects Free State Regional Award for Architectural Projects.

Winning three South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) Free State Regional Awards is the embodiment of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) commitment to continually improve infrastructure and create accessible spaces.

Two of the UFS projects – the Council Chambers and the Modular Lecture Space and Assessment Centre – emerged victorious in the category for Architectural Projects, while Prof Jonathan Noble, Head of the Department of Architecture, won an award in Category B – Work of Social Importance – for his book, The Architecture of Peter Rich: Conversations with Africa.

SAIA members were invited to submit Free State- and Northern Cape-based projects, completed between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2021, for regional adjudication by a panel of judges consisting of professional architects Jeremie Malan, Diaan van der Westhuizen, and Velka Laubscher.

Each participating project were visited on 29 and 30 September 2021; the panel was ‘delighted with the quality of workmanship’.

Velka Laubscher, President of the South African Institute of Architects in the Free State, says: “The Regional Awards Programme is held biennially, and each visited project was adjudicated and awarded based on merit, looking at design, aesthetics, commodity, and orientation.

“The panel of adjudicators also follows specific guidelines to ensure that the process adheres to SAIA’s standards,” says Laubscher.

Nico Janse van Rensburg, Senior Director: University Estates at the UFS, says, “It is a great honour to receive these accolades, as our buildings are constructed on carefully controlled budgets, but still manage to exhibit a refinement in terms of architectural aesthetics. The recognition also reflects how the institution’s infrastructure performs compared to university buildings in general.”

The Department of Higher Education and Training recently recommended the UFS to other universities in the country to learn from the institution how to undertake infrastructural development while adhering to budget constraints.

The main criteria for projects to receive SAIA recognition not only involve compliance with a functional programme, but should also deal intelligently with contextual informants, creating spaces that offer opportunities for meaningful interaction, and the use of materials and measures that are sympathetic to the environment in general, as well as to our local climate conditions.

“We welcome the recognition by the department, as it gives us an opportunity to also interact and learn from other universities, since there is always room for improvement. The university community can rest assured that the allocated budget is spent to reflect the institution’s objectives and to get value for money,” says Janse van Rensburg.

Anton Roodt, architect and urban planner from GXY Architects and Roodt Architects joint consultants, says: “The value for the University of the Free State lies in the fact that the university is seen, both by its internal and external stakeholders, as an institution that values the contribution that good architecture can add to academic programmes and projecting the image of the university as an enlightened institution.”

Projects awarded with a ‘Regional Award for Architecture 2021’ will now be submitted for national adjudication to become eligible for a SAIA Award of Merit 2022 and a SAIA Award for Excellence 2022.

News Archive

Walk to Cape Town closes on high note

2014-06-03

Photo Gallery of arrival in Cape Town
Dagbreek interview (kykNet) (YouTube)
Thank you from all UFS students (YouTube)

It was a gruelling road totalling a distance of 1 038 km, but the UFS #NSHstride team completed the challenge of walking all the way to Cape Town.

On Thursday 1 May 2014, Adéle van Aswegen and Ntokozo Nkabinde, both from the UFS, took on the road to Cape Town on foot in order to highlight the problem of food insecurity among students at the UFS.

Two kind-hearted Bloemfontein residents, Nico Piedt and Ronél Warner, tackled the journey together with them, not only to draw the country’s attention to food insecurity, but also to raise money to address the problem.

The hike, known as the No Student Hungry 1000/33 stride (or #NSHstride), came to an end at the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town on Tuesday 3 June 2014.

About R500 000 were raised before, during and after the foursome’s hike.

The NSH bursary, established in 2011 by Prof Jonathan Jansen, the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, and Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, aims to put food insecurity among students at the UFS under the spotlight.

Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, says: “We are completely inspired by the victory of a 1 000 km with one step at a time – as it reminds us of the courage of our students who beat hunger one day at a time.”

“The stride team challenges us to change our world for the better every day. We hope to continue their victory for students by challenging all universities to join the struggle for food security and will call a colloquium in this regard in October.”

These boots are made for walking ... to Cape Town (Article of 02 May 2014)
“Aren’t auntie and them hungry yet?” Country folk worried about NSH hikers (15 May 2014)
UFS hikers to Cape Town reflect on their journey (Article of 26 May 2014)

Daily updates:
(You can also follow us on @UFSweb for daily tweets)

Day 33: 2 June 2014
13:40
20 km
Sunset Beach, Cape Town

Day 32: 1 June 2014
16:05
26 km
Mervyn and Sanet Wessels, Belville

Day 31: 31 May 2014
16:31
39.6 km
Rhonell and Gavin Julain, Paarl

Day 30: 30 May 2014
14:00
16 km
Monte Rosa, Rawsonville

Day 29: 29 May 2014
13:16
31 km
The Habit, Worcester

Day 28: 28 May 2014
11:00
22.4 km
Monte Roza, De doorns

Day 27: 27 May 2014
17:00
21.1 km
Karoo Hotel

Day 26: 26 May 2014
18:27
43.3 km
Tows river

Day 25: 25 May 2014
12:18
Lord Milner Hotel, Matjiesfontein

Day 24: 24 May 2014
16:30
42 km
Laingsburg Country Lodge

Day 23: 23 May 2014
17:32
41.8 km
Vergenoeg

Day 22: 22 May 2014
16:42
43 km
Assendelft Lodge and Bush Camp, Prins Albert

Day 21: 21 May 2014
15:09
42 km
Leeu Gamka Hotel

Day 20: 20 May 2014
13:39
20 km
Alida, Springfontein

Day 19: 19 May 2014
12:31
27.6 km
Teri Moja Game Lodge

Day 18: 18 May 2014
First rest day
Nagenoeg Guesthouse, Beaufort West

Day 17: 17 May 2014
19:30
62.3 km
Nagenoeg Guesthouse, Beaufort West

Day 16: 16 May 2014
13:00
14 km
Taaibochfontein

Day 15: 15 May 2014
16:03
32 km
Travalia, Three Sisters

Day 14: 14 May 2014
18:33
43 km
Joalani Guest Farm

Day 13: 13 May 2014
17:30
33 km
Die Rondawels

Day 12: 12 May 2014
16:49
40 km
Aandrus B&B in Richmond

Day 11: 11 May 2014
39 km
Wortelfontein (Magdel and Christiaan)

Day 10: 10 May 2014
15:44
34 km
Hanover Lodge

Day 9: 09 May 2014
40.8 km
Camping between Colesberg and Hanover

Day 8: 08 May 2014
15:25
33.7 km
Colesberg, The Lighthouse Guesthouse

Day 7: 07 May 2014
15:08
23 km
Orange River Lodge

Day 6: 06 May 2014
15:57
51.06 km
Gariep Forever Resort

Day 5: 05 May 2014
12:18
28 km
Rondefontein

Day 4: 04 May 2014
15:27
35 km
Trompsburg: Fox Den

Day 3: 03 May 2014
17:30
46.74 km
Edenburg Country Lodge (Hotel)

Day 2: 02 May 2014
11:44 am
15.3 km
Tom's Place

Day 1: 01 May 2014
32 km
Leeuwberg

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