The Community Engagement Office [CEO] under the DVC Research Innovation and Engagement in collaboration with the Level Six EduMove, partnered with The Umkhumbane Schools Project [USP] to host an Architecture Showcasing on 14 October 2021. The event was held at Wiggins Library Hall, with over 100 attendees including learners from three different schools, which are Bonela Secondary, Umkhumbane Secondary, and Wiggins Secondary.
Since the beginning of the year, the CEO has been working with students from the Architecture, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering and Geomatics Departments to mentor and teach high school learners architectural design skills. The learners were selected from the three schools mentioned and are studying the Engineering and Graphic Design subject in Grades 10 and 11. The learners were tasked with identifying negative spaces that can be transmuted into positive spaces to give a prototype of a model school post-COVID-19.
With the help of DUT students who serve as mentors for Level Six EduMove, learners produced different architectural physical models that are aimed at addressing challenges identified within their school premises. These physical models are aimed at facilitating the development of visual-based, ‘hands-on’ knowledge of the environment and the problem being investigated.
By learners producing such models, the goal is to help learners to recognize and develop their main architectural ideas from concept to detail which serves as physical evidence of a learner’s thought process and development.
A total number of 14 models were displayed inside the venue, with each model communicating a solution to the identified problem. It was a joyful and yet stressful day for the learners as they had to present their idea(s) to the judges who were tasked with the responsibility to identify and select the most outstanding model.
Judges were Adheema Davis who is a professional architect at Dave Barrow Architects and Rosalinde McCarthy, a lecturer at DUT’s Department of Architecture. Both judges were impressed by the work presented by the learners and agreed to the fact that the level of competition was high and it was not an easy task to select the winner.
Pictured: Second place winners with USP Director, Martha Bishai, Level Six EduMove Co-Founders and Project Coordinators, Siphephelo Mthembu and Thabiso Joyisa, and learners’ mentor, Lindelwe Sithole, at the event.
The overall winner with the most outstanding design and presentation skills was learners from Wiggins Secondary, Thandolwethu Majola, and Zengakhona Bekwa. They had designed a Sport and Art Centre that can accommodate more than 200 learners, with social distancing and enough ventilation to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Celebrating the winners was Nonfundo Ngcobo, who is a Lead Mentor of the two learners that won the first prize. She said, “I would to thank my winning team which has been so focused and dedicated on their project from the start to the end. This made things easier for me as their mentor to support and guide them throughout to ensure that their design becomes a success.” Ngcobo is in her third year of study towards the Diploma in Architecture in the Faculty Engineering and Built Environment.
When asked to reflect on the event, Level Six EduMove Co-Founder and Project Coordinator, Siphephelo Mthembu said, “There is a lot that can be achieved through collaborative work. This is the first of many goals to be achieved with our strategic partners DUT Community Engagement Office and USP, who have also played a pivotal role in making sure that our idea becomes a reality. It is amazing how these learners were able to translate their thoughts into tangible products, and this is exactly what we want to see, where schools are used to stimulate learners’ creative thinking and not as sites of knowledge reproduction. We also wish to congratulate all learners including their mentors for the outstanding models that were produced, these models are a true reflection of the amount of work and dedication invested.”
Talking about Level Six EduMove, Thabiso Joyisa a Co-Founder and Project Coordinator, said that the Level Six EduMove is a student-led campaign that emanates from Project Level Six, which is an architectural technology students’ initiative that was founded in 2015. The idea was stimulated by challenges that were encountered by students within the department of architectural technology. These challenges were identified as, lack of facilities (model making space), lack of studio culture, lack of collaborative work amongst students and departments within the faculty of engineering and built environment, disconnection between the institution and industry professionals. However, this wing aims at dealing mainly with community outreach-related programs.
Talking about the partnership that has made this event a success is Phumzile Xulu, a Community Engagement Practitioner under the DVC RIE Community Engagement said that the Engagement Framework 2030 which has been approved by the University supports the establishment of the quad-helix partnerships which include government, corporate, civil society, and university. This project has been a classical example of how these partnerships can contribute to project sustainability and create collaborative partnerships that are mutually beneficial with external stakeholders. “I would like to congratulate all learners that participated in the project, every single one of them gave their time and a lot of effort to develop the designs and models. It was good to see their ideas translated to the designs and models. It has been a great pleasure to work with all the student mentors who have given support to the learners. They are indeed living the ENVISION2030 by being the engaged and productive glocal citizens that establish mutually beneficial partnerships, through community engagement,” she said.
All the winners received uniform vouchers which were partly sponsored by Gem Schoolwear and gifts that were sponsored by the DUT’s Architecture Department.
Pictured: The winners who are learners from Wiggins Secondary and their mentor, Nomfundo Ngcobo.
Waheeda Peters
