The City Centre Sustainable Housing Design Competition (CCSHDC) winners for 2024 have been announced. 

The awards were presented at the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) Lifetime Awards Dinner at the 18th Built Environment Conference in Gqeberha.  

Commenting on the 2024 competition, all the judges agreed that the submissions were of high quality and focussed aptly on providing proposals that will contribute to addressing the complex housing problem in South Africa.  

The CCSHDC is sponsored by the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) and Boogertman + Partners Architects. 

First place 

Submission 339 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University won the first place and was awarded the NHBRC innovative building technologies prize.
CIB programme director, Theodore C Haupt, congratulated the project proposal for housing that functions as a self-contained ecosystem. The project touches on regenerative design with closed-loop systems and establishes a zero-carbon development as minimal external resources are required.  

Judge Isaac Hartley praised the core principles of symbiosis, waste as a resource, food production, knowledge sharing, a socio-economic ecosystem and resource management, and he awarded this project the main sponsor prize. 

The first place prize winner, submission 339, with group members Elethu Mchwechwi, Elijah Luutu, Hlonela Qothelo and Nagadu Travis.

Second place 

Submission 325 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University was awarded the second place, and the self-build and sufficiency prize.
Head judge Jeremy Gibberd said the subheading of this submission, “We provide a roof and floor; you provide a home”, captures the approach in which a large, framed structure provides spaces in which self-builders build their homes using found or purchased materials. 

Competition judge, Jennifer Mirembe, Ph. D, announced: “Today, we unveil ‘A place to stay’, a project that is as innovative as it is compassionate, as vibrant as it is sustainable, and as forward-looking as it is rooted in our rich heritage.” 

The second place prize winner, submission 325, with group members Jordan Mwenda, Christian Storm, Dumo Nxumalo and Keketso Sehloho.

Third place 

Submission 332 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University won the third place. 

Judge Heleen Grimsehl from the sponsor, Boogertman + Partners Architects, said: “The judging panel found this entry particularly well resolved, from the macro level on the site plan, to the micro level with meticulously executed units. Aesthetically the use of a strong external grid housing vegetation, solar panels, rainwater harvesting and natural ventilation systems created a striking impression. Furthermore, the use of gardens, a market and other public spaces for the creation of a strong and vibrant community make this a winning submission.” 

The third place prize winner, submission 332, with group members Sonika Ferreira, Alyssa van Leeve, Josh Kriega and Zachary Muniz.

Environmental sustainability 

Submission 334 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University draws on a modular approach and renewable energy and rainwater systems to minimise the environmental impact. Its flexibly accommodates different types of housing and small enterprises and readily allows change and growth.  

Economic sustainability 

The winner in this category, submission 329 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University, intrigued the judges by the extent of the biophilic design principles being applied. The element of self-actualisation of the units, consisting of prefabricated walls that can be self-constructed and grow and shrink as required, added an interesting economic principal of self-determination through the lifecycle of a family.  

Social sustainability 

Submission 331 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University presented a housing design that blended in well with the surrounding settlement form, namely low-scale informal housing. The clever use of wrap-around building shapes and the massing created a very attractive set of shared open spaces, and it would provide a comfortable microclimate within the sometimes harsh local weather conditions.  

Future strategy  

Submission 300 from the Department of Architecture at Durban University of Technology offered careful accommodation of incremental changes in housing types from informal to RDP housing and multi-storey, which was what stood out in this submission. The promise of involving residents in the design and production of their future housing units was commendable. 

Unit design 

Submission 327 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University took a thoughtful approach to careful consideration of the design of the unit typologies, both in relation to planning and the use of volume. The project shows how multiple typologies catering for different and varied family configurations can be accommodated with the scheme. 

Honourable mentions 

• Submission 328 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University. This project is a confluence of the past, present and future – where tradition meets modernity and community thrives amidst progress. 
• Submission 338 from the School of Architecture at Nelson Mandela University was commended for the attention paid to the joy of joint living and how everybody is truly accommodated. 

The winning submissions for the CCSHDC were recognised at the 18th Built Environment Conference in Gqeberha. 

Full acknowledgement and thanks go to https://cibworld.org/ for the information in this article.