The International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) is the worldwide network of building and construction experts.

A joint initiative of the CIB Working Commissions in Smart and Sustainable Built Environments (W116) and Construction in Developing Countries (W107) led to the 2023 City Centre Sustainable Housing Design Competition (CCSHDC) in South Africa. 

Following the high standard of submissions in the inaugural competition,

a 2024 edition of the CCSHDC took place from March to May 2024. 

What is the CCSHDC? 

The CCSHDC is for teams of undergraduate architectural students and students in other disciplines at 13 South African universities. It is sponsored by the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) in South Africa and Boogertman and Partners (B+P), and hosted by Nelson Mandela University. 

The 2024 competition provided an opportunity to design and present ideas for sustainable housing in an urban area of Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. It encouraged the exploration of alternatives to existing low-cost housing development models. 

Workshops 

Workshops were held as a part of supporting and preparatory activities of the CCSHDC. These covered a wide range of topics in relation to architectural design and sustainability topics that respond to several United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. 

The four workshops and individual presentations can be viewed online.  

2024 judging panel 

The panel of judges will consist of representatives from the following organisations:  

• International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB).  
• National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).  
• Boogertman and Partners (B+P). 
• National Department of Human Settlements (DHS). 
• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). 
• Pretoria Institute of Architects (PIA). 

The CCSHDC exhibition and prize-giving will be hosted at the 18th Built Environment Conference, titled “Construction 5.0: Towards a collaborative and people-centred industry”, on 15 July 2024 at Nelson Mandela University. Look out for news about the 2024 winners in our next issue. 

Full acknowledgement and thanks go to https://cibworld.org/ for the information in this editorial. For more information, send an email to CIBCityCentreSustainableDesign@gmail.com.