04/11/2016
About
AFRICA ARCHITECTURE AWARDS 2017
The Africa Architecture Awards seek to celebrate design excellence and promote an increased awareness of the role and importance of architecture across Africa. Based on values rather than categories, the awards seek to honour established architects and encourage emerging and future voices.
A ‘Critical Dialogue’ award promotes excellence in architectural writing, film and criticism and encourages new forms of discussion and dialogue through the innovative use of digital media. A special ‘Lifetime Achiever’s Award’ may also be awarded in any jury cycle for an architect or architects who have made a significant contribution to the field over a substantive period of time. A People's Choice Award will also be given to the entry voted most popular online
OBJECTIVES OF THE AFRICA ARCHITECTURE AWARDS 2017
As an internationally recognised, world-class award for African architecture, the objectives of the programme are to:
- Promote design excellence across a range of built environment disciplines;
- Create a stronger awareness of the role of architects and urban designers with the general public;
- Educate public and private sector clients to commission better work;
- Facilitate conversations, connections and collaborative possibilities for architects across the continent;
- Provide a platform for emerging voices;
- Provide a new view of African architecture globally;
- Begin to build cultural capital for good African architecture and design through exhibitions, publications and new digital forms of dissemination (films, documentaries, festivals);
- Highlight innovative practitioners and academics who might have a longer-term effect on the accreditation and training of African architects;
- Provide African architects with an awards programme that recognises and celebrates the particular conditions, challenges and opportunities of pan-African practice and education.
AMBASSADOR OF THE AWARDS 2017 –
Phill Mashabane (Mashabane Rose Architects)
Phill Mashabane is a distinguished member of the South African architecture community and, during his term as the President of SACAP (South African Council for the Architectural Profession) for over 6 years, he travelled extensively in Africa. His role as a spokesperson for the Awards benefits from his extensive architectural knowledge, excellence in practice and Africa-wide network. He was a member of the Master Jury in the inaugural awards in 2015, and provides continuity in his role on the Master Jury 2017 over and above his support as Ambassador for the Awards 2017.