Newsletter dec2010 eng

Lagos; Discovering the Mega City - Newsletter September 2010

Competitions can be powerful instruments for generating ideas when planning ahead. They can bring innovative or even revolutionary solutions to design challenges. Furthermore, competitions can offer a way for young architects to show that they are ready for real work.

In light of the recent closing of the Blueprints of Paradise Competition organized by African Architecture Matters and the Afrika Museum Berg van Dal [NL], in this issue of the ArchiAfrika newsletter we look into the result and consequence of competitions for African architects and for Africa. Do the winners positively benefit from competitions, and to what extent?

The African Union recently launched a competition for the development of Addis Ababa [Ethiopia]. The deadline has recently closed and results will be announced in the near future. However aside from this specific competition, competitions are not widely spread on the African continent.

We have interviewed some participants of Archiprix International, which awards the best graduation projects around the world. There are not many from Africa, nonetheless we received very enthusiastic responses from some of them.

Furthermore, the Holcim Awards have briefed us on the winning projects of 2008 from Africa along with an update of where the projects are today.

And although the Blueprints for Paradise competition for the Afrika Museum in the Netherlands is not specifically a site related challenge, we share with you the recommendations from the jury report. The full report, the announcement of the winners and the selection for presentation in the exhibition can be found on http://www.afrikamuseum.nl/blog.

Needless to say, that we would like to encourage you to take part in any competition. There is an excellent way to start, by taking part in the Holcim competition, which is open now.

African Perspectives 2011: Call for AbstractsWe are very pleased to introduce you to the Call for Abstracts for African Perspectives 2011, the conference bringing together architects, urbanists, policymakers, artists students and scholars from Africa and beyond in Casablanca from 3 – 5 November 2011. Please follow below link. We look forward to your contributions!

http://www.archiafrika.org/en/node/1257

Competitions - Newsletter December 2010

C o m p e t i t i o n s

New

Typologies of Town H

ouses’ in Dakar, by Abdou Sene

Blueprints of Paradise

minded individuals, both in Holland, at the competition jury specifically, and globally, through the website, to shed and share their experiences, insights and aspirations for this growing body of knowledge around the contemporary African city. Perhaps more importantly, given the extensive existing discourse around African urbanity, this competition (and the subsequent exhibition) also made room for an important aspect of the discourse which is often left out – the future. Architecture, unlike many other disciplines which deal with the creative spirit, is, by its very nature, propositional in intent. It is not enough to analyse and criticise, however important those two aspects of engagement may be. The very act of committing oneself to paper in the form of a drawing, a model, a plan, etc., is a propositional act, a staking out of territory, form, space, material, etc., with the intention to build, and therefore, make a change. What separates this competition from many others is the open-ended, futuristic, no-holds-barred aspect of its brief – it asked, quite simply, for entrants to dream an alternative future for Africa. That this future could take the shape of words, drawings, photographs, models, films, manifestos, etc., is a fitting testament to the richness of the question under debate (Africa’s future). Having said that, however, the diversity of means of representation presented a particular ‘problem’ for the jurors – could a poem accurately be judged alongside a video of an entire city? How is it possible to weight the effort and imagination involved in the production of a hydro-electric, solar-powered, water-recycling city against the image of a woman’s body sheathed in traditional cloth? At one level, this is the task of the jurors to negotiate, but at another, it sets the stage for a series of future competitions that might take one or more of the themes that emerged out of this one, and spin them in both traditional and innovative ways.

One might look at a recent Israeli entry for a competition

During the last weekend of October, the jury members Joe Osae – Addo, Lesley Lokko, Manthia Diawara and Femke van Zeijl (unfortunately Abdumaliq simone was not able to take part) gathered at the Afrika Museum in Berg en Dal, the Netherlands, for a decision on the competition Blueprints of Paradise. The brief of the competition was wide - ‘imagine the built future of Africa’, resulting in a wide range of projects of different scales, sites, settings, themes etc. This did not make the work of the jury easier, but it did create interesting discussions between the jury members and a fruitful base for the development of the exhibition which will be presented between April and October 2011 in the Afrika Museum in Berg en Dal.

12 projects were selected for a place in the exhibition. From these projects 3 were awarded, while the jury also decided to present 2 ‘special mentions’. The jury report can be found http://www.afrikamuseum.nl/blog/jury-report. The prize winners will be invited to receive their prizes at the opening of the exhibition and take part in a visiting programme including debates and seminars.

In the report, the jury reflected upon the competition and the process in a summary, which you will find below:

‘Conclusion: Criticism/Comment/Recommendation’

For many of the reasons outlined above, this was a unique and wonderful opportunity to bring together a number of like-

‘A Daydream for Africa’ by Zineb Seghrouchni and Jennifer Bruinendaal

Jury Report by Lesley Lokko

Report

to the tiny, micro-financed, grass-roots initiatives (not to mention the intellectual input of site unspecific work on African cities) that grapple, in some way or another, with the very same questions the competition identified. The pairing of AAM and the Afrika Museum seems at first somewhat contradictory – one organisation dedicated to future, as-yet-un-built projects, and the other, to the preservation of tradition and, by extension, the past. However, the enthusiasm and willingness of both parties to share and learn from each other’s fields of expertise is unusual, and cannot be more highly recommended. The jury found an intellectual curiosity and level of engagement on the parts of all participants that is both unique and rare, and it is hoped that the competition will not be seen as a one-off, once-in-a-while exercise, but that a commitment to bringing the full range and experience of contemporary African life (not just in its cities) to a wider audience through the traditional means (i.e., the Museum and its exhibitions/events), and through the use of newer technologies, that allow for different experiences, voices and networks to be formed.

As a final note, it may be worth mentioning that a recent

(http://www.natanelelfassy.com/index.php?page=29), as an example of a specific site, building typology, set of concerns, etc., that make use of an over-arching narrative (the formless desire for new forms), or at the more recent House in Luandacompetition (www.architectafrica.com/house-in-luanda-competition-2010) for a very specific response to a specific set of conditions, site and scale. In both these competitions, however, the in-built filter through which Africa is usually viewed often precludes the more explorative nature of some of the responses that were seen in the Blueprints of Paradise competition, without which the competition discussion would have been much poorer.

The jury’s conclusion, therefore, is that the competition as it stands is the first part of what is hopefully an on-going series of competitions/seminars/lectures/events that take as their starting point, an African future, and allow a range of responses to develop, some of which may be more expansive and open-ended than others, and some which may require a much narrower focus and intensity. At present there are literally hundreds of different organisations, from the global scale of governments, NGOs, the UN, multi-nationals, etc.,

‘Tangible Futures’ with a proposal for a site in Kampala by Quardean Lewis - Allen, Fijoy Fisiy

and Jacqueline Maodonado

‘Garden City Park’, a proposal for Kumasi in Ghana, by Kobina K. Banning (Prize winner)

The Hairdresser’s Premises’, located in Lomé, Togo, by Assiom Mawunam Elekonawo

Redesigning the Temporal’, by Oladayo Oladunjoye (Prize winner)

an ideal urban future. ___________________________1 See www.natanelelfassy.com. Retrieved 5 November, 2010 at 12:05GMT2 See www.architectafrica.com. Retrieved 5 November, 2020 at 11:13GMT3 See www.bbc.com. Retrieved 5 November, 2010 at 12:18GMT

Blueprints of Paradise Jury:Lesley Lokko (Editor), Johannesburg, South AfricaFemke van Zeijl (Commentator), Utrecht, the NetherlandsJoe Osae-Addo, Accra, GhanaManthia Diawara, New York, USA

newsworthy item (www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11694599) centred around efforts to more accurately develop an index by which living standards across the globe might be measured. In the UN Quality of Life Index, researchers track and analyze more than economic activity as indicators of general well-being. Access to leisure facilities, the strength of community, the distance a person might travel to visit one’s relatives and the length of time it takes, availability of telecommunications and the reliability and cost of service, etc, are all seen as viable indices by which ‘happiness’ and ‘progress’ may be measured. Seen in this light, projects like 042 A Daydream for Africa, 032 Slipstream Magazine or 031 Cultural and Nautical Centres for Brazzaville, Congo, are very much ‘of-the-moment,’ capturing perfectly the zeitgeist that argues for a wider range of issues to be taken into account when planning

Overview

of the ‘Garden C

ity Park’ proposal for Kumasi in G

hana, by Kobina K. Banning (prize w

inner)‘An active cohabitation’ by Agbékoh Koffi D

jokoui and Marthe G

ady

Archiprix International is an initiative of the Archiprix Foundation, which is a co-operative venture undertaken by the higher Dutch design education institutions for architecture, urban planning, and landscape architecture: the Faculties of Architecture of Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology, the academies of architecture in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Arnhem, Maastricht and Groningen; Wageningen University: Department of Environmental Sciences, Landscape Architecture Group.

Archiprix International monitors the continuity and the formula set-up, and ensures the realization of the basic components such as the biennial publication and the website.

www.archiprix.org [email protected]

Every two years, Archiprix International invites all university-level courses in the field of architecture, urban planning, and landscape architecture to select their best graduation projects and to submit these for participation. The designers of the selected projects are subsequently requested to send their project to Archiprix International. A record number of over 300 projects were submitted to Archiprix International 2011, a fascinating collection of designs.

Rotterdam 2001, Istanbul 2003, Glasgow 2005, Shanghai 2007, Montevideo 2009, Cambridge USA 2011 Archiprix International was first organized in Rotterdam, the home base of Archiprix International, in 2001. To underline its international character, a foreign partner is sought for each new round. As a result, each round has a different quality that harmonizes with the local situation. The partner organizes the activities, which take place locally, such as the jury assessment, workshops, the exhibition, and the award ceremony.

AfricaFrom African schools we received inspiring projects, but not many. Archiprix International offers a stage to all schools worldwide and gives young talented designers the chance to meet colleagues from all over the world. We hope to present more projects from African countries in the editions to come. Schools that are interested to participate can submit a project for the edition 2013. All schools in our database (www.archiprix.org > universities) will be invited to participate.

“It is mostly removed from any constraints or the daily stressful realities we face.” [Willem Steenkamp]

Disputably a staple in the profession of architecture, this month’s newsletter focuses on Architectural competitions. Are they useful? And how effective are they? We have approached four African participants of the ArchiPrix competition to contribute to our discussion.

We put some questions to Aly Ahmed Kamal Soliman (Egypt, 1987), Khaled El-Ashry (Egypt, 1986), Mohamed Fawzy Abdelkarim (Egpyt, 1987) and Willem Steenkamp (Namibia, 1984). Below are some of their responses sharing with us their personal experience of participating in an international competition and, in retrospect, what they feel architectural competitions offer.

What was your experience of participating in this competition?

Having my graduation project join such a competition was an eye opening experience, as it was another evaluation of how my implemented design concepts benchmarked against other architect graduates from across the globe. The critical eye, with which I carryout even my current work, has been definitely enriched through my participation in this competition. - Mohamed

The Archiprix is a really interesting and massive competition, 300 graduation projects from over 70 countries everyone representing his/her university… Everyone was very excited in my school and helped in every way. It was the first graduation project in Alexandria University to be submitted to the Archiprix. I was also very excited to know that this year’s version of the competition is going to be in MIT, a school that I really admire and love. This is going to be a very

great opportunity to meet people from all around the globe. - Khaled

Through my experience in the Archiprix competition I have benefited by having access to overview different architectural schools with different directions and trends.- Aly

What was the most valuable thing you gained or took from your experience?

Adding to my portfolio that one of my projects has been selected for a global competition gives my portfolio extra credibility. - Mohamed

I gained a lot of self-confidence and the prospect of being exhibited in the Guggenheim will be a first for an architect from Namibia!- Willem

What, if any, were the negatives?

The most negative point I have observed is that there is no feedback on our projects. What happened at the jury? What are the positive and the negative points of my project? What are the strong aspects of the winning projects? This feedback could be quite beneficial towards an architect’s career.- Mohamed

The only negative aspects were some practical things like the high shipping rates from Egypt to the US. And that the organizational team almost lost my project in the process and didn’t check it into the competition until the last day.- Khaled

I found no negatives but would like to make one suggestion: No criteria were given beforehand on how the jury will judge

Aly Soliman ‘Pulse of Sinai’ (Egypt)

the projects. It was also difficult as a participant to judge the projects online because of their diversity. A criteria list might be useful in the future to rate other projects.- Willem

As a competitor, I was not aware of the jury’s judging criteria; for instance, is a different judging criteria or theme applied every year, or is it a fixed one? How did they deal with so many different themes of graduation projects - especially those concerning cultural expression?- Aly

What became of your winning project?

The project has since been featured in many architectural sites and participated in some competitions. First there was the Omrania CSBE competition for graduation projects in Jordan. Followed by the international design awards “IDA 2009” in California where my project was granted 3rd place in the student institutional category. It also featured in some exhibits in Egypt. The project is still only a conceptual idea but I keep my fingers crossed that it may some day be erected in its original location.- Khaled

The “client” is the Herero Genocide Committee. Once people became aware of the project I got a lot of local publicity in the press. This led me to the Genocide Committee who invited me to share my project with them. From the onset I envisaged possible donors or sponsors for the project to make it a reality. To get funding for a project of this nature requires a lot of time and energy which I cannot offer at this stage. However the Herero people who have seen the project is very excited and optimistic and I still attend discussion and presentations from time to time. Hopefully I will be considered as their architect should such an opportunity present itself.- Willem

In retrospect, any thoughts on what architectural competitions really offer?

Architecture competitions are an outlet for every architect. The architecture market especially in Africa has very little to offer for architects today. The projects are mostly residential with specific criteria made by the owners of the projects or the market needs. Competition offers the Architect a chance to really go with hisimagination and create new ideas and

concepts. Also it’s a very great place to meet new people, learn from others and develop your skills beyond anything that the market offers.- Khaled

For me it offered an opportunity to meet people and see work from other countries, but I think more so for the other people. In Southern Africa we are exposed to international magazines, TV shows, “Starchitects” and glossy books. This makes us aware of world trends and good international architecture. Unfortunately we don’t get the same exposure abroad. So by being part of these international competitions and being exhibited abroad people can see the type of architecture being practiced in Africa.- Willem

Well as my project only won at my university level among my colleagues, it became one of the faculty examples presented to undergraduates as a source of critique and discussion. Furthermore it is used as a example for theaters. This process is very important to strengthen the level of thinking and creativity of the upcoming architects in design schools.- Mohamed

It can be seen that the winning projects belong to certain regions where the architectural and cultural trends are clear. The short explanation provided to accompany projects, I feel is not enough to give a full perception of the various architectural expressions of the designers’ cultures.

I think also that the regions I belong to, the Arab and African regions, suffer a lack of such competitions. Due to this there is a lack of opportunities for advertising our cultural and architectural trends. I think we need more support from our regions and countries to develop and produce architectural schools and trends that lead the way in establishing a name and identity of our regions. Finding an identity that signifies our culture through architectural thinking is a target of mine.

In the end I would like to say that our goal should be to advertise our culture and widen our beliefs and thoughts through competitions and workshops, this will help us to develop and allow us to reach the goal of carving an identity of ourselves in the world. - Aly

Khaled El-Ashry ‘ El Alamain Performing Arts Center (Egypt)

Name: Khlaed M.El-AshryProject: El Alamain Performing Arts Center (Egypt)

El Almain city, located on the north coast in the middle of the biggest real estate development of Egypt, is planned to become one of the larg-est and wealthiest cities in Egypt. The performing arts center in El Alamain shall be its principal landmark – a contemporary designed building that will generate attention to the city not only nationally but internationally also. It will also help in building the cultural personality of the region.

Name: Willem SteenkampProject: Herero Cultural Centre & Genocide Memorial (South Africa)

The funeral of Samuel Maharero brought together the Namibian Herero and other Herero living in exile follow-ing the 1904 war and genocide. Their society was once again reunited, with the scattered historical groups coming together again to form a single Herero. They gather annually at different grave sites in Namibia and Botswana, using these annual pilgrimages to reaffirm their social unity. There is a need to remember those who died for freedom. This memorial can become a symbol of remembrance, reconciliation, etc., while simultaneously generating a self-sustaining income by being a functional cultural centre. An abstrac-tion of the Herero culture, along with the memorial, is used to make a build-ing that represents their culture, and responds to the specific site, parade of the Hereros and climate.

Projects Browser Link: http://w

ww.archiprix.org/brow

ser/?p=projects

Name: Aly SolimanProject: Pulse of Sinai (Egypt)

A development center for SINAI Bedouins aims to integrate Bedouin society with the whole Egyptian soci-ety, the center aims to reach that goal by developing the talented Bedouin handicrafts, training and improving their talents in curing. The name is de-rived from the project’s goal Integrat-ing the Bedouin society with the main Egyptian society, pulse of SINAI which comes from Egypt’s heart (core).

Name: Mohamed Fawzy AbdelkarimProject: Vaduz Performing Arts Center (Liechtenstein)

Vaduz Performing Arts Center (VPAC), a landmark building functions as a performing arts complex and offers educational and professional spaces enhancing the impact of cultural activi-ties in the city center. A multipurpose existing hall, Vaduz Saal, connects to the VPAC. It also connects some office buildings with proposed conference facility thus attracting more business to get closer to art and culture. Key to the concept is the engagement with the public and the users. The dance studios are located at the ground level and a street stage is located at the hub of the educational zone where people can sit and be entertained by the stu-dents’ performances.

Projects Browser Link: http://w

ww.archiprix.org/brow

ser/?p=projects

consequential adoption of approaches to build a more sustainable future. The Holcim Awards competition is conducted firstly across five world regions: Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with the leading projects from each region then competing for the coveted Global Holcim Awards. In previous Holcim Awards competitions, Africa has delivered some of the most charismatic projects that truly illustrate cultural and social sensitivity, dynamic growth and pragmatic ingenuity.

Rejuvenation flows through an ancient Moroccan city

A Moroccan project for the UNESCO World Heritage listed old town of Fez was winner of both the regional Holcim Awards Gold 2008 for Africa Middle East, and the Global

Seeking Africa’s Exemplary Sustainable Construction Projects & VisionsSustainable development typically looks at the “triple bottom line” of economic, ecological and social factors and has become the Zeitgeist of the industry. In the context of the built environment, innovative and contextual impacts must also be factored into any calculation of sustainability. With such broad elements to be considered, it’s no wonder that exemplary projects in sustainable construction are rarely the work of one single person or profession, but combine the expertise of several fields: architecture, engineering, research, biology and sociology.

This complex and interrelated set of performance measures was the inspiration for the so-called “target issues” for sustainable construction, developed by the Holcim Foundation in collaboration with some of the world’s leading technical universities. The “target issues” are brought to life in the International Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction which is currently open for submissions. The competition’s aim is to generate more widespread and

The Global Holcim Awards Gold 2009 project is a comprehensive approach for the river Fez to run free and clean again and to give

back public space to the inhabitants.

Holcim Awards Gold 2009. Aziza Chaouni and Takako Tajima, Principals of Bureau E.A.S.T. are the celebrated designers of this multi-sited and multi-functional project that is centered upon the recovery of the river Fez.

Work on restoration has triggered a range of interventions in the Medina. One of the three precincts of the prize-winning “River remediation and urban development scheme” is nearing completion in the Medina of the Moroccan imperial city.

“The Holcim Awards did bring attention to the river project and in turn triggered new rehabilitation initiatives including an additional international design competition”, project architect Aziza Chaouni comments. The core components of the project are the rehabilitation of the old city’s architecture, revitalizing public spaces and traditional tanneries, and creating new pedestrian zones.

Building a village to raise a child in Uganda

The focus of another project has been the massive impact of HIV/Aids which has made orphans of millions of children. The project is located in the southwestern district of Rakai in Uganda, where the first HIV/Aids epidemic devastated communities almost 30 years ago. With a tree at its symbolic center, the “Low-cost school and home for HIV orphans” enables children to create their own home, and even help in its construction. By utilizing low-tech domestic construction techniques (brick wall and wooden roof structure), costs can be minimized and the orphans can participate and learn the building methods used on site. The project was honored with the Holcim Awards Silver 2008.

The project envisages the gradual evolution of the Mukwano Home into Mukwano Village through continuous additions of similar modular units as more children become integrated

The “el-Rcif Plaza” brings together the transportation hub and the river bank circulation system and allows for the cleaning of runoff water. The city square was previously cluttered with buses, taxis and informal parking – but is now a core of the pedestrian network. A larger parking facility has been constructed beyond the southern city walls of the Medina, and buses and taxis have been re-positioned.

The next steps including urban furniture, canopies and benches, and rehabilitation of the river banks will mark the completion of the “el-Rcif Plaza” section of the project.

into the center. The older ones becoming adults will have the possibility to stay at the village with their families and thus contributing to the long-term development towards an organically grown and solid community. Newly-installed water tanks have replaced long treks to the lake in order to fetch water, and solar collectors on the administrative building provide a reliable power supply and a sense of self-reliance. The project provides more shelter where basic needs are met and is a center for healthcare, education, and leisure. Already the eight new buildings around the central tree are full to capacity and already further multiplication of the project is planned.

The Fez urban development vision becomes reality through a multi-functional approach centered upon the recovery of the river.

Center courtyard of the Mukwano Home: basic huts gather and become the home with connecting canopies

Orphans join the construction People in village join the constrcution

“Next Generation” vision floats in Nigeria

The Holcim Awards also seeks the visions and ideas for the “Next Generation” (student) category. Winner of the Holcim Awards “Next Generation” 1st prize 2008 for Africa Middle East was an Amphibious dwelling concept for the informal settlements of Lagos, Nigeria. The innovative and striking idea of this project envisaged moving the inhabitants of the traditional, neglected squatter settlements at the borders of the cities to floating homes on unused coastal areas. These dwellings on the otherwise abandoned and contaminated coastal strips will be legal, cheap and easy to maintain. Since the dwellings are not too far away from the city center, they will provide multiple opportunities for day labor and small businesses. This project espouses a fresh and simple approach to a globally-present problem in urban areas.

Open now for entries: 3rd Holcim Awards competition

The 3rd International Holcim Awards competition offering a total of USD 2 million in prize money is currently open for entries. The competition is an initiative of the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction and seeks exemplary sustainable building and civil engineering works; landscape, urban design and infrastructure projects; and materials, products and construction technologies. Construction may not have started before July 1, 2010.

Entries must be submitted by March 23, 2011: www.holcimawards.org

The amphibious dwellings concept received much exposure after the Holcim Awards competition. With the support of his friends and colleagues project architect Akin Afolayan successfully launched the first prototype for an amphibious dwelling in mid-2010, which is now a functioning medical clinic/community center. A medical team volunteered to provide free medical services.

The design uses a modular construction to enable further expansion and environmental enhancements in the future. The project concept generated the now fully-functional not-for-profit organization Hope Floats Initiative, which is dedicated to delivering innovative design solutions to informal settlements. The implementation phase has started sooner than was first anticipated, particularly due to the support of partner organizations in the United States: Architecture for Humanity, Community Development Center of Atlanta, Niles Bolton Associates.

The amphibious dwellings are erected on floating platforms and built with low- or no-cost available materials usually considered as trash, such as recycled wood from construction sites, plastic foils, used sheet metal, reeds and thatch.

Hope Floats Initiative: the prototype structure now operates as a medical clinic and community center.

Delft University of TechnologyDe Twee Snoeken Automatisering

FBW Architectenbkvdl

Dioraphte Foundation

ArchiAfrikaP.O. box 14174

3508 SG Utrecht Netherlands

tel +31 (0)30 223 23 20 fax +31 (0)30 251 82 78

www.archiafrika.org

ColofonText

Design

Editing

TranslationAnne-Marie van den Nieuwenhof-Damishimiro FONDATION SHIMIRO, Pointe-Noire, Congo

Supported byArchiAfrika receives support from the following institutes and

organisations:Stichting Doen

Agenda

5 Nov 2010 - 13 Mar 2011Afropolis: City, Media, Art (Germany)

31 Jan 2011 - 3 Feb 2011Affordable Housing Development Summit (South Africa)

19 November 2010‘South African City Studies Conference(South Africa)

3 Nov 2011 - 5 Nov 20115th African Perspectives Conference (Morocco)

23 March 2011Deadline Entries Holcim Awards

TextBerend van der LansWillem SteenkampKhaled M. El-AshryAly Ahmed Kamal SolimanMohamed Fawzy AbdelkarimLesley Lokko

DesignRachel Stella Jenkins

EditingBerend van der Lans

TranslationAnne-Marie van den Nieuwenhof-Damishi-miroFONDATION SHIMIRO, Pointe-Noire, CongoCélia Tchengang

Agenda

WITSUNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT HEAD: SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING

The University is seeking a suitably qualified person to head the School of Architecture and Planning. The School combines the professional disciplines of Architecture and Urban & Regional Planning as well as the postgraduate disciplines of Development Planning, Housing, Urban Studies, Urban Design, and Sustainable & Energy Efficient Cities. Located in the heart of Johannesburg, one of Africa’s multicultural cities, the University and the School are exciting environments for learning, teaching and research. QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants should have completed a PhD; alternatively, they should provide evidence of significant professional and/or scholarly achievements. The successful appointee will be of a high national and international standing and possess high managerial skills. S/he must demonstrate ability to co-ordinate the academic and professional vision of the constituent disciplines; provide the leadership required to enable the School to function as an integrated unit; and maintain a position of excellence by offering nationally and internationally accredited programmes. THE SUCCESSFUL APPOINTEE WOULD BE EXPECTED TO: Provide the academic vision and leadership required to enable the School to establish and maintain a position of excellence within the University and in the wider educational context; lead and manage the School in meeting its and the Faculty’s strategic goals; participate in University-wide decision-making processes towards achieving the University’s strategic goals; and raise external funding and support for special projects within the School. The appointment will commence as early as possible in 2011. The standard period of employment is 5 years after which the candidate may seek another term or be integrated into a senior teaching and research position in the School. If the appointee is an existing member of the permanent staff s/he will revert to her/his previous academic position. Remuneration will be appropriate to the seniority of the post and will be negotiated with the successful individual.

ENQUIRIES: Further information can be obtained from Professor Beatrys Lacquet, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment (telephone +27 11 717-7011/2 or e-mail [email protected]). Website address: http://web.wits.ac.za/Academic/EBE/ArchPlan/ArchitecturePlanning.htm

TO APPLY: and for further information regarding selection procedures and conditions of employment, please send a letter of motivation, a CV with the names and contact details (telephone numbers and e-mail addresses) of three referees, a copy of the applicant’s Identity Document or Passport if not South African to:Maxine Lewin, Human Resources Office, Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa. E-mail [email protected]

Closing date: 18 February 2011.

www.wits.ac.zaWits gives you the edge

The University reserves the right to verify qualifications and credit standing

BTCThe Belgian development agency, BTC, mobilises its resources and its expertise to eliminate poverty in the world. BTC contributes to the efforts of the international community and works towards a society that provides present and future generations with sufficient resources to build a sustainable and fair world.Its 650 staff members in Brussels and overseas embody the commitment of the Belgian State and other development partners to interna-tional solidarity. They support more than 300 cooperation projects and programmes in some 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

BTC is currently looking for an (m/f): Expert in architecture, construction of school buildings and supply of equipment - RWANDAInternational Technical Assistant for the programme: “Support to professional training (AFP)”

Ref.: RWA/09/069-2BLocation: KigaliDuration of contract: 24 months (with a possible extension of 12 months)Probable starting date: as soon as possibleSalary package: between 4.914,58 euro and 7.095,74 euro (this includes the gross monthly salary and the expat benefits: hardship allow-ance and expat allowance). The salary is calculated, depending on the composition of the family and the number of years of relevant experience.

ProjectThe new Support programme to professional training of Rwandan youth is funded by Belgian cooperation. On the one hand, it is the continuation of interventions of the last years and of ongoing interventions (technical cooperation by APEFE, VVOB and BTC), especially the support to professional training centres in the Southern province; on the other hand, it is aligned with new reforms in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector (TVET – EFTP in French), which have been conducted over the last few months and led to the creation of the Workforce Development Authority (WDA). The general objective of the new programme is to provide the Rwandan population that is poorly or not qualified with more income-gener-ating opportunities through the acquisition of professional competences. The specific objective is to provide easier access for young people to a high-quality professional training, which is adapted to the needs of the job market, especially in the Southern province. The programme will be managed jointly by the Project Manager, a full time education sector / TVET officer, and an international techni-cal assistance expert, who will be the Delegate to co-management (Delco). This team will be responsible for the daily management of the programme. To form a management committee it will be extended with the participation of the representatives or coordinators of APEFE, VVOB and BTC.

FunctionThe programme has an infrastructure and equipment expert who will take on the task of planning and supervising all actions related to the building construction/adaptation, infrastructure and supply of equipment aspects. Under the directorate of BTC’s Resident Representative in Rwanda and under the supervision of the Consultation Committee of the proj-ect, the International TA will work in close cooperation with the DelCo and the Project Manager.

He/she will take on the following responsibilities:Bring technical expertise in the field of training centres building adaptation and construction works;Draw up call for tender files with the help of specialised experts in the different fields and support the tendering procedures until the delivery and installation of equipment;Supervise the construction works from site selection until the sites are used;Draw up and follow up the contracts with architectural firms, surveillance bureaux and construction companies;Draw up and follow up the contracts with the suppliers of equipment;Ensure that staff of the training centres is trained to use the machines and equipment supplied;With the managers of the training centres, which have received equipment, draw up maintenance plans for the equipment supplied.ProfileUniversity degree (Master): Architect, Civil engineer or equivalent.Required experience: A minimum of 3 years of experience as an engineer/architect in supervising the construction of, preferably, school building; Experience in international cooperation project management or management in an international construction company and in the management of call for tenders for construction work and the supply of equipment; Professional experience in self-help building (construc-tion works by pupils and teacher-trainers, as part of their practice internship) is considered to be an asset.

Technical competences: Expertise in participatory methodology by showing negotiation, communication and facilitation skills; Sensitive to transversal themes (gender/ the environment); Good knowledge of IT: Windows applications; Excel, PowerPoint and internal network.Personal competences:Ability to work in a multicultural and multidisciplinary team; Good writing skills, analytical and summary skills and good communication skills.Language skillsGood command (oral and written) of French and English. Knowledge of Dutch and Kinyarwanda are an asset.Interested?

Please apply not later than December 21st 2010, through our web site www.btcctb.org, by sending us the BTC standard CV and your letter of application. The model of our standard CV can be found on the page « Jobs ». For further information please call 0032 (0) 2 505 18 65.

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