DESIGN> magazine (edition 15, 2009, v3) by DESIGN>

N O . 1 5

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CONTENTS 11 > PREFACE 11 > ProActive 13 > Editor’s foreword 14 > Design awards and competitions calendar

16 > THOUGHT LEADERS

16 > Design professionals and social activism 24�� > Greenwashing: The 8th sin 28�� > T he role of design in international development

36 > DESIGN PROMOTION

36 > INDEX: Design to improve life 40�� > O f bogies and bush fellers, of monitors and motorbikes

CONTENTS 48 > COMMUNICATION DESIGN

48 > XIN: THIS IS CHINA CALLING! 68 > T he Loerie Awards: Celebrating creative excellence for over 30 years

76 > S ome great stuff, some done stuff and some *yawn* stuff 82 > B elow-the-line agency Mick and Nick talks design

104 > BUILT ENVIRONMENT

99 > M MA Architects: Providing platforms for cultural engagement

138 > B edford Precinct: Achieving a design balance in a mixed-use environment

110 > Burj Dubai: reaching for the skies

152 > C rystal Towers: The jewel in Century Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crown

116 > S outhern Sun Hyde Park Hotel: Chic hotel with an awesome view

232 > INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

242 > D esign is about the future

261 > Distant voices

254 > C arrol Boyes: A true marriage of sculpture and function

264 > C reating harmony between engineering and art

84 > PAPER

87 > The metamorphosis of signage

94 > Sappi leading by example

90 > S A Publication Forum: Proactively improving corporate publications

161 > G reenstone Mall: Unusual and defining design elements

205 > A conceptual design challenge: Central Terminal Building at the OR Tambo International Airport

175 > Gautrain: An interactive engineering feat 215 > Soccer City: Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s melting pot

260 > JEWELLERY

260 > FASHION

270 > T he Gold of Africa Museum: The embedded history of gold

280 > 2 010 Winter wrapped: Sanlam SA Fashion Week 286 > Cape Union Mart launches Poetry

CONTENTS 278 > POPULAR CULTURE

288 > Entertainment on wheels: Matatu mania

283 > ART & CRAFT

292 > W ithout masks: Contemporary Afro-Cuban art 296 > Explore 2: The best of Namibia on show

ENDORSERS

288 > IP

302 > Protecting your ideas in Africa: part II

291 > EDUCATION

305 > M ohair and design educators: A cosy combination 309 > I magine the future! Adobe Design Achievement Awards 2009

MEDIA PARTNERS

238 > EDUCATION

formation

CREDITS PUBLISHER & CEO > Cameron Bramley cameron@designmagazine.co.za EDITOR > Jacques Lange jacquesL@iafrica.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS > Jennie Fourie, Bev Hermanson & Suné Stassen CONTRIBUTORS > Lois Aitchison , David Berman, Amanda Breytenbach, Duncan Cruickshank, Veruska De Vita, Nicky Garnett, Carl Harisson, Jacques Jansen van Vuuren, Lilac Osanjo, Karuna Pillay, Chantal Ramcharan-Kotze, Sali Sasaki and Anri Theron

SALES DIRECTOR > Jaime-Lee van Sittert PRODUCTION ASSISTANT > Charl Lamprecht ADMINISTRATION & ACCOUNTS > Lana McLachlan & Michelle Swart CREATIVE DIRECTOR > Jacques Lange DESIGN & LAYOUT > Bluprint Design PUBLISHED BY > Design Information Tel: +27(0) 82 882 8124 Fax: +27 (0) 86 678 8448 www.designmagazine.co.za

DESIGN > is produced by Design Information. All material is strictly copyright, with all rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without the express permission of the publisher. No responsibility will be accepted for unsolicited material. The publisher accepts no liability of whatsoever nature arising out of or in connection with the contents of this publication. The publisher does not give any warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of its contents. The views and opinions expressed in DESIGN > are not necessarily those of the publisher, its endorsers, sponsors or contributors.

PREFACE >

ProActive As much as we all try to be proactive in our approach

It seems that the largest corporates are the least involved

to design at all levels, we are often lacking. South

in Pro–Environment–Active–Design and they are the

Africa and Africa is still fixed in a bureaucratic approach

ones that destroy it most. We can point a finger at the

to design at most levels. In the previous edition of

countries that are not ProActive, although unfortu-

DESIGN > we focused on the design economy, which

nately even some of the most Pro–Active–Design

to me is a critical issue for all economies around the

counties are not making enough headway to turn the

globe. Society has done well to re-engineer its design

ship around.

process for centuries, far superseding its own expectations. Imagine way back, if all economies agreed upon

The only three places I have visited locally where I

a design alliance that concerned itself with all the issues

have witnessed Pro–Activity for the environment are

that we have to deal with today?

the universities, the Imvelo Awards for Responsible Tourism and the Top Technology 100 Awards.

In this edition ‘ProActivity’ means a lot of things. It is mostly a positive term. Its use in this edition however is

I am truly excited to witness great designs – yet they

both positive and negative. My most recent experi-

are simply that – great designs. In my opinion, any

ence of proactivity was attending the SABS Design

design of any worth today, no matter how significant

Excellence Awards. It was an honor to see such excep-

and worldly it is, is worth little if it doesn’t consider

tional designs – this is proactive. What concerns me

the environment and the wellbeing of all societies

is that the focus of much design has little to do with

across the planet. <

the current global environmental crisis. I ask: what use is a product designed for the future if it doesn’t in some way reduce carbon footprints or support the

Cameron Bramley

environment?

DESIGN > CEO and publisher

Many pairs of hands craft a Daikin VRVIII system

then support the one pair that continues the good work

Air conditioning The new Daikin VRV III air conditioning system marks an important advance over existing systems, with many new innovative features and benefits for specifiers, installers and users. • Greatest capacity (5 HP to 54 HP) • Maximum piping length extended to 165m (outdoor unit to furthest indoor unit) • Total piping length extended to 1000m • Lighter, modular units, easily transported by normal lift • Less refrigerant content than the existing VRV systems • More energy efficient (high COP) on R-410A • Automatic refrigerant containment • Automatic charging • Back-up function • Powerful diagnostic tools • Centralized control systems with web access function • 25 years of VRV and much more besides… For more information call 0860-DAIKIN or visit www.daikin.co.za for a Daikin dealer near you.

PREFACE >

EDITOR’S FOREWORD When we started developing the editorial theme for this edition of DESIGN > magazine some nine months ago, one word continuously kept coming up in my mind: Proactive. First coined in the 1930s by Paul Whiteley and Gerald Blankfort in the context of experimental psychology, it became a popular term because of a seminal book published by Viktor Emil Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, published in 1946. Frankl used the word to describe a person who took responsibility for his or her life, rather than looking for causes in outside circumstances or other people. Frankl also stressed the importance of courage, perseverance, individual responsibility and awareness of the existence of choices, regardless of the situation or context. ‘Proactive’ is a magical word that has intrigued and inspired many of our writers who have contributed articles for this edition. They delivered responses that span the gamut of the design disciplines, from visual communication, industrial design, architecture, fashion and jewellery to fine arts and popular culture. One golden thread running through this edition is ‘change’ and as

Linda Mvusi might have said it best: “Design reflects change. Change as the norm, not the exception.” In her address at the 2009 SABS Design Excellence Awards, Dr Bonakele Mehlomakulu, CEO of the SABS said, “design empowers us to change the world as we know it. Design is about the future, about what might be or should be. Design involves living in a future world; conceiving and planning what does not yet exist”. I fully agree. It has been a scintillating year since DESIGN > magazine converted to a digital platform. In this time we have produced five bumper editions spanning more than 1 330 pages. This exceptional growth in stature is also reflected in our readership that now extends to more than 55 countries. On behalf of the DESIGN > magazine team, I would like to thank all our readers, advertisers and writers for their incredible support. We wish you all a wonderful 2010. Jacques Lange DESIGN > Editor

A W A R D S Discipline

Architecture, Interior Design & Built Environment

Communication Design, Advertising, Animation & New Media

ENTRY DEADLINES F January 2010

12 > e Volo 2010 SKYSCRAPER COMPETITION registration deadline (International) 18 > The High Bridge International Ideas Competition (International) 31 > The Restaurant and Bar Design Awards (International)

04 > T he Press Cartoon Europe 2010 (EU) 27> D &AD Awards 2010 (International) 22> A rtDirectorsClub Awards 2010 Design/Interactive/Student (International) 25> 2010 Summit Creative Awards: Call for Entries (International) 29> Hong Kong International Poster Triennial 2010 (International)

Craft Fashion & Jewellery

Industrial Design

25 > I nternational Design Excellence Awards 2010 (International)

Multidisciplinary

26 > M aterial Trends Award 2010 (International)

Research & Journalism

Sustainability

20 > E coTopia Will Highlight Cutting Edge Sustainable Designs (International) 25 > T he IAHH International Student Design Competition (International)

FOR AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS February 2010 01 > I nternational Velux Award 2010 for Students of Architecture (International) 01 > A PLD 2010 International Landscape Design Awards 19 > 2 010 Dulux Colour Awards (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji) 19 > 2 010 Ceramic Tiles of Italy Design Competition (North American) 05 > A rtDirectorsClub Awards 2010 Advertising/ ADC Hybrid/ADC Design Sphere (International) 29 > 2 010 SEGD Design Awards (International)

March 2010

April 2010

01 > W ho’s Next (International)

30 > S chindler Award 2010 Application deadline (Germany)

19 > D &AD Student Awards 2010 (International) 29 > I nternational Competition of Packaging Design

15 > G olden Bee International Biennial of Graphic Design (International)

01 > P aola Lenti / VISI ‘Weaving Competition’ (South Africa / see Holiday issue of VISI) 19 > T he 2010 One Show College Competition / NOOKA brief 03 > M ACEF DESIGN AWARD MASSIMO MARTINI 2010 (International) 22 > R ed Dot Award: Product Design 2010 (International) 26 > B entley 2010 Student Design Competition (International)

31 > C reate 2010 Student Design Competition

15 > 7 th International Design & Emotions Conference 01 > B lue Award: building for an environment worth living in International Award for Students 19 > T he 2010 One Show College Competition / Million Trees brief

26 > L eading Edge Student Design Competition Registration deadline (USA)

07> P DP Award: Andrea Pininfarina (International)

THOUGHT LEADER >

“Now that we can do anything, what will we do?” – Bruce Mau

PROACTIVE

THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

We live in a truly remarkable time. Although it is easy to dwell upon the world’s troubles, as a global community, we live in a time of unparalleled opportunity, and unprecedented creative potential for hope.

The digital divide of our global society separates the technological haves from the have-nots. This increases the risk that the rich will get richer, and the poor poorer.

As graphic designers we are the stewards of the communication of knowledge. And it has never been easier, never less expensive – never more immediate, to send messages over great distances to larger and larger populations. The Internet makes so much sharing possible. And yet, Nicholas Negroponte reminds us that, for the majority of people alive today, the Internet is still just a rumor. However, over the next ten years that will change forever. Before the next decade is over, most human beings will have had their first interaction with the Internet. I believe this situation is our single most valuable opportunity in which to be proactive. Will that first access to the Internet be about sharing the best we have to offer - medicine, conflict resolution, democracy, governance, free thought … or will it be just one more way to convince ever-growing populations in the developing world that they need to consume stuff – lots of stuff – in order to feel they belong in the global culture?

There are two potential outcomes over the next ten years and we as designers can be proactive in determining which will define our future. Will we share the best we have to offer, in support of goodness and truth, or will we prop up the greed disorder of the minority, by using our cleverness to help convince more and more people that they are not tall enough, thin enough, white enough, curly enough, cool enough?

THE FOURTH SCREEN My friend, Dr Peter Bruck of Salzburg, speaks of an evolution through four screens of visual communication: the movie screen, the television screen, the computer screen, and now the mobile screen. These four screens represent a century-long transition from communal, unidirectional communication to interactive, personalised, portable immersion. It will be on the mobile screen – that pocket-sized screen – and not the computer screen that the majority of humans will encounter the Internet for the first

THOUGHT LEADER > time. Already, every month this year, in India alone, 15 million people are getting their first mobile phone.

use our skills and our opportunities to help create a better world.

LIFE AND DEATH IN 160 CHARACTERS

Imagine what would be possible if designers did not participate in the export of over-consumption and the unbridled fulfilment of greed. No one understands the powerful mechanism behind these manipulations better than design professionals, and we have the creativity and persuasiveness to make a positive change. We must act, be heard and sometimes simply say no – by designing a better yes.

I would like you to imagine for a minute that you live in Ghana. Your young daughter is ill. Not deathly ill, but mysteriously coughing up all night. You’re not sure what’s wrong, and you rush to a pharmacy in the middle of the night to buy medicine. But you’re uncertain what to do: your dilemma is that in Ghana over 20% of prescription drugs are fakes. You buy the medicine, but you don’t know if it will do more harm than good. You can’t be sure what’s in the bottle. She’s crying: what will you do? You could do more harm than good. Are you going to have your daughter swallow some mystery substance? That’s the reality for people in Ghana today, but that reality is about to change for the better. A remarkable team at mpedigree.com designed a simple mobile phone application that solves this problem. They arranged with the drug companies to put a unique numeric code on each bottle of medicine. At the pharmacy, all you need to do is pull out your phone, text message the unique number printed on the medicine bottle to a special address, and within a few seconds you get a reply telling you if the bottle in your hand is fraudulent or not. It’s a simple design: No Pantone colours, no fancy type or slogans or clever branding … just 160 characters of life-and-death design that saves lives and helps build a sustainable economy.

DON’T JUST DO GOOD DESIGN … DO GOOD We have the opportunity to decide whether we will simply do good design, or whether we are going to do good with design. We have a choice to make – we can

Some of us choose to pursue design purely as an exercise in the aesthetic. I know that simply creating beautiful objects or surrounding yourself with beautifully designed things can help create a fulfilling and comfortable life. However, that is only the surface of the potential good and sense of accomplishment you can achieve with your creative skills. Go further: recognise the interdependence, power, and influence of your role as a professional, and let it resonate with the world around you and within you.

THE DO GOOD PLEDGE Designers ask me, “So what can I do?” My answer: take this three-part Do Good Pledge, with its components of professionalism, personal responsibility, and time.

1: I will be true to my profession For a couple of millennia now, doctors have been taking a pledge. Imagine if, instead of following the Hippocratic Oath, doctors only focused on the wealth to be had from cosmetic surgery … or shaking down dying people for their entire inheritance in exchange for a remedy that would extend their life by a few weeks. Design professionals have built their own oaths. Join a national or regional association of design profes-

sionals that has a code of ethics. By joining, you’ll make a public professional commitment to abide to a minimum standard of ethical conduct. A commitment to professional ethics implies a minimum standard of conduct: a combination of your personal and public principles. This is the personal commitment you make to yourself, in the form of your mission, moral code and beliefs. The professional commitment is a promise to uphold a common set of published minimum standards of behaviour, which you make when you join a professional body. Professionalism implies a 24/7 commitment, a recognition that your profession is part of who you are.

2: I will be true to myself Be guided by what you know is right. People ask me what constitutes doing good. I can’t answer for you whether a hybrid SUV is part of the solution or part of the problem. However, I do know that if all designers simply looked in their hearts, chose to be their best selves, and only did work that was in alignment with their principles we’d be 90% there. Be aware of your principles. Part of what designers do as professionals – just as is expected of doctors, judges or engineers – is to strive to maintain our principles all the time. So, when it comes to the question of what is right or wrong in the professional world, simply ask yourself, “How would I deal with this on a personal level? Would I recommend this product to my children? Could I look my daughter or best friend in the eye while speaking this message or pitching the product I’ve designed, or would I have to look away?” I don’t have all the answers. I do know that if each one of us forbids ourselves from doing anything or helping to say anything that is out of alignment with our personal principles, then that will be more than enough to change the world.

THOUGHT LEADER > Saying no at times is a big part of it. But it is often more powerful to propose an alternative solution that aligns with the principles of all parties. If we all do that, we will achieve the required shift: we’ll be contributing more than we’re taking away: doing more good than harm.

3: I will spend at least 10% of my professional time helping repair the world I am not asking you to sell your firm. I am not asking you to quit your job. I am not asking you to work pro bono (well, maybe a little bit, but that’s another article…). And since time is money, I’m asking that you commit 10% of your professional time to help create a world that is more just. That’s four hours of a 40-hour professional work week (I’m clearly giving you a break here by pretending that you only work a 40-hour week). Four hours of design for an organisation, a company, or government clearly acting for the social good. There are close to two million designers in the world. If each of us were to take just 10% of our professional time, imagine what would be possible. Close to eight million hours a week of designing a more just, more sustainable, more caring civilisation.

Make money doing it Let me be clear: I am not asking you to work for free. I am simply asking you to make sure that at least four hours of each professional week are spent on projects that are socially just.

Now Are we too late? Not at all. This is the perfect time. Fifteen years ago, if you said you were a designer, people asked, “What is that?” Today, they tend to know. Instead, they are now asking, “What are designers really about? Are they trades people? Are they craftspeople? Are they artists? Professionals? Are they ethical? Responsible?” What’s our answer going to be? It seems the perfect time to be able to declare, “We’re about this, and we’re definitely not about that.” What this profession will be about is now up to us. Design is a very young profession, without a long history that’s impossible to uproot. We’ve barely begun. The role of design need not be defined by selling ideas and things through deceit.

Portions of this article have been adapted from Do Good Design: How Design Can Save The World by David Berman (Peachpit/Pearson, 2009)

About the author: David Berman (www.davidberman.com) is an Ottawabased senior communications consultant to Canada’s largest web presences. He is a board member of Icograda, the world body for communication design, a fellow of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, and the Ethics Chair for graphic design in Canada. As an expert speaker, David has travelled to over 20 countries and is a national member of the International Federation for Professional Speakers. He is profiled with the National Speakers Association, and is also a member of Meeting Planners International. <

Over 95% of all designers who have ever lived are alive today. Together it is up to us to decide what role our profession will play. Is it going to be about selling sugar water, and smoke and mirrors to the vulnerable child within each one of us … or is it going to be about helping to repair the world? It should be about embracing a responsible and honoured role in society – as it is with medical doctors, lawyers and engineers. Society will then truly recognise the power of design, and the special role that designers will play in a brighter future. I know that if we fulfil the gifts of our professional skills, by recognising our power and the stewardship responsibility that accompanies that power, we can make a real difference. And since we can, we must. So choose well. › We can choose what messages we are going to send. › We can choose to do good, now. › We can choose to make a difference in the world. › We can choose to be pro-active. › What will you do?

You could take the Do Good Pledge online, at www.davidberman.com/dogood]

THOUGHT LEADER >

GREENWASHING: TH THE 8 SIN By Anri Theron

As we descend through the clouds the road snakes through the idyllic landscape. A crescendo builds, assisted by the drawn-out notes of violins and the lyrical harmony of clarinets and cellos. There is not a soul in sight…in fact if you look closely you will be hard pressed to spot even the power lines that never leave your side as you make your way to Cape Town on the newly completed eight-lane highway. So you have the fluffy clouds, the exhausting beauty of the rolling hills and the pristine tar road looking all fresh and clean thanks to a convenient spring shower. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better the camera cuts to a close-up of a spinning wheel in slow motion. The blades on those 17-inch alloys are simply hypnotising. Panning out, the camera unleashes the full force of the

BMW ActiveHybrid X6 on you. You gasp. You stare. You imagine one of your very own waiting obediently for you in your garage. But then you remember that documentary you saw last night, created by that guy, Al Gore, about that thing they call global warming. A sudden surge of guilt rips you back to reality. You shamefully look around at the empty room, luckily no one saw. How dare you forget about global warming, you may think to yourself. But fear not, for at that very moment the screen goes black and the carefully styled type reads “The World’s most powerful hybrid”. A moment of pure joy. BMW did it, they actually did it. Now you can drive your high performance BMW ActiveHybrid X6 with a clear conscious and pat yourself on the back for being environmentally responsible, right?

Wrong. Is this too good to be true? As Fred Pearce, author of The Guardian’s Greenwash column, bluntly puts it, of course it is! BMW promotes the ActiveHybrid X6 as “eco-friendly” because its carbon emissions are 20% less than the regular X6. However, Pearce notes that the Hybrid X6 official CO2 emissions rating with the EU is 231 grams per kilometre. This is a far cry from the EU’s 2012 goal of 120 grams for average emissions in new cars. You cannot compare it to other hybrids because it is quite literally in a class of its own, with emissions twice that of the Toyota Prius. How is this car “eco-friendly”? More importantly; how are they managing to promote the ActiveHybrid X6 as “eco-friendly”? Sadly the case of the Hybrid X6 is one of too many. It is pure and utter Greenwashing; a fib, a distraction, a tall-tale. Greenwashing is the practice of companies to attach some type of environmental claim to their products or policies. These claims are often unsubstantiated or irrelevant and used to mislead consumers. To put it simply, when a company starts spending more money on promoting their environmental claim to fame rather than on environmentally sound practices, it’s time to worry. Futerra, a communications agency based in London, appropriately describes Greenwash as an old concept wrapped in a very modern incarnation. Examples of Greenwash emerged as early as the 70s. The term ‘Greenwashing’ was, however, only coined in 1986 by

environmentalist Jay Westerveld. In an essay Westerveld identified the misleading practice of the hotel industry in which they promoted the re-use of towels by the guests to ‘save the environment’. However he found that in most instances these hotels made no substantial effort towards environmentally sound practices, such as waste recycling. Being green and environmentally friendly went from being responsible to trendy to profitable. And so it began. To Greenwash, or not to Greenwash. In 2007 TerraChoice, a leading environmental marketing agency based in North America, conducted a study in which they found that over 95% of 1 018 common products surveyed were found guilty of Greenwashing. The findings were so shocking that vicepresident Scot Case was convinced the researchers had butchered the study. After a redo the results remained the same and TerraChoice identified “The Six Sins of Greenwashing”. The first is the Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off, a common misleading strategy used in 57% of environmental claims. It focuses the consumer’s attention on a single attribute of a product that makes it appear green, overemphasising this while understating or completely ignoring other, more environmentally dangerous consequences of the product. For example, you may think you’re doing your share in saving the environment when you buy ‘energy-saving’ electronics. But at the same time, they may consist of materials that are

THOUGHT LEADER > hazardous to the environment. Essentially then, you are trading less pollution for less power usage, a counterproductive act to say the least. Sometimes, such environmental claims cannot even be substantiated. This is the Sin of No Proof. It’s often seen with cosmetic products that claim to be ‘certified’ organic or recyclable. Try finding out where this certification comes from. Try looking for proof. Are you successful? Unlikely. Then, there is the Sin of Vagueness which preys on a consumers naivety or ignorance. Many claims use over-arching terminology that carries an implicit sense of being environmentally friendly but leads to misunderstanding. ‘All natural’ products are hailed by many as green, but the term does not clarify that substances like arsenic, mercury and uranium fall in the same category. We move on to the Sin of Irrelevance. In these cases, truthful claims are made to boost the product’s image. Yet, these claims are irrelevant. The most common example is selling a product based on its lack of CFCs. But these chemicals were banned 20 years ago. They shouldn’t be in there in any case. They would like you to believe they are genuinely doing the right thing. Thus, the focus is often placed on a small good to distract the consumer from the greater evil. This is the Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils. For

example, promoting organic cigarettes diverts our attention to the good but minute benefit of the product being organic while ignoring the elephant in the room – they’re still cigarettes. These sins are all manipulations of the truth but outright lying can also be found in Greenwashing – the Sin of Fibbing. Although it does not happen often, products can claim to be certified by internationally recognised standards such as Energy Star or Green Seal. They simply print the seal on the product and rely on the fact that consumer’s are probably too busy or too lazy to verify this. In April 2009, TerraChoice released their second report on the study adding a seventh sin, the Sin of Worshipping False Labels. In these cases, although the product does not bear a third-party certification falsely, printed stamps make it appear as though the product has been certified. For example, this can be done through the use of an eco-friendly label without making it clear that it comes from an in-house environmental programme. Or, they simply use the trendy jargon of ‘ecofriendly’ or ‘eco-secure’ on their packaging. So why should we worry? Telling a tall tale is by no means a new practice. Although frowned upon, it’s been done. However, nowerdays the consumer is starting to worry. The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK is working overtime to try keep up with the flood of complaints about environmentally false claims.

SECTION > Last year the USA’s Federal Trade Commission hunkered down to plan the reviewing of their environmental marketing guidelines. Greenwashing is no longer just annoying, it’s downright dangerous.

But the buck doesn’t stop with individual responsibility. Collective responsibility is needed to pick up the pieces. Futerra describes the advertising agencies as both the problem and the solution. The advertising, PR and marketing industries need to make a conscious Futerra explains that we are at the point in the Green decision to not only talk green but go green from top Revolution where the consumer wants to go green. to bottom. Internal sustainability policies are a start, of Their ‘green pound/dollar’ is a force to be reckoned with which many already have one, but how well are they and they are demanding an environmentally-friendly practiced? And does it extend to the client side of the economy before they spend it. They’re not so easily business? What’s more sustainable; selling the earth deceived and with all the Greenwashing, many who or preserving it? relied on advertising and corporate messages for purchasing decisions are losing confidence in green mes- Initiatives such a The Greenwashing Index (http:// saging. Greenwashing is sabotaging the environmental www.greenwashingindex.com/), promoted by EnviroMedia Social Marketing and the University of Oremovement. gon, and Australia’s consumer advocacy group, But it is not all doom and gloom. Yes, the eighth sin is Choice (http://www.choice.com.au/About-Us.aspx) that we have let it get this far; it’s probably the worst are making leaps in the battle against Greenwashing. sin of all. But Greenwashing hardly ever stems from These Internet sites provide a portal for consumers to malicious intent. Ignorance, sloppiness and laziness submit, access and talk about false green claims in are the worst culprits and these can be fixed with advertising and marketing. Design Can Change education, training and working on that green con- (http://www.designcanchange.org/#home) provides sciousness. We need to think beyond green as profit resources for fellow designers in an effort to bring the and “get consumers talking about sustainability” design community together in encouraging sustainsays Stewart Rassier in a Greengaged debate on able practices. We need more of this. Greenwashing. Once we do this, he explains, it goes beyond Greenwash. “Sustainability is a journey, not a The outcome of the debate is the designer’s moral destination.” John Grant further debated the designer’s dilemma: do we make big companies good or good ethical decision, stating: “We have to be alive in our companies big? In design-speak it is a dilemma as old practices and be ‘ok’ with our own values. There is no as the hills – a complex problem with no simple answer. ethics free zone in life.” But is that not what we do? <

Visit Fred Pearce’s Greenwash column for The Guardian at http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/10/bmw-activehybrid-x6

THOUGHT LEADER >

The role of design in international development By Sali Sasaki

In July 1987 a working paper entitled Graphic Design for Development was submitted by board members of the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA) to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), following a four-day seminar in Nairobi, Kenya. The main objectives of the seminar were to raise awareness on the contributions graphic design can make in improving peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives and to increase a better understanding of graphic design in international organisations. More than 20 years on, this article looks at how graphic designers have become more sensitive to world issues and how the professional world of design tries to encourage and promote new social design practices in partnership with the United Nations.

In recent years, the realm of design has expanded rapidly into new areas. The social and humanitarian benefits of design paved the way towards a new kind of practice shaped around socially responsible behaviour. This new perspective on design gave more responsibilities to designers who play an important role as the new agents of change. Designers today seek to create something new for the world by using creativity and strategic design thinking, whilst demonstrating their ability for social awareness. Design has always played an important role around society and the individual as it affects cultural identity, social structures, economies, cultural development and environments. It touches many individuals on a daily basis and encompasses a variety of disciplines, from architecture, to communication, engineering, products, computer-related technology and even contemporary studies in anthropology and ethnography. Victor Papanek wrote in Design for the Real World (1973) that “ all design must fill a human need … (it) is basic to all human activities. The planning and patterning of any act towards a desired, foreseeable end constitutes a design process. Any attempt to separate design to make it a thing by itself works counter to the inherent value of design as the primary underlying matrix of life”. Since the industrial revolution, design has taken a primary role in modern societies. It attempts to shape a better life for people and humanise information and technology. Everything we use and experience today from a newspaper, a cup, a car, a map, a computer, a medical device, a chair, a street sign, or a shelter has been conceived by a designer, whilst historically and politically, designers have worked on the promotion of tolerance and respect, sustainability issues, ideology, beliefs, propaganda and national identity amongst others.

In recent years, design has become an international phenomenon affecting an increasing number of countries from the developing world and designers play a major role in the process of cultural and sustainable development. India, China, South Africa and Brazil are successful examples of places where design is believed to be an effective methodology and tool for socio-cultural improvement. Speaking at the Icsid Africa Regional Meeting in 2003, Peter Butenschøn (the then President of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design) said: “It is very important for any nation to understand the larger agenda of the work of designers. By working with designers, a nation invests in the growing ability to change, to work on innovation, on creativity. Enabling change and enabling creativity is perhaps the most important challenge that we are faced with.” During my four-year career at UNESCO I concentrated specifically on the promotion of graphic design for development and researched its application in the fields of general education, public health, environment, public information, and social responsibility by emphasising cultural diversity, contemporary practices and the empowerment of future generations of designers. Design is a creative methodology that has the ability to support UNESCO’s notion of successful development, which is defined as being “a tradition specific to each culture combined with the most modern economic, scientific and technological resources” (Jorge Perez de Cuellar, ‘Our Creative Diversity’, Introduction, the World Decade for Cultural Development 1988-1997). Many graphic designers are today involved with both social and cultural responsibilities in a world that is more globalised than ever. Following are a few examples on how they propose solutions to global challenges and choose to cooperate in an international context.

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Graphic design, the UN and international development A Yale architecture graduate called Donal McLaughlin designed the United Nations emblem in 1945. To date there are very few visual symbols that are as universally understood by people around the world. The UN emblem demonstrates the power of graphic design in its ability to unite people through graphic images by rendering complex ideals into one visual symbol.

United Nations emblem, designed in 1945.

Over the past 60 years graphic designers have worked to promote UN values by creating posters, books, corporate identities, training and presentation tools, and a diversity of other graphic-based programmes. Although collaborations between graphic designers and UN agencies have been relatively inconsistent in the 80s and 90s, graphic design started contributing very positively towards UN goals since the start of the millennium. For many years the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been at the forefront of ‘good’ UN branding within the UN family. Its in-house branding toolkit has been used as a model by other UN agencies when they needed to refresh their own identity. This toolkit has been designed to be accessible to all, including non-designers who are not familiar with graphic design and typography rules. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is another successful example. Their youthful and colourful identity is an exception in the UN system where sobriety is usually favoured. Another unusual feature is the public availability of their style guide on their website. In 2001 the Art Center College of Design launched Designmatters, a college-wide initiative focused on socially responsible design. By showing its commitment towards world issues, Art Center became the first design school in the world to receive an NGO status from the United

The United Nations Children’s Fund’s in-house branding toolkit.

Designmatters, a college-wide initiative focused on socially responsible design.

Nations. The Designmatters Fellowship Programme has also managed to send a few of its students to the UN Headquarters and other UN agencies in recent years. In September 2008 Art Center initiated a poster exhibition celebrating the anniversary of the declaration of human rights at UNESCO headquarters. Designmatters is an educational model for design schools that are looking to make their own contribution towards international development.

Components of the United Nations Population Fundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s style guide.

In 2005 the Japan Graphic Design Association (JAGDA) launched the Water for Life poster competition, in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre in Tokyo, following the success of their Peace Poster competition. Poster competitions today remain one of the most common graphic design initiatives related to social awareness campaigns.

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The cultural value of graphic design According to Emily Campbell (Design and Architec-

ture newsletter 2006, British Council), there is a cultural dimension to graphic design that is affected by traditions, multi-culturalism, ethnicity, diversity, language, gender, beliefs, value systems, and also a certain ability to “transform the visual heritage of places and peoples into contemporary commercial currency and cultural expression”. In order to be socially credible, design must mean something in the cultural context where it originates. It is a powerful method to promote cultural identity and, therefore, it is important for local people to develop the design skills that will allow them to communicate their own culture and develop a visual identity inspired by both a deep sense of tradition and contemporary life. Graphic design is compatible with all traditional cultures and can be adapted in different socio-cultural contexts. Cultural understanding plays a particularly important role in the exercise of place branding. Following are a few examples, amongst many others, showing how graphic design can impact the world. The

The Water for Life competition organised by JAGDA.

next generations of graphic designers need to be aware of their ability to strengthen deeper cultural meanings and develop their capacity in strengthening mutual understanding amongst people and nations. Place branding specialist Wally Olins, explains in an interview that “brand is a useful way to help governments understand the value and complexity of external reputation and internal cohesion … the strategic pillars of nation branding are: connecting policy, culture, people, products and tourism in a joint strategy, a coherent approach to short, medium and long-term planning … honesty, transparency and inclusion, clarity of vision, and

The Brand the beloved country initiative organised by Design Indaba.

lastly, courage” (‘Brand the Beloved Country’, Design Indaba Magazine, 2006). Graphic design played a crucial role in the re-branding of South Africa during its bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as it modernised South African iconography and culturally symbolic images and transformed them into effective communication campaigns. The INDIGO Network, developed by Monash University and managed by Icograda, promotes indigenous design as living culture, looks at its relationship to national identity and its role as visual culture within contemporary society. Two of its pilot projects were MIX06 and MIX08, which fostered cultural for tertiary design students from Icograda Education Network, Icsid Education Network, IFI Education Network, Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media and other institutions around the world. The projects encouraged collaboration and discourse between indigenous and non-indigenous students around the world, and included the participation of indigenous people as advisors and mentors. Mother Tongue, the first INDIGO exhibition is currently being developed and will investigate the evolution of graphic language in indigenous and non-indigenous communities alike.

The INDIGO Network was developed by Monash University and is managed by Icograda.

In 2008 the Victoria and Albert Museum in London showcased contemporary Chinese design for the first time in the United Kingdom. The creativity reflected in the graphic posters from Shenzhen – considered to be the birthplace of modern Chinese design – introduced a new perspective on China as a creative nation. By focusing on design China’s goal is to gradually change people’s perception on the label ‘Made in China’ and establish itself as a genuinely creative environment. Following a Master’s degree in graphic design from Yale University, Saki Mafundikwa returned to his native country Zimbabwe and researched on the origins of African writing systems and typography. His research

Design solutions developed during the MIX06 pilot project.

THOUGHT LEADER > of ten years was followed by a book called Afrikan Alphabets in which he promotes through a designer’s perspective an aspect of African culture, which had been long suppressed by colonial powers. To Mafundikwa, design has always been inherent to African culture. These are a few examples, amongst many others, that show how graphic design can impact the world. The next generations of graphic designers need to be aware of their ability to emphasise on deeper cultural meanings and develop their capacity in strengthening mutual understanding amongst people and nations.

Room for improvement: What next for graphic designers? In order to promote the expansion of graphic design beyond conventional frames of reference, as well as help maintain the international discourse of design and its role in socio-cultural development, graphic designers and other related organisations have to learn, promote, network and collaborate. Here are ten recommendations to achieve socially responsible design:

Posters from Shenzhen, China. © Shenzen University Olympiad 2010/Sali Sasaki

› B uild experience around the needs of people living in different contexts. › N etwork with international organisations and corporations in order to demonstrate the value of design. › P articipate in multi-disciplinary initiatives in which designers have a critical role to play in the development of entrepreneurship and innovation. › W ork on publications, events, exhibitions and competitions on design in collaboration with design bodies from different continents showcasing international design works and initiatives for cultural development.

African Alphabets by Saki Mafundikwa.

› A dvocate the power of graphic design in a cultural context by organising workshops and seminars and by encouraging cross-cultural design activities. › S tudy the quality standard of design education across the world and help develop design curricula for the developing world. › L earn from professional organisations that can provide expertise, knowledge, guidance, contacts and ensure an international perspective and representation of design. › E nable open sources of information on design methodologies in partnership with public/private partners worldwide. › P rovide new platforms where individuals and professional organisations can share best practices and create opportunities for designers to work together internationally. › Knock on doors that have never been opened.

A few useful links www.unicef.org www.unfpa.org/styleguide www.accd-dm.org www.designmatters.artcenter.edu http://saffron-consultants.com http://indigo.icograda.org www.funcomfortinspiration.com http://trip.citiesxdesign.org Cities x Design trailer: http://blip.tv/play/AYGru1oC

About the author Born in Yokohama, Japan and raised in Paris, France, Sali Sasaki is the co-producer of Cities x Design, a trans-media project on the role of design in 30 American cities. She was formerly the manager of UNESCO’s Creative Cities, an international network of 19 cities, from 14 different countries. She has international experience as a design researcher and practitioner has collaborated with international design promotion agencies in Europe, Asia and the United States. Sali holds an MA in communication design from the Royal College of Art (London) and a BFA in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design. <

DESIGN PROMOTION >

INDEX: design To improve life Five designs to improve life were announced as winners of INDEX:Award 2009. Right there at the top was a South African design, proving that local design can stand up and be counted amongst the best in the world.

The 2009 INDEX Award received more than 700 entries from six continents and 54 countries. From these nominations, the INDEX: jury selected the best as finalists, and the very best as winners. A total of 36 South African designed products or design activities were nominated. The INDEX: AWARD, the largest monetary design award in the world, is dedicated to change global mindsets by showing and exploring how design can improve life. INDEX: does not categorise design according to traditional labels – communication, industrial, interior and fashion design – since these do not fully reflect the interdisciplinary approach employed by most leading designers and design thinkers. INDEX: rather categorises and evaluates nominations according to aspects

that impact on human life; Body, Home, Work, Play and Community. According to Kigge Hvid, INDEX: CEO, the winning designs show us that design has the power to be part of the solution to major global challenges like climate changes, pollution, natural disasters, poverty, overconsumption and other important issues. Hvid said: “Most design is still evaluated only due to its form, colour, surface and beauty. At INDEX: we add impact and context to that. This we do to secure that the designs has an impact on the world and fit the context they are supposed to fit. Just like the winners of INDEX: Award 2009.”

The winners Body Category: Freeplay Fetal Heart Rate Monitor Freeplay Energy, Cape Town, South Africa The Freeplay Fetal Heart Rate Monitor works off-grid, where there’s no electricity to support a delivery. The Washington Post reports that some 500 000 women die annually in childbirth, often from causes that could be prevented with basic care. Getting an aid like this into the hands of midwives in the developing world can mean the difference in life and death, both for mothers and infants. INDEX:Award recipient John Hutchinson, CTO of Freeplay Energy of Cape Town, credits medical associate Prof. John Wyatt of University College, London, as his “brother in arms” in creating the device. Hutchinson says: “A number of people came to us and said, ‘Why don’t you think of medical products because hospitals in Africa are littered with derelict Western-derived equipment. They require disposable or replaceable elements, and they’re just not right for the job.’”

Home Category: Chulha Philips Design, Eindhoven, The Netherlands The Chulha is a stove designed to limit the dangerous health conditions caused by traditions of indoor cooking in many rural areas of the developing world. The stove is being made available by Philips Design to the universe of social entrepreneurs so that they can, free of charge, produce the stove themselves, and generate local business while helping counter what the World Health Organization estimates is some 1.6 million deaths per year from conditions prompted by the toxic fumes of indoor cooking with “bio-mass” fuels.

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Work Category: Kiva.org Kiva.org, San Francisco, USA Kiva.org of San Francisco, California, USA, is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first person-to-person micro-lending website. It empowers people to lend directly to unique, small entrepreneurs in many parts of the world. Kiva.org have lent more than US$87 million to developingworld entrepreneurs, micro-finance loans made by some 500,000 online participants, most of whom make loans of $25 at a time.

Play Category: PIG 05049 Christien Meindertsma, Rotterdam, The Netherlands PIG 05049 is a communications design developed over three years of research to track all the products made from a single pig. Meindertsmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design includes the

publication of her book, PIG 05049, which charts and pictures each of the products supported by the animal. The surprise is in the fact that elements of production contributed to by pig farming include not only predictable foodstuffs – pork chops and bacon – but far less expected non-food items: ammunition, train brakes, automobile paint, soap and washing powder, bone china, cigarettes.

Community Category: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Better Place Inc., Palo Alto, USA The Better Place electrical car infrastructure is an ambitious design focused on the effort to move drivers, the automotive industry and energy-distribution past the internal-combustion engine. Elements of the Better Place system include hundreds of thousands of plug-in charge-spots, meant to be even more ubiquitous and easily accessed than current petrol stations; switching stations for mechanised battery exchange of lithium-ion batteries which, in a typical sedan, can deliver a range of about 100 miles / 160 kilometres on a single charge, and more.

The future of INDEX: According to Hvid, the INDEX: Award has a future that portrays the mindset of our time. “INDEX: has learned that there is a huge hunger for new mindsets and common horizons. We are constantly involved in developing and innovating in educational, business and social settings. We listen, learn, inspire and match our strengths with our main asset – the global network of designers, users, public and private decision-makers (our Pioneers of Change). Together we will index Future Horizons and bring design thinking and design processes into the mapping of our common progress. Globally distributed, we will invest forward, and create a common direction that will help guide us all as a model for making transformational changes in achieving a better world.

“That’s one part of our strategy: to go from awarding backward to investing forward. The other part of our strategy is that we want to be all over the world: partnering with major cities and distributing our presence and realising Design to Improve Life for the people who really need it. “We will continue to use our main tools of our existing programme such as large-scale public events (including the biggest design award in the world), education and informative programmes – as well as innovative communications to generate common direction.” <

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Of bogies and bush fellers, of monitors and motorbikes Viewing the Celebrating 40 Years of Design Excellence exhibition that was curated by the SABS Design Institute in November was like seeing the history of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product design landscape through a wide-angle lens. The exhibition, with more than 100 products on show, offered one of the most extensive views of South African designed products to date. Emphasis was placed on products that received SABS Design Excellence Awards in the past decade, but products from the first 30 years of the Design Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence were also showcased.

The exhibition arrangement offered an intuitive walk through 40 years of South African industrial design excellence, with the products from 1969 to 2008 on the one side of the clean exhibition layout and the 18 products that won SABS Design Excellence Awards in 2009 on the other side. A selection of Design Institute publications over the years was shown in a Perspex display case to protect these historical documents.

Adams and Adams law firm who gave practical tips on protecting intellectual property. They also touched on IP protection issues around the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This visit included students, learners and designers.

The Design Institute took a proactive approach to visitors to the exhibition. Over and above casual visitors from the street or those who reacted to radio advertisements and public relations coverage, specific groups were invited to attend at certain times.

One of the SABS Design Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earliest initiatives, after its foundation in the late sixties, was the creation of an award scheme for industrial designed products to stimulate good design in South Africa. The SABS Design Excellence award scheme, known under different names over the past four decades (the Shell Industrial Design Prize, the Shell Design Award, the Cullinan Industrial Design Award, the SABS Design

One of the interesting visits involved a talk presented by Kelly Thompson and Dario Tanziani, partners at

A view of the SABS Design Excellence Award Scheme

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Institute Award and the disa Design Excellence Award), Trends in South African product recognises the achievements of South African product designers, while also encouraging local product design design over four decades and manufacture and promoting international competitiveness of local products. This award scheme has South Africa’s economic prosperity of the 1970s was established a proud tradition of promoting indigenous reflected in the design focus of the day. With only two design. categories in the design awards scheme – engineering and industrial design – engineering design dominated, In 2004 the Design Institute conceptualised an evolved with specific focus on mining and agricultural proddesign award scheme to adapt to the national and ucts. The lifestyle of the affluent section of the South international changing design arena. In keeping with African society was reflected in products that received the emphasis placed on design for local need, the De- design awards, such as swimming pool cleaners, sign Institute restructured the award scheme to comply portable barbecues and camping equipment. The with ongoing technological developments; to be more particular needs of the majority of the South African relevant to current South African industry and society; population were, however, not addressed. to be a stronger tool for marketing South African products; and to enjoy a higher popular public and The eighties were turbulent times in South Africa’s industry profile. history, marked by sanctions and resistance. These

sanctions had an unintended positive effect on South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design industry, to some extent. Foreign designers withdrew from the country because money had dried up, leaving South African designers with more opportunities to render design services with less international competition.

Social consciousness became increasingly visible in design, with a move towards designing for local challenges and creating a specific vernacular identity and establishing an indigenous aesthetic.

Issues such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, ongoing poverty, a shortage of housing and other pressing socioSouth African consumers were becoming sensitised economic issues have been reflected in design in the and started demanding culturally-apt, locally de- first years of the 21st century. signed products. A growing social consciousness in the country shifted the design focus to issues such as The drive to design for a developing society and envisafety and primary health care. ronment has increased. In designing for developing communities, the designer aims to meet a real need, South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first democratic election in April 1994 rather than only fulfilling a desire, which normally paved the way for change â&#x20AC;&#x201C; also on the design front. happens in product design. Products designed for deDesign reflects the society in which it is practiced and velopment need to be sustainable and have to imas such, the South African design landscape of the prove the standard of living, as well as the quality of nineties was characterised by deep-rooted change. life of their users. A strong realisation has grown that

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design has contributed to accelerate South Africa on the road to rapid development and success and will continue to do the same for the African continent.

The state of product design in 2009 The products that won SABS Design Excellence Awards in 2009, as displayed in the Celebrating 40 Years of Design Excellence exhibition, showed an eclectic mix of products designed for development, such as the Lifewise Eco-Loo and the the Sola-lite, a solar-energy powered light for low cost housing, as well as products that would add a pleasing aesthetic to home and office. These included the Kubik Innovator LED system, the Willow Lamp Moonflower Range of Chandeliers, the Cobra range of taps and accessories and SKALA business furniture. Product design is a reflection of the state of a society. If this statement is to be believed, leisure and outdoor living are seemingly high up on the list of South Africans’ priorities in 2009. The Seawing Nova, new age flippers and the Ybike, a huge improvement on children’s plastic scooters, received awards in the leisure and sport goods category, and this year again saw a pool cleaner, the Superbug, receiving an award. The Kaoko Throttle Control for motocycles and the South African designed Puzey, an on-road, off-road motorcycle also received awards in the same category.

T: +27 (0) 12 428 6326 F: +27 (0) 12 428 6546 E: design@sabs.co.za W: www.sabs.co.za

Improvement to an existing product design was also awarded. One example is that of the Snuza Baby Monitor that received the Chairperson’s Award for the product that most inspired the adjudication panel. Snuza, designed by …XYZ, Savant and ID&B, is a new generation baby monitor that allows mobile monitoring of a baby’s breathing. The soft flexible sensor protrudes onto the baby’s stomach for superior sensing and the monitor contains dual buttons for turning on/off and selecting optional features. The vibration stimulator helps reassert breathing if apnoea is detected and an effective clip design results in good nappy grip. The monitor uses the latest ultra-low power microcontroller technology. According to Adrienne Viljoen, manager of the SABS Design Institute, the Celebrating 40 Years of Design Excellence exhibition has sparked considerable awareness of South African product design. “Ten years ago, when the SABS Design Excellence Award scheme had its 30th anniversary, there was a huge surge of interest that took the work of the SABS Design Institute to new heights. I can already see that this 40 years’ celebration will have the same effect”, says Viljoen. For an overview of the more than 600 South African designed products that won design excellence awards over 40 years, visit the Design Institute website at www.sabs.co.za and click on Design Institute. <

40 YEARS OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE

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COMMUNICATION DESIGN > Image credits: (Top row – LTR) David Gibson, Jacques Lange, Iva Babaja, (Centre) Renee Wong, CAFA, Michal Steckiw, (Bottom row) Marc Alt, Stuart Alden & Michal Steckiw.

Xin: This is China calling! By Jacques Lange

In a 2005 chart-topping pop hit, songstress Katie Melua crooned that: “There are nine million bicycles in Beijing. That’s a fact … There are six billion people in the world. More or less”. Four years on, the picture looks slightly different. According to china.org.cn, the city’s population now exceeds 17.4 million, officials say that there are now 10 million bicycles and CCTV reports that there are three million cars on the city’s roads. These statistics indicate the incredible pace at which China and its capital city is developing. Design is part and parcel of this process and it is becoming an increasingly important key driver for future development. The reality of this was clearly displayed at the Xin: Icograda World Design Congress 2009, which took place in Beijing in October.

Designers are currently spoilt for choice when it comes to international events. There are literally hundreds of congresses, conferences, seminars and workshops serving the industry, indicating that the profession is entering a maturing phase. The reasons for designers now becoming more discerning when selecting events to attend vary vastly: the learning opportunities on offer; networking opportunities; opportunities for being inspired; opportunities for being exposed and locations that stimulate creativity. The plethora of major events hosted in Aspen, Amsterdam, Cannes, Copenhagen, Cape Town, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Milan, New York, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo immediately come to mind, yet many others are also worthy of mention. However, one of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most attractive and inspiring events that encompassed all of these attraction factors

was the Xin: Icograda World Design Congress 2009 in Beijing, hosted by the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda) and the Central Academy of Fine Art (CAFA). The latter has become an epicentre for Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapidly developing design industry and a trailblazer in international design education. Being responsible for producing most components of the branding programme for the Beijing Olympics count amongst CAFAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recent accomplishments. The surprise factor is that around a decade or two ago, China hardly had a design industry that any publication cared to write about; any design educator considered to benchmark with; or let alone, international designers caring about attending a design congress there. This has however changed drastically in recent times.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN > The new reality is that China is assertively changing its image from being a copier to becoming a leading innovator when it comes to design and it is shedding its old and stale coat faster than what any other country could previously aspired to attain. China is setting a new pace and implementing revolutionary benchmarks for reinvention. Most of the delegates who attended the Icograda World Design Congress 2009 would now argue that China IS the most dynamic location for developing the design professions and that it offers some of the most fruitful opportunities for the industry to reposition its place in culture, economics and environmental sustainability.

Strategic intent In the post-congress report, Min Wang, chairperson of the Icograda World Design Congress 2009 Organising Committee states that “After going through the global financial crisis, governments, enterprises, the public and professionals in various fields are rethinking how to impose positive influences on cities, economies, societies and people‘s livelihood though innovation. Against the backdrop of economic bubbles, more and more people have come to realise that creativity is the key and the most significant resource for change to usher in a new age.” Wang says that the Congress, which coincided with the 1st Beijing Design Week, attracted attention from across the world and that it was undoubtedly a big event for the global creative economy. Explaining the strategic intent of the event, Wang says: “Taking advantage of the communication platform jointly constructed by governments, enterprises and academic institutions, the organising committee motivated experts and scholars to carry out extensive research and discussion.” This attracted attention from the public on urban development, economic innovation and improvement of human living conditions as well as the quality of cultural life amongst others. The result was that a broad range of stakeholders jointly participated in discussion, reconstructed value and developed theories and actions for sustainable design and consumption.

Wang also says that stakeholders “jointly created and extended the practical value of design innovation; and jointly advocated ‘Let design become the source of wisdom that guides the world’s innovative economy and social development’”.

The theme The theme of the Congress was ‘Xin’, which literally means ‘message’ or ‘letter’. The latter also serves as the inspiration for the events’ innovative branding programme, which is composed, of various configurations of traditional Chinese envelopes. ‘Xin’ traditionally represents a primitive means of communication. However, today it also encompasses many more dimensions as illustrated by words such as ‘Xin-xi’ (information), ‘Xin-nian’ (vision), ‘Xin-ren’ (trust), ‘Xin-yong’ (credibility) and ‘Xin-xin’ (faith). Inspired by these interpretations, the Congress sought to explore contemporary issues and challenges currently facing multidisciplinary design in four dimensions and event streams: › A(ccess) – design democracy and accessibility; › B(alance) – unity, harmony; › C (ommunicate) – information and cross-cultural communication; and › D(efine) – design of the future and for the future. Considering the symbolic value and obvious dovetailing with the event streams, the organisers decided that it would be apt to open the series of events on the same day as the commemoration of the UN World Development Information Day, and therefore contribute to the advocacy regarding global development challenges in many ways.

Xin by the numbers Xin: Icograda World Design Congress 2009 and the 1st Beijing Design Week was an historic occasion for all who

CAFA Art Museum. Image: Jacques Lange.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

Exterior view of the NCPA at night. Image: NCPA.

Interior view of the main foyer of the NCPA. Image: NCPA.

participated in the weeklong series of events which included an impressive number of pre-congress student workshops, a Design Development Summit, the 23rd Icograda General Assembly, the three-day Icograda Congress, a two-day Education Conference, as well as a plethora of exhibitions and social events. A brief overview of the events provide some impressive statistics: › 1 25 delegates and observers from 45 countries and regions took part in the Icograda General Assembly – one of the highest ever on record. › W ith more than 1 500 registered delegates prior to opening day, the total Congress attendance surpassed 2 000 with speakers, invited guests and VIPs included. › C ongress delegates came from more than 45 countries spanning the globe. › A round 120 presenters, speakers and moderators participated over the five days of main programming. › T he event programme incorporated 25 official exhibitions – and many other unofficial exhibitions. › O fficial events took place in 15 venues including the China Millennium Monument, National Centre for the Performing Arts, 798 Art District and Sanlitun Village amongst others.

Massive banners announce the opening ceremony at the NCPA. Image: Stuart Alden.

› M ore than 125 student volunteers supported the work of the Organising Committee during the run of the events. › F our media outlets from China and 30 official media partners from more than 20 countries helped to promote the events, while 174 media delegates were registered during the run of the events. vent information appeared on 4 000 public TV › E screens all over the city, eight large outdoor screens, 19 000 times on buses equipped with Mobile TV and on 35 000 small TV screens in Beijing’s subway lines, three times per day. In total, 13 million impressions were made daily during the run of the week’s proceedings. › I t is estimated that around 200 000 visitors were attracted to the various event components.

Spectacular opening The opening ceremony was held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). An impressive futuristic structure, the NCPA is an icon of modern Beijing and stands in stark contrast to its surroundings which include the imposing Tiananmen Square and the Great Hall of the People, as well as the Forbidden City to its left. The half ellipse structure of the NCPA is surrounded by an artificial lake, which creates an awesome eggshaped mirror image. Since the building is too large

The lake’s reflection on the underground entrance to the NCPA. Image: Jacques Lange.

The traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. Image: Stuart Alden.

Spectacular exhibition opening at the China Millennium Monument. Image: Jacques Lange.

to capture in a single frame from close-up, photographers have to stand way back when capturing it. For many delegates, the act of standing back to capture the full image of the building also connotes a sense of reflection and in many ways this initial sighting set the general tone for the Congress that followed. If the outside view of the NCPA was not inspiring enough, few international delegates could describe the sight when first entering the grand Opera House with any other word than ‘awe’. The massive scale and fine attention to detail is spectacular and metaphorically reflected the intentions of the organisers. The stage, lighting design and the motion graphics that introduced the first moments of the opening ceremony were highly refined, contemporary and sober, reflecting a clear message that Wang mentioned previously: “Let design become the source of wisdom that guides the world’s innovative economy and social development.” The proceedings commenced with speeches from officials that included the Mayor of Beijing and government ministers who lend China’s support to the event. Don Ryun Chung, Icograda president, also acknowledged this in his opening address: “Design is an integral force fostering socio-economic growth, innovation and sustainable development for many countries and communities. The support of the Beijing Municipal People’s Government, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education is a testament to the value that China places on design.”

Delegates from more than 45 countries gathered in the splendid Opera House where the official opening ceremony took place. Image: CAFA.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN > After the ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony the day’s proceeding began with presentations by keynote speakers. The content of the presentations focused largely on the central idea of China moving from a manufacturing economy into a creative economy and the role of design within this changing environment. In his address, Long Youngtu, the Secretary General of the Boao Forum for Asia, spoke about this transition and maintained that: “A country without a design industry is a country without a future”. Patrick Whitney, Dean of the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, focused his presentation on the emergence and critical importance of design innovation in the business domain. ”‘Made in China’ should be a complimentary statement,” said Pan Gongkai, President of CAFA. To sustain the country’s economy, Gongkai said, “China must move up the value chain by integrating creativity with manufacturing” and he concluded that the location of the Icograda Congress in Beijing provides China the opportunity to highlight its design resources, including a higher education system that has been ramped up to train more than a million designers in the last two decades. The rest of the day saw an impressive line-up of speakers including David Kester, chief executive of the British Design Council; influential Dutch designer Jan van Toorn; American designer Sol Sender and Japanese designer Kohei Sugiura. Van Toorn explored the socio-cultural role of the profession and the importance of content, form and rhetoric in contemporary visual communication. In the same vain, Sender’s presentation entitled Designing for Change was about the conception and evolution of the identity programme for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Sender spoke about the complexity of identity and symbolism and transformative design strategies for society. In light of Sender’s call for designers to “architect and implement solutions that can realise a better today”, Kester continued with the topic of China’s growth in the creative industries and the inherent role of design. Kester reflected on the innovative design strategies in the United Kingdom and particularly referred to service delivery and innovation within the healthcare industry.

All of his examples pointed to design at the front end of innovation where design is no longer considered an end in itself but rather as a strategic way of thinking which is employed as a means for creating value and providing meaningful change. Concluding his presentation, Kester urged the audience to pursue new ways of thinking by saying that “if we tap into creativity and if we tap into design and if we collaborate together with technologists and manufacturers we can be part of solving some of the big problems that we face today in our world.” Sugiura was another crowd-pleaser with his lush visual presentation. He focused on the many meanings of the ying-yang symbol and illustrated with elegant graphics of Chinese letterforms, the god Shiva, Mongolian kettles, male and female bodies, Japanese patterns, and elements from nature such as fish and birds. “Two in one, one in two,” he repeated, demonstrating the universality of symbols and urging the audience to move forward with the information “to recreate our one and only earth.” The opening ceremony also included the presentation of three of Icograda’s highest awards and the presentation of the 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Awards to students. Don Ryun Chung presented Icograda President’s Award to Pan Gongkai (PR China) and Robert L. Peters (Canada) for their exceptional contribution to furthering the work of Icograda internationally. Chang also presented the Icograda Education Award to Ahn Sang-Soo (South Korea) for his extraordinary contribution to developing international design education.

Following Congress Days The focus on the increasing power and current responsibility of designers mentioned on the first day recurred throughout the subsequent two days of the Congress, which was held at five venues at the impressive campus of CAFA. The event branding and wayfinding system at this venue was superb and allowed delegates to navigate the large CAFA campus with ease and eager students were also always on hand to answer questions. The conference explored four overarching issues, ‘access, balance, communicate and define’, in five streams, which

Keynote speakers (LTR), Long Youngtu, Patrick Whitney, Jan van Toorn and Sol Sender. Images: Stuart Alden.

Keynote speakers (LTR), Kohei Sugiura and David Kester. Images: Bruno Porto and Jacques Lange.

Min Wang presenting the Congress Manifesto. Image: Stuart Alden.

Recipients of the Icograda Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Awards (LTR), Robert L. Peters and Pan Gongkai and recipient of the Icograda Education Award, Ahn Sang Soo. Images: Stuart Alden.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN > ran parallel to one another. Although the parallel streams spoilt the delegates for choice, it was quite a challenge deciding which streams to attend since each had their own list of influential speakers from around the world. The ‘access’ stream focused on the accessibility within contemporary design practice. Topics such as designing life in urban spaces, proactive intellectual property rights policies in design, and communication design for information environments were central to this theme. Speakers included Ruedi Baur (Switzerland), Remco Vlaanderen (Brazil), Ric Grefé (USA), Amy Gendler (USA), Kijo Rokkaku (Japan), Sheila Levrant de Bretteville (USA), Leslie Gallery-Dilworth (USA), Laurence Madrelle (France), Song Xiewei (China), Andreas Uebele (Germany), Michael Rock (USA), Ronald Shakespear (Argentina), Ron Newman (Australia) and David Berman (Canada). The ‘balance’ stream covered topics such as design dialogue and collaboration between East and West, sustainability and design responsibility as well as ecological policy making. Speakers included Zhu Dake (China), Victor Margolin (USA), Marc Alt (USA), Dan Hill (UK), Sophie Thomas (UK), Brian Dougherty (USA), Mehdi Saeedi (Iran), Ruth Klotzel (Brazil), Gloria Escribano (Spain), Brian Collins, Lou Yongqi (China), Huang Yung-Sung (China), Helmut Schmid (Germany), Kiko Farkas (Brazil) and Yoon Ho Seob (South Korea). ‘Communicate’ was split into two parallel streams and focussed on visual culture (pluralistic perspectives and contexts), information visualisation, business and added value from service and brand culture critique and redesign. Speakers included Yang Li, Xu Bing (China), Zheng Shuyang (China), Kan Tai-keung (Hong Kong), LUST (Netherlands), Ruri Noguchi (Japan), Leonardo Sonnoli (Italy), Liu Zhizhi (China), Rod Roodenburg (Canada), David Pidgeon (Australia), Zuzana Lednická (Czech), Achyut Palav (India), Nille Svensson (Sweden), He Jianping (China), Omar Vulpinari (Italy), Irma Boom (Netherlands), Lü Jingren (China), David Reinfurt (USA), Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès (Lebanon), Isao Suzuki (Japan), Ma Ke (China), Garson Yu (USA), Thierry Brunfaut (Belgium), Wang Xueqing (China), Bi Xuefeng (China), Stanley Wong (Hong Kong), Jiang Hua (China), Li Degeng, Michael

Vanderbyl (USA), Andrew Ashton (Australia), Richard Doubleday (USA) and Hilton Tennant (South Africa). The ‘define’ stream addressed topics such as mobile life and new media, biomimicry and cross-disciplinary collaborations, and digital content and redefining media. Speakers included Yao Dajuin (Taiwan), Ann Yu-Chien (Taiwan), Joachim Sauter (Germany), Qiu Zhenzhong (China), Markus Schneider (Germany), Alice Tremlow (USA), Wan Jie (China), Carsten Nicolai (Germany), Les Suen (Hong Kong), Fiona Raby (UK), David Small (USA), Peter Hall (USA), Tavs Jorgensen (Denmark) and Daniel Makoski (USA). Three impressions came to the fore throughout all of the streams. Firstly, it was interesting to see how the various speakers explored the recurring themes of design thinking and social responsibility irrespective of their design discipline or position. Secondly, all presentations were exemplary since the speakers were extremely thorough and well prepared. Thirdly, strong visual material enhanced the presentations and helped to bridge the vast language divides. The Congress concluded with the two-day Forum on Design Education which brought together a worldwide community of communication design institutions. A total of 16 outstanding peer reviewed academic papers were selected for the event. Speakers were: Ann McDonald (USA), Audra Buck Coleman (USA), Pan Lusheng (China), Lawrence Zeegen (UK), Wang Xiaojie (China), Deborah Alden (Singapore), Ann Ghory-Goodman (USA), Helmut Langer (Germany), Karin Watson (Australia), Ian McArthur (Australia), Zhao Jia (China), Zhang Pengchuan (China), Elizabeth Tunstall (Australia), Antoine Abi Aad (Lebanon), Paula DiMarco (USA) and Joyce Yee (UK). All selected papers presented at the Forum on Design Education will be published in print and will be available on the Icograda website (www.icograda.org). On the negative side, it is unfortunate that several large regions of the world, particularly developing regions, were represented by lone voices at the Congress, while others such as North America, Western Europe and parts

The CAFA campus was a hive of activity during the run of the Congress. Image: CAFA.

The highly effective wayfinding system made it easy to navigate between venues. Image: Jacques Lange.

Speakers & moderators (LTR), Ma Ke, Don Ryun Chang, Laurence Madrelle & GrĂŠgoire Serikoff. Images: Stuart Alden.

After viewing this phenomenon, it occurs that a new metric for judging effective presentations could be number of pictures taken. Image: D Fox.

At the end of each day, speakers and delegates engaged in highly interactive Q&A sessions. Image: CAFA.

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Schenzen Time: Design Competition for UNIVERSIADE 2011. Image: CAFA.

12 Timespaces – A concept exhibition of Chinese living style. Image: CAFA.

Design & Innovation – An international industrial design show. Image: Stuart Alden.

AIGA 365: Year in Design 29. Image: CAFA.

The Icograda World Congress and 1st Beijing Design Week incorporated 25 official exhibitions, all of which were truly inspiring.

Exhibition of outstanding graduation design works from CAFA. Image: CAFA.

9th Brazilian Graphic Design Biennial & Dingbats Brasil. Image: Bruno Porto.

A spectaculat exhibition of Chinese Graphic Design in the 20th Century: A documentary. Image: Bruno Porto.

Beijing Typography 2009. Image: Bruno Porto. The 7th National Exhibition of Chinese Book Design (2003-2008). Image: Bruno Porto.

Post_: Contemporary International Poster Retrospective. Image: CAFA.

Opening of Design for Sitting exhibition at Sanlitun Village North. Village Saniton. Image: CAFA.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN > of Asia were arguably very well or even over-represented. This inballance is the only aspect that might have tarnished the overal objectives of the Congress. Proof of this is that Hilton Tennant and Achyut Palav were the only speakes from Africa and Southeast Asia. Zuzana Lednická was the lone voice from Eastern Europe, while the Central America/Caribbean region had no representation at all. The quality of the presentations and the work showed by these three speakers clearly indicate that their regions have the skills and abilities to compete globally with the best-of-the-best without any compromise and it is therfore valid to ask why there was not more representation from these regions.

Icograda General Assembly The 23rd Icograda General Assembly took place on 24-25 October. One of the landmark decisions of the GA was the formal adoption of a framework for sustainable practice policy development. Led by the Icograda Executive Board, the process was championed by Treasurer David Berman (Canada) in consultation with several Icograda Members and stakeholders throughout the 2007-2009 term. In presenting the resolution, Berman said, “Things have never been more fragile for our planet. I don’t think we have ever been so clear how much power we have as designers in our world and with that power comes a lot of responsibility. ...We’ve gone from thinking it is possible that we might have a global effect, to realising that we must have a global effect.” Berman acknowledged the AIGA’s Living Principles for Design (United States) and the GDC’s Working Definition of Sustainable Communication Design (Canada), both adopted by their respective members earlier in 2009. The resolution establishes a framework for Icograda to develop policy on how it conducts its operations and programming for adoption by 31 October 2010. It is the international organisation’s first comprehensive statement on social, environmental, financial and cultural sustainability, and extends beyond the Council’s own actions to embrace the work of its Members in 67 countries.

In discussion of the framework, the membership agreed that authenticity, transparency and accountability about the sustainable consequences of design should be guiding values in the development of the sustainability policy. In addition, the GA elected the 2009-2011 Icograda Executive Board who held their first meeting immediately after the Xin: Icograda World Design Congress. Items for discussion included the creation of a standing committee to the Board on sustainability, a new working group to steward the 10th anniversary update of the Icograda Education Manifesto, and the review of members interested in serving on the working committee who will further develop Icograda’s aspirations for the future of the International Design Alliance. President Russell Kennedy, who becomes the first Australian to lead the Council in the organisation’s almost 50-year history, chaired the meeting. Don Ryun Chang (Korea) becomes Past President. Leimei Julia Chiu (Japan) becomes Icograda’s first female President Elect. She will preside over the Council’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2013 when she assumes her presidency for the 2011-2013 term. Grégoire Serikoff (France) assumes the position of Secretary General. David Berman (Canada) was re-elected to a third term as Treasurer. Iva Babaja (Croatia) and Omar Vulpinari (Italy) were each elected to a second term as Vice President. New Vice Presidents who join the board are David Lancashire (Australia) who was co-opted to the board earlier in 2009, and will continue to coordinate the development of INDIGO; Jason Fan (Taiwan), who will serve as the liaison between the board and the 2011 IDA Congress organisers; and Xiao Yong (China), who currently also serves as a board member of CUMULUS and will facilitate collaboration between the two organisations. Four board members retire from their positions: Jacques Lange (South Africa) completed his term as Past President after serving eight years on the board. Lise Klint (Denmark) served two terms as Secretary General;

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The Icograda Executive Board 2007-2009 presenting reports at the 23rd General Assembly.

Delegates voting on one of several resolutions presented to the General Assembly.

Outgoing Secretary General, Lise Klint and Past President, Jacques Lange conducting some of their last duties before retiring from the Executive Board.

Icograda President (2007-2009), Don Ryun Chang and Icograda Managing Director, Brenda Sanderson.

David Grossman presenting the findings of the Icograda Task Team that explored scenarios for the future development of the International Design Alliance.

The newly elected Icograda Executive Board (20092011). From LTR are David Berman, Russell Kennedy, Don Ryun Chang, Leimei Julia Ciu, Iva Babaja, Jason Fan, GrĂŠgoire Serikoff, Omar Vulpinari, David Lancashire and Xiao Yong.

All images by Stuart Alden.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN > Halim Choueiry (Lebanon) served three terms; and Mohammed Jogie (South Africa) completed a two-year term as Vice President.

Comments from delegates Mohammed Jogie, South Africa: ““I’ve noted the bubbling excitement and deep inquiry into the future of the country and it’s role on the world stage. Topics range from socialism to capitalism, industry to environment, and design to intellectual property. From the posh, nameless air-conditioned hotels to humble street bars where you are welcomed with the universal message of friendship, true to the spirit of the conference theme – Xin. It is worth pointing out that design has an acute role and responsibility here.” Ronald Shakespear, Argentina: “The world has changed. Design has changed. We are living in a moment when engineering simulation show dinosaurs to fascinated audiences while we kill the whales and destroy the Amazon. It has been marvellous to meet designers from all over the world concerned on the green agenda. If design is not good at helping people live better, then it’s no good at all.” Omar Vulpinari, Italy: “The world of design is looking to Chinese designers for fresh concepts and ideas. Chinese society is changing at a fast pace and there is a sense of poetry in their designers’ work. That subtle emotional expression differs a lot from their Western counterparts who are direct and abstract.” Ellen Shapiro, USA: “I recall one panel discussion where a moderator urged the Chinese students in the audience not to be afraid to ask questions. And for the first time, they weren’t. Students stood up, took the microphone and asked questions. Long, thoughtful questions. A sea change in Chinese design education!” “Everyone who spoke at this conference commented on ‘Big changes in China’. I have seen thirst and how Beijing has transformed itself in less than ten years:

from hutongs to high-rises, from uniform zip-up jackets to individualistic outfits, from bicycles to cars. But seeing the students at this conference transformed in three days from polite listeners to curious participants, each with his or her own voice – wow. If Xin: Icograda World Design Congress 2009 accomplished only this, it would be a great accomplishment.” Grégoire Serikoff, France: “The most professional, insightful and friendly design gathering I have ever attended.” Rod Roodenburg, Canada: “This congress is the finest example of the goodwill and learning that can occur when the international community comes together.” Fatima Cassim, South Africa: “The conference was a simmering hot pot fuelled by pressing issues and contemporary design challenges. It was pretty obvious by the third day of the conference that the presenters were not playing a game of Chinese whispers. The message was loud and clear: design can make a difference” The last words go to the Chairperson of the Organising Committee, Min Wang: “We wanted to provide a venue for the Icograda family and friends to get together to exchange ideas, to express friendship, to engage in to dialogue on the current issues in design. I am happy to see so many friends came to the congress! We had a great time together!” “Since we started to prepare for the Congress in Beijing there have been so many obstacles and problems that made the preparation so difficult. It was like a mission impossible and many people said we should stop. In a way it would have been smart to end the preparation two years ago, but with the support from CAFA leadership, especially President Pan Gongkai’s strong push, we continued our effort to the end. I always believe the saying: If there is will, there is the way!” “To see so many designers from all over the world walk around the CAFA campus is an image that I will never forget! It was a festival of design, a celebration of humanity, a joy of creation!”

Ladies from the Xi Jiang Miao and Qingman Miao villages in Guizhou province dressed in traditional costume.

A view of Lijiang city in Yunnan Province in southern China.

The choice if freshly prepared food is spectacular, no matter where you travel in China.

A couple carrying piglets in bamboo baskets attached to traditional ‘bian dan’ (shoulder-poles).

Many delegates took some time off to explore some of the lesser developed regions of China on their way to attend the Xin: Icograda World Congress in Beijing. Vesna Brekalo from Slovenia shared some of her experiences on this and the following page.

A woman carrying full sacks of rice after a long day’s work in the rice fields of Xi Jiang Miao village in Leishan County in Guizhou province.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

The woman from Shangari-La weave scarfs and other textiles on traditional looms.

One of the many bridges that cross the mighty Yangtze River. The Yangtze is Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest river, connecting eastern, central and western China.

A boat trip on the Yangtze River is surely one of the most exhilarating experiences when travelling in the Chinese countryside. Chinese chess is a favourate past-time activity for men. All images by Vesna Brekalo.

This article was compiled with the support of many contributers including Fatima Cassim, Patt Knapp, Ellen Shapiro, Samara Watkiss, Guy Schockaert, Ronald Shakespear, Vesna Brekal0, the Icograda Secretariat and the Icograda World Design Congress 2009 Organising Committee, amongst others. Some images were sourced from delegates who posted their experiences on Flickr archives. < View of a street in Shiqiao Miao village where many residents earn their living from making paper.

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The Loerie Awards: Celebrating creative excellence for over 30 years

The Loerie Awards started in 1978 as an annual awards ceremony to promote television advertising. Over the years, the Loeries evolved to include advertising in other media and then to incorporate all aspects of brand communication – from company business cards to corporate headquarters – celebrating creative excellence in all its forms. Today, The Loerie Awards has a year-round focus on creative inspiration across the brand communication industry, in Africa and the Middle East, encompassing a travelling exhibition of the winning work, the Creative Future scholarship, two issues of Migrate magazine, the printed Annual and DVD, which showcases and indexes the winning brands and agencies for that year, and the Judges Seminar. But the jewel in the crown of the Loeries’ calendar remains The Loerie Awards Festival Weekend, a glamorous red carpet event that rewards the best and brightest talent that the industry has to offer. Over the years, the industry has congregated in Johannesburg, Sun City and Margate to celebrate those individuals and agencies that are judged as worthy of taking home the coveted Loerie statuette. In 2009, for the first time, The Loerie Awards took place in Cape Town. ‘Feed your ego’ was the theme of the 31st annual awards and to say that the show did the industry egos justice was an understatement, with two nights’ worth of glamour, festivity and entertainment in specially appointed areas around the city – the Good Hope Centre, Long Street and Camps Bay – together making up the Loeries Village. At the awards ceremonies, attendees were treated to performances by Goldfish, Lira, Jax Panik and the Rudimentals, and entertained by John Vlismas and Mark

Lottering. Cape town Mayor Dan Plato and Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille, opened the respective awards on Friday and Saturday evening. Once the awards were over the audience spilled out into Long Street to continue the festivities and party until dawn.

How to win a Loerie? The Awards ceremonies are a fantastic and festive event that represents the culmination of the year’s programme. In March each year, a ‘Call for Entries’ is issued, and agencies submit their best work for that year. Judging week kicks off with a seminar where the leading international judges showcase their favourite work and provide insight into their area of industry specialisation. The awards are judged according to five criteria: an innovative concept, bringing fresh thinking; excellent execution; relevance to the brand; relevance to the target audience; and relevance to the chosen medium. International and local judges alike are required to take into account these criteria in their adjudication of work across all categories and work can only be recognised for an award if it exhibits excellence in all five criteria. The Loerie Awards 2009 saw a commitment across the industry to maintaining the region’s high standards in tough economic times. This year the Awards attracted 3 077 entries accross all categories – 2 643 in the professional categories and 434 in the student categories. A total of 225 Awards were handed out, including four Grand Prix, 19 Gold, 50 Silver, 113 Bronze, 9 Craft Gold and 30 Craft Certificates.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

‘Cheaper than Money’, Grand Prix winner for Advertising Poster Campaign category.

The best of the best The ultimate Loerie Award, the Grand Prix, is handed out to a very elite few, whose work is determined by the Loeries judges to be the greatest reflection of creative excellence in brand communication that the region has to offer. The four Grand Prix awards reflect the breadth of creativity in the industry and the variety of opportunities through which brands can represent a client. They embraced different kinds of media and ways of getting a message across, while exhibiting the pinnacle of creative excellence in brand communication. The 2009 Grand Prix winners were:

Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg Title: Cheaper than Money | Client: The Zimbabwean | Category: Advertising Poster Campaign The journalists who worked on The Zimbabwean newspaper were banned by the Mugabe regime, but continued their work from South Africa. In response, an exorbitant ‘luxury goods’ import tariff was levied on the news-

paper, making it a pricey read for the average Zimbabwean. At the same time, the devaluing of the Zimbabwean dollar meant that the money literally wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. The agency raised awareness about The Zimbabwean by creating a series of posters printed on trillions of Zimbabwean dollars – still cheaper than buying the paper on which to print a campaign.

Agency: FOXP2 | Title: FOXP2 Offices Client: FOXP2 | Category: Architecture and Interior Design FOXP2 entered the design of their offices in the Architecture and Interior Design category. As an advertising agency, defining their own brand as interesting, funky and creative is essential to FOXP2. What better way to communicate this to potential clients than through their primary point of contact – their offices themselves? The FOXP2 Offices are a brilliant representation of creative space. The interiors are done in white and glass, with infinite attention to detail – everything has been created especially for the space, from the drinks dispensers behind the bar to the chairs in the

FOXP2 Offices, Grand Prix winner for the Architecture and Interior Design category.

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‘Young, Gifted and Black’, Grand Prix winner for Experiential Mixed-Media Campaign category.

‘Ampli5’, Student Gold Award winner.

offices. Although the overall effect and details of the space are all carefully considered, the offices are minimalist – freeing the creative minds working within from clutter.

Agency: Ogilvy Johannesburg Title: Young, Gifted & Black | Client: Channel O Category: Experiential Mixed-Media Campaign To create awareness for Channel O, Ogilvy Johannesburg created a buzz around the brand by bringing together the first pan-African music collaboration, with artists from different African nations singing a cover of the black pride classic by Nina Simone, Young, Gifted and Black (YGB). The music video was voted number one on Channel O. Once the message was out there, the next step was to get it seen, heard and lived. Designer t-shirts bearing different versions of the YGB phrase – “young, gifted and … street”, “young, gifted and … bootylicious” – were handed out at live events and campuses. A competition was launched online and on mobile, where viewers could create their own designs. The winners won tickets to the YGB-themed music awards. The campaign was supported by messaging on Facebook, Twitter and MXit, as well as by advertising in print, online and on radio.

Agency: Net#work BBDO Johannesburg Title: Ferret, Dancer, Dog, Child | Client: Virgin Atlantic | Category: Radio Commercial Campaig Virgin Atlantic offers airline passengers first class passage for a business class fare. To illustrate the insanity of such a deal, Net#work BBDO created a radio campaign in which the protagonist – himself clearly off the rails – exists in a world gone mad. The only line of sanity spoken in the advertisement – that a character he encounters flew ‘first class for a business class fare’ – is judged as ‘plainly insane’.

The campaign is an example of brilliant creativity in writing – although all the aspects of the production of the radio ads, from the disquieting music to the monotone voiceover – are excellent. At the same time, the message of the low-cost fares is conveyed with subtlety. At no point does anyone trumpet “buy now” or “contact your travel agent”. The cleverness of the concept is that it draws attention to Virgin Atlantic’s fares in the context of them being insane, but relies on the intelligence of the listener to pursue them if desired. In recent years, the Grand Prix awards have reflected the breadth of creativity and opportunities for brand communication in the industry, embracing different kinds of media and ways of communicating.

Student Gold Awards This year, one student entry received a Gold Award: Jano Booysen, Stephen Galloway, Elske Nel, and Barbara Cilliers, from the University of Pretoria, for their Mixed-Media Campaign, Ampli5 Rockit Festival and a Craft Gold went to: Bruce Mackay, from the AAA School of Advertising, for his Illustration Craft, ‘The Ceasefire’.

Agency rankings This year, The Loerie Awards used the new Creative Circle ranking system based on the number of statues won. Using this ranking system, in the individual agency rankings, FoxP2 came out first, TBWA\Hunt\ Lascaris Johannesburg came out second, Ogilvy Johannesburg came out third, Net#work BBDO Johannesburg came out fourth, and Gloo Digital Design came out in fifth place. In the agency group rankings, Net#work BBDO came out on top, followed by Ogilvy, FoxP2, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris and The Jupiter Drawing Room (South Africa).

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‘The Cease Fire’, Student Craft Illustration winner.

‘Humanoid CI’, winner of the Sappi Creative Use of Paper Award.

Individuals recognised

The Vodacom Mobile Media Digital Award

Simon Camerer, executive marketing director at Cell C, received the Marketing Leadership and Innovation Award for his active contribution to building the brand’s market position in South Africa. The Loeries committee recognised him as an outstanding example of the leadership, dedication, loyalty and commitment to a brand that it takes to achieve something special. A Lifetime Achievement Award went to Nkwenkwe Nkomo, Group Chairman of FCB and Chairperson of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), for his ongoing commitment and outstanding contribution to the brand communications industry over the course of a career spanning 26 years.

New Voice Award The SABC New Voice Award for Non-English Radio was launched this year to promote the production of non-English radio advertising. This year, the Gold Award went to TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg for Tatollo, Funeral for Tiger Brands, the Silver Award went to Draftfcb Johannesburg for Bua FM – 1, 2, 3 for Vodacom and the Bronze Award went to Joe Public for ‘Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough, Buffalo Soldier, Beat It’ for kalahari.net.

This new award, in partnership with Vodacom Mobile Advertising, recognised the recent growth in the use of mobile devices in the advertising mix. It was awarded to Gloo Digital Design for the Tetralift mobile entry for Puma.

The Sappi Creative Use of Paper Award This new award, in partnership with Sappi, considered all paper-based entries. The winner of The Creative Use of Paper Award was The Motel for ‘Humanoid’s’ corporate identity. “In a tough economic climate, the industry has proven that it can still produce work that is competitive on an international scale,” says Festus Masekwameng, chairman of The Loerie Awards and executive creative director at Mother Russia. “I offer my warmest congratulations to the 2009 winners and the brands that they champion with tireless creativity. Thank you for making The 31st Annual Loerie Awards such a success.” <

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Some great stuff, some done stuff and some *yawn* stuff By Anri Theron

Some live by it and others loath it. Like it or not, advertising is the modern universal advisor to the everyday John and Jane. Its power lies in its potential, whether to sell, manipulate or inform. Tucked away in a small corner of the World Wide Web we found advertising proudly dressed from head to toe in fire engine red spandex, cape flapping in the wind ready to tackle our world’s problems.

Osocio.org is a blog dedicated to social advertising and non-profit campaigns from around the globe. In their own words it’s a place where marketing and activism collide. This is a must bookmark website. Not only to fill up more hours surfing in search of inspiration, but to see advertising in action, selling more than just another car, soap or happiness in a fancy shaped bottle.

Each contributor is a specialist in the field of nonprofit with their own unique style that quickly becomes evident in the diverse content of the blog. The debates sparked by some of the posts are equally enticing, offering insights into different worldviews and cultural interpretations of the works. You will often find the advertisers themselves responding to comments related to posts of their ads.

Originally known as the Dutch blog Houtlust created by Marc van Gurp in October 2005, Osocio is now one of the best resources for social and non-profit advertising. With 12 dedicated bloggers you won’t easily find another blog getting the scoop before they do.

Osocio has successfully created a platform free of a hidden agenda, which encourages exploring the successes and failures of social advertising and nonprofit campaigns.

Reactive vs Proactive Issues of every kind ranging from abuse to war conflicts to the age-old debate about smoking are featured on Osocio. The creative solutions to the advertisements and campaigns raising awareness about them are equally diverse. What sets apart the ones that really get to us from the ones that we casually browse over? In exploring Osocio, two trends emerge – the reactive and the proactive ad. Many ads rely on evoking a single response or emotion in the viewer to make a connection to the subject. We are all familiar with the starving children starting back at us from our TV of pages of a magazine. These shocking, heart- wrenching images are usually followed by a number to dial or website to visit. But how many of us actually pick up that phone? Yes, these ads stir something in us and may make us think however this call to action has become redundant. It’s a reactive strategy that has been used for decades. With web 2.0 comes a range of tools that allows us to create a dialogue with the viewer. It’s no longer just about putting an image out there hoping, in anticipation, for a reaction. Or rather it doesn’t have to be. It’s about being able to create awareness while simultaneously creating methods for the viewer to make the leap from emotion to meaningful action. This proactive strategy is quickly becoming a valuable asset to non-profits and organisations seeking to create awareness about the world’s social issues. Social media itself has sparked a rapidly growing movement of community do-gooders.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

Open your mouth | Advertiser: Kinderkreet (ChildCry) Agency: Duval Guillaume

View this OSOCIO post at http://osocio.org/message/ seeing_a_sign_of_child_abuse_open_your_mouth/

Shock, sensation and statistics The advertising image alone still remains a powerful tool and shouldn’t be ignored. However, in a world saturated with these images, we have become increasingly desensitised to their messaging. We are not immune to shock; it’s just that it now takes so much more to evoke a reaction, so much more sensation to satisfy us, and so many more statistics to convince us. Advertisers are faced with a choice: turn up the dial, amplifying the shockwave to jar us out of our complacency or get REALLY creative and intelligent about the world’s issues.

Take for example the video from Kinderkreet (Childcry), a Belgium organisation that helps sexual abuse victims make their first steps to recovery, posted on Osocio. It depicts a girl visiting the dentist. The usual nervousness associated with such a visit is evident in her face. Only when the dentist asks her to open her mouth and she tightly shuts her eyes, slowly spreading her legs apart do we realise where it’s going. The tagline: “If you see a sign of child abuse, open your mouth.” As the posts author points out this comes very close in visualising the pain, fear and anger a child that is sexually abused goes through.

Save the boobs | Advertiser: ReThink Breast Cancer

Big Boston Warm Up | Advertiser: Land’s End Agency: FirstBorn | Source: @brianjeremy

View this OSOCIO post at http://osocio.org/message/ do_we_have_to_save_boobs_because_we_like_them/

Another post that created quite a stir on Osocio is ReThink Breast Cancer’s Save the Boobs campaign. It features Canadian MTV host, Aliya-Jasmine, bearing all as she makes her way through the crowd at a pool party. All at once jaws drop to the floor and sunglasses are tipped to get a better view. Don’t worry; they didn’t forget about you sitting in your lounge chair at home as substantial close ups are added to make sure you get a piece of the action. The tagline; “You know you like them. Save the Boobs.” Marc, the blog contributor responsible for the post, poses the question: awareness or sexism? Visit the post to see some of the responses.

View the BIG WARM UP site at http://www.bigwarmup.com/

As an information designer a post of the Big Boston Warm Up initiative’s website immediately caught my attention. However after soaking up all the beautiful details of this info-graphic-rich site I had to ask whether most people would donate a coat because they are convinced by the staggering statistics or because they will conveniently receive 20% off at SEARS with each donation. There seems to be an impossibly fine line between too little and too much in social advertising, which makes this sector of the industry both challenging and inspiring. When it’s done right, it not only causes a change in behaviour but a change in peoples mindset.

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Innovation, interaction and involvement Osocio features great examples of work that goes beyond shock, sensation and statistics. Take for example the London Metropolitan Police’s campaign, Drop the Weapons (www.droptheweapons.org), and Choose a different ending videos. They have combined storytelling and YouTube technology to create videos that take the viewer through realistic events in which they are faced with the choice to either pick up a deadly weapon or let it go. When the choice is made they proceed to the next video to see how the story plays out. It’s an innovative use of media that really brings home the

point that there is a choice and speaks directly to the target market through a medium that they are comfortable with and can explore. Amnesty International’s 1 million clicks against poverty website is another example in which user interaction directly determines the campaigns outcome. The site is made up of a pixel art scene depicting causes and consequences of poverty around the world. But most of the pixels are still black. With each click a pixel is revealed. Tedious? Sure it is, but it’s not so much about seeing how many pixels you can reveal as it is spreading the word and because “to make poverty disappear, we first need to see it”. After ten clicks a pop screen with the message “It is only

Choose a Different Ending | Advertiser: Metropolitan Police Service | Agency: AMV BBDO

View this OSOCIO post at http://osocio.org/message/ storytelling_choose_a_different_ending/

View Choose a Different Ending on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/adifferentending

together that we will be able to fight poverty. Ask your friends to help” gives the user the option to spread the message to their friends through social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Another exciting find on Osocio is the charity platform Pifworld or ‘Play it forward world’. Inspired by the movie Pay it Forward, the site hosts various projects from around the world for free. People or ‘players’ can explore the various projects on the globe and donate directly to one of their choosing. Pifworlds communication manager, Nina Motzheim, explains that it’s all about power in numbers. When you donate you invite your friends to donate and they in turn invite other friends. What sets Pifworld apart is its complete trans-

parency; ‘Players’ are able to see first hand the effects of their donations through regular video updates, photos and blogs that track the progress of a project. Project budgets are also disclosed and are updated for players to see how far a project is from their target. It’s an interesting form of advertising that utilises new media to deliver a tangible result. Social advertising and non-profit campaigns are a must in any society to keep people from forgetting that there are very real issues that need to be dealt with in our world. The proactive stance taken by some of these campaigns is sparking a movement in which your everyday John and Jane are challenged to actively become involved in issues. <

1 million clicks against poverty | Advertiser: Amnesty International | Agency: Air Brussels Belgium

Pifworld website

View this OSOCIO post at http://osocio.org/message/1_ milion_clicks_against_poverty/

View this OSOCIO post at http://osocio.org/message/ pifworld_charity_you_control/

View the 1million clicks against poverty site at http://www.1millionclicksagainstpoverty.org/

View the Pifworld site at http://www.pifworld.com/

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

Below-the-line agency Mick and Nick talks design By Veruska De Vita

“After drinking too many cocktails a glass of cold water is welcome. Similarly, whenever in the course of the centuries of art reaches a point of falling into excess, it turns to purism for help” – from Alfred Tolmer’s Mise en Page.

Pages from Mise en Page – the Theory and Practice of Layout, by Alfred Tolmer.

When Mick and Nick, a below-the-line communication’s agency, bought Mise en Page – the Theory and Practice of Layout, it wasn’t simply an addition to their book and art collection. It was to help make South Africa a better place to live in, aesthetically speaking. Published in 1931 by Alfred Tolmer, the book speaks volumes about design, and so it should; it was published by the same people who brought fine arts magazine The Studio into the world. Not one for clichés, Nick Liatos, Mick and Nick’s creative director, believes that when it comes to design, “you gotta know the rules to break the rules”. For design to be good, it should aid successful living. It should make a person’s day. Liatos’ business partner, Mick Shepard shares this belief, and speaks emphatically about the company’s growing art and book collection. “The Saatchi brothers can’t have the monopoly on buying artwork. We use art as a vehicle to further our own radness. We believe that if we create a rad environment, people will want to come here. We’re in this business for more than just the bucks, we want to bring aesthetic pleasure to people,” says Shepard. Their art collection started with a pair of Czechoslovakian army boots cast in porcelain, something they picked up at the Design Indaba. The collection has subsequently grown to include a few Peet Pienaars and Shepard Fairies. “My theory is that South Africa is not that sussed

when it comes to graphic design. South African art direction and design pales in comparison to international design and art direction, where there is a history of aesthetic. In Europe, for example, people are surrounded by beautiful buildings and artwork that’s easily accessed. That’s what’s missing here,” explains Shepard. Mick and Nick believe in street cred. To keep his street cred, Shepard trawls libraries, bookshops and the Internet for books on graphic design, rare and otherwise. At a book sale he found a random book on typefaces. It mentioned Mise en Page and this is how the compulsion started. Finding the book became an obsession. On further research Mick and Nick discovered that Mise en Page was touted as the deco bible. From the Paris-based Maison de Tolmer publishing house, only 1 500 English copies were printed, and it sold out in three months. It was never reprinted so it has become somewhat of a desirable rarity amongst bibliophiles and collectors. Mick and Nick had to have it. They found online auctions where prices started from US$3 000. With these pricetags they quickly understood the value of the book. Their interest never vaporised and Shepard got on the phone with Juanita Lawrence of Pulp Books. She found a copy at the Toledo Library in the United States and a few days later the package arrived. The cover of the book had been removed and a library binding was sewn onto it. Ironically, while the lack of cover brought

COMMUNICATION DESIGN > the price down, it preserved the book. There are no dogeared pages and the design pages showing a variety of techniques, including embossing, foiling and lamination, are perfectly preserved.

Mick and Nick are suckers for balance, relevance and consideration in design. “Design should make South Africa a better place. If the design is clear and balanced, the communication is clear and easier to ingest. If there’s too much communication, there’s too much going on, “Mise en Page is a valuable resource to us and every- and generally, this makes for bad design in my books,” one who works here. While we build our library we says Shepard. also build our culture,” says Shepard. Nike, Shelflife/Be True.

Look & Lister, Make friends this winter.

THEIR WORK Mick and Nick’s clients include Look & Listen, SAB Miller and Nike. For one of Look & Listen’s below-the-line campaigns, they created a competition to win an air guitar. Posters with the shape of an electric guitar cut out of it hung from the ceiling of Look & Listen stores. The competition read: “Win this air guitar with any purchase.” The live demo in-store helped drive participation, to the great amusement of shoppers. Over and above the prize – which was delivered in its own case – the winner also received a Look & Listen gift voucher. Another campaign for Look & Listen, titled Make friends this winter, had the agency create figurines that could be cut out and folded to make a character. Referred to as ‘cube craft’, the characters included Mario from Super Mario Brothers, Indiana Jones, Batman, a Star Wars Storm Trooper and a character from the TV series Southpark. Mick and Nick received a Bronze Loerie in 2008 in the live events category for the Shelflife/Be True launch. They were also an award winner at the 2009 Ad Focus Awards for Hot Shop Agency of the Year.

Look & Lister, Air Guitar.

To add another feather in their designer peak caps, they threw what people in the industry referred to as ‘the best party’ for the 2009 Loerie Awards in Cape Town. The poster featured a burlesque rendition of a woman, tassled nipple caps hinting at the revelry that was to come.

core, when it branches out into other mediums, such as lighting or glass, it’ll be good, the balance will be there. All arenas need to be informed by the fundamental basics – purity, consistency, balance and aesthetic value. It’s our responsibility to not put rubbish out there,” says Shepard.

Notching up points on their radness scale, Mick and Nick created two documentaries on two exclusive streetwear stores in Cape Town. The documentaries lived on the global Nike Sportswear site. “We’re very street. We like street culture, good graffiti, clever Tshirts, youth orientated terms of expression. We like to get down and dirty with pop culture. We feed off it and immerse ourselves in it,” explains Shepard.

Mick Shepard, Nick Liatos and Michelle de Gouveia, Mick and Nick’s managing director, had worked together in the past. They knew that together they made a formidable team, so when they left a large agency they created a new outlet for their skills. They pitched the idea of Mick and Nick to the Lowe Bull Group, whose creativity and culture proved to be a perfect fit. Co-owned by the Lowe Bull Group they handle the below-the-line and activation requirements of a number of major national and international brands.

However, according to these creative directors, even graffiti should be designed responsibly. “It shouldn’t be just random nonsense. If the design is good at its

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

Ster-Kinekor, Earth.

In their latest project for Ster-Kinekor Theatres, Mick and Nick have used tactile elements to drive attendance to the screening of the BBC and Greenlight Media’s

Earth. Along with a TV commercial, Mick and Nick have created an earthly environment in the cinema foyers. The aim is to generate interest by targeting everyday occurrences and relating them to something in nature. They used flyers, hanging mobiles and mirror decals with the line “Think Earth’s amazing? Wait ‘til you see the movie” to create interest. < Nick Liatos and Michelle de Gouveia and Mick Shepard.

The metamorphosis of signage If you walk down a road, you’d be hard pressed to not find signage of some sort that will attract your attention. In this age of marketing and branding, the signage industry continues to be vibrant, continuously growing despite the economic downturn.

Did you know that you can change the colour of your car entirely in just one day with a paint replacement film, that you can wrap your car in graphics and when you feel like it revert back to your original colour?

are window vinyls that look like frosted glass and a oneway film that, when applied to the glass, shows an image on one side, but from the other side makes the glass look like a tinted window.

This has been the evolution of the signage industry.

“Like many other industries, the signage industry is moving towards providing sustainable solutions, such as the emergence of Latex inks (water based inks) instead of solvent inks for digital printing,” says Liezle Barrie of Avery Graphics. “On our side, we have recently launched a range of green line products and we have improved our sustainability in production by using recycled boxes for packaging and other such initiatives.”

Although still not recognised by government as a ‘sector’ that qualifies for SETA support, the signage industry is huge. It is subject to seasonal ebbs and flows, as Christmas promotions, sales and the sports calendars dictate, and there are plenty of chances to ‘get creative’. Vinyl cutouts and neon signs continue in their popularity, although digitally printed vinyls, moulded letters, LED and vehicle, floor and street graphics have emerged strongly. Some of the standard applications include vinyl that can be used over light boxes and on Chromadek, or vacuum formed around 3D lettering. There

“To help protect the environment, many signmakers have become more involved, too. Starting with the design, they attend both to the erection or the application of the signage, as well as to its removal.”

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

“On the creative side, the newly launched Street Graphics are a big opportunity for people planning campaigns. These are short term signs that are applied with a high tack adhesive. They are specially developed for rough surfaces. Although they look just like painted images on the ground, these signs actually break up around textured surfaces and stones to allow water to soak through, if necessary. They are therefore non-slip,” Barrie says. “This makes them perfect for drive-thru take away outlets, for parking lots, for the stadiums and anywhere that may involve a temporary branding campaign. All you do is use a high pressure hose to get them off.” But, Barrie cautions, designers need to be careful in planning their designs. Particularly when it comes to car wraps, information can be lost if it is not placed strategically in the correct position. Street graphics must be placed where they can be easily read and wall coverings should be placed where there are uninterrupted sightlines. Over an above these tips, timing can be quite a critical issue. Make sure that you give the sign manufacturers enough time to come up with the perfect solution, especially when you require a specific colour match, otherwise your brilliant campaign could miss its mark. Avery Graphics is a manufacturer of self-adhesive pressure sensitive films and vinyl for the signage, screen and digital markets. <

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

SA Publication Forum: Proactively improving corporate publications With no more than 50 entries, an endorsement from the National Press Club, no financial backing and a rather horrible website, the SA Publication Forumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corporate Publication Competition was launched in 2002. The competition has been growing steadily in stature and popularity over the past eight years. In 2009 there were more than 150 entries received and serious disappointment amongst those corporate publication practitioners who did not walk away with a trophy.

and the fiercely contested publication competition of those years. In its heyday the SAAIE competition drew more than 400 entries and promotions, salary increases and legitimacy depended on its outcome.

The revival of a corporate publication competition in South Africa was hailed as a positive step by those who work in corporates, education institutions, NGOs, and other such organisations to produce communication vehicles on a weekly, monthly or even annual basis that communicate with staff (internally), as well as with clients and stakeholders (externally).

Two ex-SAAIE members, Derick van der Walt and Jennie Fourie who were (and still are) freelancing in the field of internal and external communication decided to revive a corporate publication competition in 2002 and the SA Publication Forum was born. Over and above the corporate publication competition, the Forum also offers training to corporate publication practitioners, ranging from a basic publication course, to dedicated courses in e-newsletters, design software packages and the like.

The idea of a corporate publication competition was not new at the time. For more than 20 years in the last decades of the 20th century there existed an association called the South African Association of Industrial Editors (SAAIE), run exclusively by the industrial editor fraternity. Corporate communicators of a certain age still fondly remember the conferences, the parties, the whoop-di-doo

Unfortunately SAAIE went belly-up in the late 90s. Was it financial mismanagement, or a change in the ethos of volunteering for professional associations that were to blame? This debate continues amongst old-timers.

What is a corporate publication? For the purposes of the SA Publication Forumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corporate publication competition, the following definition has

been formulated: A corporate publication is a publication (printed or electronic) aimed at communicating with internal or external publics of an organisation or institution. These publications are usually not for sale to the general public and include publications such as staff newsletters, magazines aimed at shareholders, Internet and intranet publications, video newsletters and the like. One-off publications and annual reports can also be entered and for the past three years an Editor of the Year also walked away with a trophy.

› Does the layout and design make the page more accessible?

Judging by a panel of experts

Mercedes, external magazine for Mercedes SA, produced by New Media Publishing was the overall winner in the SA Publication Forum’s Corporate Publication Competition 2009. In fifth place was NOW!, Nedbank, published by Words’Worth Publishing, fourth was Sanlam’s staff magazine, Sandaba, third was Contact, City of Cape Town and Hip2B2, Mark Shuttleworth’s BSquare Communications, entered by New Media Publishing was the runner-up. Aletta Kruger, industrial editor at the City of Cape Town was named Editor of the Year.

All publications entered are assessed and moderated by experts in the various fields. Judges consider available budget and the professional support received in producing the publication. The publications are judged in terms of writing, communication, as well as design and photography. In the latter, the following factors, amongst others, are taken into account: › Are the major design elements used to attract the reader into the article? › Does the layout contribute to the understanding of the article and its message?

› How does the designer use contrast, emphasis, balance, repetition, proportion, typeface and colour? › Does the publication have an original style and personality?

The 2009 competition

The best internal newsletter for 2009 was xxplore, Exxaro, entered by Words’Worth Publishing. They also produced NOW!, the best external newsletter,

COMMUNICATION DESIGN >

Nedbank’s Prime Club, best external magazine with a smaller budget, as well as Small Capital Africa, the best one-off publication. Blue Apple Publishing entered Theba Bank’s Annual Report that came out tops in that section. Santam’s essence was awarded best internal magazine. The most improved publication was SA Express’s Indwe, entered by TCB and the best magazine cover title went to Your Game, Vodacom, entered by the SAIL Group Ltd. The Tshwane University of Technology won the award for the best electronic newsletter with Heita. The African Motion Picture Company produced five finalists in the corporate DVD section and received top honours for the Childline Adult and Child DVD, while Standard Bank won the best DVD newsletter title for their staff DVD, Blue Wave. According to Shireen Sedres of Santam, multiple award winner and Editor-of-the Year 2007, Santam’s corporate communications team enters their publications in

the competition to benchmark themselves against their peers and also sees it as an exercise where they can get invaluable feedback and constructive criticism from an independent judging panel. Although the competition process has been refined over the past years, there are always pressing questions that keep the organisers awake, come competition time. Should agencies compete on the same footing as editors who do everything in-house? What role should budget play? Should magazines sold to the general public be included, even though they are considered corporate publications? Will the pool of expert judges eventually dry up? Even though it’s very hard work to organise a competition such as this one, there is nothing that can compete with the feeling of excitement when the entries are opened and the most glorious and ingenious corporate publications spill out of their packaging – testaments to the relentless efforts of dedicated corporate practitioners throughout South Africa. <

PAPER >

Sappi leading by example As a major paper and pulp manufacturer, Sappi focuses on ecoefficiency throughout their operations and as a global leader, believes in matching its performance to its commitment.

Sappi joins the Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change

In each region where Sappi operates, the company has

The Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change was

use of renewable energy. As responsible corporate citi-

been working with industry bodies to examine ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing its

launched by the Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders

zens in an energy-intensive industry, one of Sappi’s pri-

Group on Climate Change, which is convened by the

mary goals is to reduce its carbon footprint by improving

University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability

energy efficiencies and decreasing its reliance on fossil

Leadership. The Communiqué is a private sector call

fuels. Boëttger says “We are achieving this by stream-

for “an ambitious, robust and equitable global deal

lining transport systems, making process changes, in-

on climate change that responds credibly to the scale

stalling more efficient equipment, reducing purchased

and urgency of the crises facing the world today.”

energy (electricity and fossil fuel) and by increasing the use of renewable energy – an approach which ultimately

What we do about climate change today has far-reaching

results in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

consequences for the sustainability of businesses,

(GHG).”

communities and ultimately the natural world we depend upon for our existence. “As a renewable resource com-

“We have made steady progress, with CO2 emissions

pany Sappi welcomes the opportunity to become in-

globally per ton of product produced declining since

volved in a global solution focused on making the tran-

2005. In North America, between 2004 and 2008 we

sition to a low-carbon economy,” says Ralph Boëttger,

achieved a reduction of 27% in total energy use per ton

Chief Executive Officer, Sappi Limited.

of product produced. In this region, more than 75% of all

energy used is derived from renewable resources (black liquor, bark, sludges and purchased biomass). The percentage of energy derived from renewable resources for South Africa is 38.1% and for Europe is 31.8%, with our global figure standing at 48.6%. The figure for South Africa will increase to over 50% once the Saiccor expansion project is fully operational.” In addition to focusing on energy efficiency and reduction of GHGs at manufacturing sites, Sappi ensures that owned, lease and managed land as well as land from which wood is procured, is independently certified as being sustainably managed. It has been established that well-managed forests can play a significant role in climate mitigation, as pointed out by the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007, which found that: “In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest carbon stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the largest sustained mitigation benefit.” Boëttger commented: “Our signing of the Copenhagen Communiqué will add impetus to our commitment, established in terms of our Sustainable Development Charter, and confirmed by our 5th place on the Leadership Index of the 2009 Carbon Disclosure Project and inclusion in the list of top companies as regards our GHG mitigation and adaptation actions, to reduce GHG emissions and increase our use of renewable energy. We look forward to fresh insights and international cooperation that will help us live up to these commitments.”

Sustainable print on street pole ads Despite the rise of electronic media, the use of paper is increasing throughout the world. Paper plays an important role in promoting growth and development. The tactile nature of paper ensures that it remains relevant in any marketing mix. Consumers are afforded an opportunity to engage with the medium in a more personal way. Paper also helps to stimulate growth in literacy, a driver of change and development. Sappi offers products that meet the needs of environmentally conscious consumers, driving satisfaction through technology and innovation in an environment where corporate companies are becoming more environmentally concerned about their paper consumption. Sappi has been an industry leader and on the forefront of sustainable manufacturing practices promoting the recovery and use of recycled fibre. The wood fibre used in production is not procured from endangered forests, but rather from certified and well-managed forests. Wood products and the wood fibre in paper store carbon throughout their lifetime and can be recycled or burnt for renewable energy generation. The introduction of product ranges such as Triple Green and Typek 50% recycled demonstrates the efforts made to provide consumers with sound environmental choices, without any compromise on quality. More businesses require alternatives that will enhance their own sustainability efforts. By meeting this need and by establishing business portfolio’s and supply chain relationships to match, Sappi is differentiating their products and expanding their competitive advantage entrenching customer loyalty and enhancing their brands.

PAPER >

Their sustainability charter with three pillars, people,

consumer is enticed to think not only about paper,

planet and prosperity at its core, provides the ideal

but also its origin and the choices available to them.

platform to communicate key factors pertaining to

It entrenches and cements the Sappi brand at the top

engaging with stakeholders, partnering with commu-

of mind.

nities and ensuring a sustainable future position. This means in essence that development meets the needs

The image used in the ads was carefully selected to

of the present without compromising the ability of

depict the values of respect, care and nurturing. It shows

future generations to meet their own needs.

that Sappi is a concerned corporate citizen but relates to the heritage surrounding the brand. The minimalist

To communicate the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s positioning, a new

use of white space combined with the corporate blue

campaign with street pole ads was designed to increase

and white colours, effectively draws attention to the

Sappiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visibility and establish awareness around the

copy used.

brand. Through the use of alternative media the company augments the value of paper to promote sustainability

These street pole ads have been placed on major

and encourage the use of environmental paper products

routes and traffic hot spots around Johannesburg to

produced for communications. With this campaign the

create impact. <

On time. To specification. Within budget. Archway Projects was project manager on all of the urban upgrades around the Ellis Park Stadium. Each project tackled was brought in on time, to specification and within budget.

Leaders in Project Management (t) +27 (0)11 608 3108

(e) archwayprojects@inx.co.za (w) www.archwayprojects.co.za

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Providing platforms for cultural engagement By Bev Hermanson

An acute awareness of cultural differences and the need to nurture social cohesiveness has been an underlying motive that has inspired Mphethi Morojele and the members of MMA Architects to pursue projects that benefit humankind. In the past 12 years, MMA Architects has completed an impressive line-up of architectural and urban design projects, winning awards for its work on the South African Embassy in Berlin, the Cradle of Humankind museum and boutique hotel at Maropeng and its collaboration on the development of Freedom Park’s Garden of Remembrance on the outskirts of Pretoria (pictured above). With offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Berlin, this home-grown practice is making an impression on the world. The founder of the practice, Mphethi Morojele, started out in architecture in 1995 after completing his B.Arch Degree at the University of Cape Town. Three years later, he founded MMA Architects along with three partners, with the intention of becoming one of the leading architectural practices spearheading Africa’s and South Africa’s socio-spatial and cultural transformation. Growing up in Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Italy and Ethiopia, (due to his father’s work commitments) Morojele gained a broad perspective of different cultures in different countries. Racial tensions inevitably left an indelible mark on his consciousness, although, as he points out, that hasn’t been entirely negative.

“When you’re young, you almost take for granted that everybody sees life exactly the same way that you see it. But people across the world think quite differently,” says Morojele. “It became more obvious as we moved around. I gained a different perspective of how people react to the spaces around them.” Simply chatting about the ‘old days’ in and around Johannesburg was quite a revelation in understanding the tensions that he and his siblings experienced in public spaces. “During my childhood moving between Soweto and the city with my parents to do shopping, I often felt that the city was a hostile place. We would arrange a rendezvous point and we went and did what had to be done, but we didn’t feel comfortable enough to linger. We did what we needed to and left. Once we were home again, we could relax. For us kids, the parks in the city were frightening because we always felt that we were being watched. This, of course was during the Apartheid era. The experience made me very aware of the different perceptions that people have of open spaces. You can feel for yourself, even, whether public spaces make you feel that you belong, whether you feel secure, whether people feel you to be a threat, or whether you yourself feel threatened.”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > This poses the question – how do you design to make people feel that they belong? “If you design to anticipate violence, you will get violence,” Morojele elaborates. “The way the schools for ‘non-whites’ were designed in the old days – they were actually designed to anticipate violence. Everything was stark. They weren’t nurturing places that had been created to encourage learning.” This design mindset, in some cases, still continues today and this is what we have to change.

Ellis Park Precinct and Braamfontein regeneration The decay of the Johannesburg CBD and surrounds has presented many challenges to those who have enough belief to work on the city’s rebirth. Amongst the many regeneration initiatives, MMA Architects has been involved in the urban design of the Braamfontein and Ellis Park Precincts. Here, Morojele’s study of Behavioural Sciences stood him in good stead as he contemplated the implications of various spatial layouts on the behaviour of crowds and residents in these areas. Painful memories of the deaths caused by the stampede of spectators at the Ellis Park Stadium in April 2001 and other incidences of violence that have often flared up after soccer and rugby matches spurred the designers on to look for appropriate solutions to the need for a new urban fabric in and around the city. “It actually takes a leap of faith to design for the public,” he says. “There will always be vandalism, but you have to take a risk and create a beautiful space. You have to be optimistic and hope that people will behave appropriately. For example, in Braamfontein, if you put beautiful parklands behind fences, people become stressed. If you open the parks up, people become much calmer and less anti-social.” Another aspect that has to be considered is what the vision is for the future of the precinct. “If you design purely for mass events, such as international sporting occasions, and not consider the community that lives there, you are again making people feel excluded.” Taking into account that there are two stadia in close proximity to each other, as well as nodes used for light

A view of the Braamfontein regeneration project.

A dramatic view of the Ellis Park Precinct at dusk.

industries and educational institutions that attract masses of students, the Ellis Park Precinct has been developed to make allowance for high volumes of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Roads and pavements have been upgraded, several parks in the area have received makeovers and the lighting has been improved. A new cricket oval has been built, with secure parking that can double as VIP parking for the stadia during high profile functions. “Bringing cricket to the inner city is also a way of enticing the youth off the streets. Cricket is something that they can become passionate about and it could eventually lead them to a career in the sport.”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > The BRT system (bus rapid transit) has also been accommodated and for cultural enrichment, a public art programme is being run along pedestrian routes. “In African cultures, public spaces are used for all sorts of functions including religious gatherings, so we have taken this into account as well. We have further planned the spaces so that part of the parks can be hired out for launches and other corporate events.”

SciBono Discovery Centre Another project that has sprung out of the inner city regeneration project is the SciBono Discovery Centre. Conceptualised as an edutainment centre initiated by the Gauteng Department of Education, this centre is located in the old Electric Workshop building in the cultural node of Newtown. The three main subjects to be explored at the centre are mathematics, science and technology. The SciBono Discovery Centre.

“A lot of schools don’t have science labs,” Morojele explains, “so the SciBono Discovery Centre will be made available to classes on a timesharing basis.” Tackled in 3 phases, this centre offers the full range of facilities to learners keen on understanding more about mathematics, science, technology and related disciplines. Phase 1 was the renovation of the Electric Workshop building, that now has a canteen, reception, office space and extensive exhibition space, with walkways and ramps taking students to an auditorium and classrooms housed in the new building that forms Phase 2 of the project. Phase 3 incorporates a career centre, where students can learn about careers and will be able to undergo psychometric testing. Typical of educational institutions, where a wide variety of age groups and children from different cultures congregate, this facility has to be vandal-proof, yet inspire a spirit of learning. The quadruple volume of the main exhibition area creates a sense of drama, while the

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Exterior and interior views (blow) of the FNB Homeloans and Wesbank Buildings.

concrete and steel detailing conveys an industrial, yet contemporary flavour to the facilities. Other educational and child-centered facilities tackled by MMA Architects include the Student Enrolment Centre at the University of Witwatersarand, the Jabavu Regional Library in Soweto, the Rooipoort Creche in Carltonville, the Buhlebemfundo Secondary School in Tsakane, the Ubuhlobolwazi Secondary School in Lothair and the Asibambane Youth Village in Cape Town.

FNB Homeloans and Wesbank Buildings, Fairlands Designed by a consortium of four architectural practices, this corporate project has already received much recognition and acclaim. MMA Architects collaborated with CNN Architects, Fairbairn Architecture and MDS Architecture. Accommodating over 5000 employees, this high profile development, which has become a landmark on the N1 westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skyline, is perched above a two-storey parkade. The building, which represents a fundamental shift in the approach to financial services office space, away from the big block-shaped office complexes, was constructed in six chapters. It is characterized by organic shapes, earthy colours and enormous open volumes in the shared public areas. Designed to be barrier-free, it shows great sympathy for the visually-impaired, disabled and handicapped members of the staff.

The R1-billion project incorporates many green building features, such as solar water heaters for the kitchens and office ablutions, dimmable switches for the lights, double glazing for the windows, insulation in the walls and roofs and exoskeletal screens to temper the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rays at various times of the day. These active and passive measures collectively contribute to an estimated 20% energy saving compared to conventional buildings. From a site that was previously a wasteland, a highly productive and distinguished building has evolved to supply a much-needed facility in the western suburbs of Johannesburg.

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Freedom Park MMA Architects was chosen to join a consortium, along with GAPP and Mashabane Rose Architects, to determine the character and structure of Freedom Park. The site itself is strategically located on the outskirts of Pretoria, within clear view of the Union Buildings.

An amphitheatre overlooking a waterfeature and an eternal flame add atmosphere to this very spiritual place and The Garden of Rememberance provides a safe place for adults and children to gather and learn in a supervised environment.

Resolving that this memorial had to encompass many different struggles throughout the country’s history, the developers undertook to consult a wide spectrum of society, from youth organisations, political parties, historians and anthropologists, to traditional healers and members of various church groups. The struggles weave through the era of slavery, wars of resistance, the Anglo-Boer War, colonial wars, the First and Second World Wars during which many South Africans of all colours and creeds perished fighting for the country’s allies, and, more recently, the struggle for liberation and the abolition of apartheid. Elements of Freedom Park that are particularly notable are: Isivivane, the resting place for the spirits of those that died in the struggles, many of whom were ‘missing in action’. To enter this area, visitors are requested to remove their shoes as a gesture of respect. Nine boulders from the nine provinces across South Africa encircle a water feature – each boulder symbolising a province was brought to this space as a gesture of cleansing and healing. Sikhumbuto is the memorial that commemorates the major conflicts that shaped South Africa. Part of this memorial is the Wall of Names, where the names of people who died in the struggles are etched, each on their own brick in the wall. //hapo is an interactive exhibition space, where the 3.6 billion years of the history of humankind will be told in visual displays and narrative form and the Gallery of Leaders is an indoor exhibition area reserved for tributes to the achievements of local and international leaders in the struggles for humanity.

Freedom Park encompass many different struggles throughout South African history.

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Embassies

South African Embassies in Berlin (above) and Ethiopia (below).

One of the most prestigious projects to be tackled by MMA Architects was the construction of the South African Embassy building in Berlin. This project earned the practice an Award of Excellence from the South African Institute of Architects and prompted the opening of offices in Berlin. This was the first embassy built by South Africa since the election of the new democratic government. Opting for a fusion of German and African design philosophies, the architects designed the main structure to blend with the other buildings of the district, but allowed large expanses of glass and skylights to bring a typically South African indoor/outdoor feel to the building. Clad externally with natural sandstone and granite from South Africa, it is embellished with bold African colours and patterns in the interiors. A more recent embassy building designed by the firm is the South African Embassy building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that was completed earlier this year. As Addis Ababa is the seat of the African Union, this embassy is of particular importance. The 5000 sq metre complex not only houses offices for the embassy staff, it also has a recreation centre and some staff accommodation. “The Minister of Foreign Affairs wanted the building to signify South Africa’s commitment to Africa,” Morojele explains. “Ethiopia is very rich in culture as its history stretches back many centuries. This time, we didn’t go for as much structural transparency, because Ethiopia is on the equator and the light there is very intense. Instead, we added a massive screen that shields the building from the light and doubles as extra security.”

Designed in collaboration with Ethiopian architects, the building has an almost church-like quality and is built from a mixture of materials and finishes from South Africa and other countries that traditionally supply Ethiopia, such as Dubai, China and Italy.

Prospects for the future MMA Architects has roughly 20 staff members, including architects, technologists and support personnel. The staff are encouraged to pursue continued engagement with academic and research institutions to keep up-todate with continuing developments in their professions and the practice prides itself in keeping abreast of current trends in the built arena. “We look forward to contributing to the cultural and economic development of South and the rest of Africa in the future,” Morojele concludes. <

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BURJ DUBAI : Reaching for the skies By Chantal Ramcharan-Kotze

Mixed-use developments are becoming the norm in Dubai and one of the most popular projects is definitely the Burj Dubai – the world’s tallest tower. Linked to this ambitious development, located in the heart of Dubai’s International Financial Centre (DIFC), is one of the world’s largest malls – Dubai Mall, and the world’s largest water feature – Dubai Fountain. According to developers Emaar, the Burj Dubai is not only the world’s tallest building, but also embodies the world’s highest aspirations. Not hard to believe when one considers the rate and scale of infrastructure development taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf in general, despite the economic slump. Not as ambitious as they had originally planned, but significantly higher than other world regions. Dubai Select Property News recently reported that almost half of Dubai’s 2009 budget was earmarked for infrastructure spending. “The increase in infrastructure spending is very positive,” says Dr Nasser Saidi, chief economist at the Dubai International Finance Exchange. Saidi believes that the surge in infrastructure and public works spending will support the Dubai construction and contracting sectors, which are both of critical importance to Dubai’s economy. The Burj Dubai architect, Chicago-born Adrian Smith, is one of the most recognised architects in the world. His work includes international projects such as the

An aerial view of the Burj Dubai under construction. Image by David Hobcote, BurjDubaiSkyscraper.com.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > Bishopsgate and Broadgate Towers in London and the Jin Mao Tower in Shangai. The Burj Dubai triplelobed structure is based on the abstract design of the Arab desert flower, the Hymenocalis, and incorporates patterning systems that are embodied in traditional Islamic architecture.

FAST FACTS > The total budget for the Burj Dubai project – US $4.1

billion owntown Burj Dubai development budget – US $20 >D The Burj Dubai triple-lobed structure is based on the abstract design of a desert flower.

billion urrent height of the Burj Dubai – 818 meters (expected >C to surpass this by completion in December 2009) ross floor space – 314, 000m >G umber of floors – 162 >N umber of elevators – 54 to be installed >N peed of elevators – 700 meters per minute (fastest >S elevator in the world) > The cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai’s

extreme summer temperatures. Total area of cladding used to cover the Burj Dubai – equivalent to 17 football fields olds the record for highest vertical concrete pump>H ing (for any construction) – 601.0 meters.

Landscape and interior planning

Views of the spectacular Dubai Fountain, the world’s largest water feature. Images: BurjDubaiSkyscraper.com.

Al Khatib Cracknell, a local partnership with Londonbased Cracknell, was appointed to provide landscape master planning, detail design and site services for the streetscape, public realm, key open spaces, lake edges, promenade, sales centre complexes, and Lake Fountain.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > The design concept of the planned Old Town attempts to integrate the elements of wind, fire, water and earth into the 190 hectare development. The Burj Dubai Boulevard has been inspired by the great boulevards of the world and will boast striking gateways of lawn, trees and water features. The intended Burj Lake Park will be a vast area of greenery and open water with extraordinary and imaginative

gardens – a place to take in the sunshine, picnic, play sport and go boating. The interior design will seek to compliment the structure’s exterior architecture. Free flowing Arabic script will be among the inspirations for the towers interior, which will draw upon architectural influences from around the region and the world, says ArabianBusiness.com.

World’s top five tallest buildings

Building and location

Year

Storeys

Height in meters

Burj Dubai, Dubai, UAE (under construction)

2009

162

818

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill

Lotte World II, Busan S. Korea (proposed)

2012

107

512

Stephen Huh, Parker Design International

Taipei 101 Tower, Taipei, Taiwan

2004

101

509

C.Y. Lee and Partner

Shangai World Financial Centre, China

2008

101

492

Kohn Pederson Fox

International Commerce Centre (ICC), Hong Kong, China (under construction)

2010

118

484

Kohn Pederson Fox

Source: www.architecture.about.com

Chief Architect

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Chic hotel with an awesome view By Bev Hermanson

Looking over at the latest of Southern Sun’s hotels from the plush residences of Hyde Park, one of Johannesburg’s most elite suburbs, you could be forgiven if you assumed that there was always a hotel perched on the rise, at the intersection of William Nicol Drive and Jan Smuts Avenue. It took Southern Sun, the operators, and Hyprop, the owners of the property, some considerable time to reach this historic point. Each celebrating coincidentally their 40th anniversary this year, it seems the relationship is entirely appropriate. The Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel is remarkable, not only for its accommodation offering and its spectacular

270° views of the northern and western suburbs of Johannesburg, but structurally, it is a triumph in its engineering and design implementation. Set atop the 7-storey parkade of the Hyde Park Shopping Centre, the hotel comprises 132 suites, a rooftop gym, boardrooms and conference facilities, two lounges, an exclusive whiskey bar, an international restaurant, as well as a pool and outdoor terrace. Entering at the lower street level from basement parking, visitors are whisked eight floors up to where it’s already becoming the place to see and be seen by Johannesburg’s elite.

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Keeping it light The first phase of the R180-million building was hardly noticeable as it involved the strengthening of the foundations and the support columns of the Parkade. The challenge to the designers was to keep the structural elements of the hotel as light as possible. Room sizes were also restricted to what the columns beneath could support, providing plenty of challenges to the interior designers. The walls are mainly 165mm drywall partitioning that have an internal layer of acoustic thermal insulation, which is a fairly new concept for construction here in South Africa. “We had to come up with walling that would equal or exceed the decibel rating of a double brick wall with cement plaster on both sides, but without the weight,” explains Carl Bartleman of Saint Gobain. “We chose a 15mm fire rated gypsum board which we used as a double layer on each side of 102mm cavitylite batt insulation. This gave us both sound and thermal insulation.”

In addition to the weight reduction, the tailor made dry walling saved a great deal of space overall, which was especially important in determining the layout of the bedrooms. For the bathrooms, the inner layer of the walls was replaced with a moisture resistant gypsum board and sliding doors were easily added to fit between separated drywalls, to save space. Special loadbearing upright studs were used for door frames and in places where items would be attached to the walls, such as TVs, toilets and the like. “We had a foreman representing Saint Gobain on site to project manage the installation. This was important as our 10 year SpecSure guarantee requires that the installation has to be correctly specified and supervised from start to finish.” The walls have been given substance through the application of specialised cladding and wall papering so, to the eye, the structures look pretty solid. Sympathetic to the acoustic requirements of the hotel, the interior designers additionally sourced carpeting that has a highdensity foam backing that is excellent for absorbing sound.

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Internationally contemporary It was decided not to do the predictable ‘ethnic’ thing for this hotel, but rather expand on the locality, which implies elements of sophistication, elegance and an internationally contemporary approach to the style and décor. The interior designers chosen to tackle the task were Source Interior Brand Architects from Cape Town, with the result that many of the furnishings and finishes were brought up from the Mother City to grace the City of Gold’s latest jewel. “We were approached by Southern Sun and Hyprop to conceive a unique guest experience, which in itself is a great honour,” adds Jeremy Stewart, creative director from Source. “The experience is a fusion of modern and classic influences, combined with a sense of locale.” “Part of the success from Source’s point of view was applying our design ethos from interior architecture and design, right through to textile design, styling, music and staff uniforms, enabling us to control the entire 3-dimensional guest experience, which is key to the ultimate success of any hospitality project.” The public spaces had to have character at all times of the day and night and so the décor theme, rather than being exotic or cheesy, is simply an expression of rhythm and repetition. The colour palette is muted, punctuated only by occasional splashes of vivid hues. Textures are either physical, such as the Duraglass wallpaper that is thickly ‘woven’ and, as it turns out, designed to take paint, or merely visual. Rhythm is achieved through a series of contrasts – black and white, hard and shiny surfaces punctuated by textures, and light and dark spaces. In the main lounge, a selection of shades from Tom Dixon’s Beat collection were used for the lighting. “Tom Dixon is a British lighting and furniture design and manufacturing company that we represent here in South Africa. Tom Dixon himself has won awards worldwide for his unique designs and we fell in love

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with his design and his brand.” says Kate Liebenberg, managing director of Crema Design. “The Beat Light is made from hand beaten brass using the rapidly vanishing skills from Indian master craftsmen. Once made, the beaten brass ages creating a patina black

external surface in contrast to the warm golden interior of the shades.” The contrast of the smooth internal glow with the external texture of the fittings adds an extra element of interest to this public space.

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Showing the way Capitalising on the views, the architects have opted for as much transparency as possible. Floor to ceiling glass walls grace the restaurant and lounge areas. The pool terrace is bordered by glass balustrades, so that the rim flow pool looks as though it’s stretching into eternity. The Whiskey Lounge and the Biche Restaurant even have liquor enclosures made entirely of glass. This glassing of the 8th floor, known as the Lifestyle level, not only reduces the need for lighting during the day, it performs a dual function, giving the impression at night that the floors above are floating over the Parkade, as the artificial lighting creates a visual cushion between the two structures. It has become Southern Sun’s mission to reduce energy consumption in all of their establishments, so with

this hotel, LED lighting and energy saving light bulbs have been used from the outset. “There’s a specific psychology behind the different colours and intensities of light,” says Mardre Meyer, project designer at Source. “While plants are phototropic, people are photophylic, so in the passages leading to the rooms, we have dimmed the lights and put brighter lighting in each door alcove. This pulls people through the dim spaces towards the light.” Another part of the dim-light philosophy, explains Bram Joynt of LKA Architects, is that people seem to talk louder when the lighting is bright, but their conversation is more subdued in dim lighting. This is important when considering the acoustics and the fact that most of the walls are the new dry wall acoustic partitioning rather than bricks and mortar. Encouraging people subliminally to make less noise ensures an enhanced feeling of privacy for the guests in their rooms.

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“It’s amazing how disorienting light can be,” continues Mardre. “While you can’t have too much shadow, people do need to have the contrasts of light versus shadow to give them a sense of perspective, otherwise their judgement of distance becomes warped. At the end

of each passage, we have a window covered with a voile curtain, that allows in natural light. This balances the perspective and gives guests a sense of the time of day, so that their experience is not surreal.”

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Breaking the moulds with fabrics Out on the terrace, the designers chose light, modular furniture that can be configured a number of ways. The cushions, covered in bold black and white florals, are all the more exceptional as the materials represent a breakthrough in outdoor fabric treatment, so that the cushions can be left out in the elements without weathering. The rimflow pool, as the focal point of the outdoor terrace, is just deep enough so that one can cool off, while still partaking of liquid refreshments at chest height. It’s all about being smooth and sophisticated – no dive-bombing or Olympic length training, just a quick dip to cool off. Nothing too strenuous. The indoor Whiskey Lounge looks out over the patio, but has its own air of exclusivity. The occasional chairs are just comfortable enough to stimulate easy conversation without tempting you to fall asleep. The

soft gold vinyl ‘fabric’ is tactile, yet highly durable, great for high traffic uses, yet way more sophisticated than the vinyls of the 70s and 80s. On a raised section to the rear of the lounge, plush couches offer greater comfort for more relaxed gatherings.

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Fine dining Bright and airy, the Biche Restaurant is an Italian restaurant with a twist – somehow a sushi bar has found its way into the formula. This will no doubt become a great hit with the hotel’s international clientele. The furniture is slightly minimalist, the colour palette muted, to allow patrons to concentrate on what’s most important – the cuisine. The wine closet displays a selection of local and imported wines that could set you back anywhere from R80 to R2500 per bottle.

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Across to business On the same level as the restaurant, lounges and pool terrace, there is also a business centre and a separate wing housing boardrooms and conference facilities. And to help the busy executive unwind during his stay,

on the top floor there is a gym with weights and cardiovascular training equipment. Again, huge expanses of glass reveal the stunning view of the suburbs, which is given double impact by the large mirrors on the walls.

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Easy sleep An important aspect of the Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel accommodation management is the access control through the smart key system that also controls the

lighting and air-conditioning in each room to ensure efficient energy consumption. Although the rooms are modest in size, they nevertheless exude comfort. The modern padded headboards are

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Photos by Anine Scholtz.

covered in high fashion fabrics. The TV unit has enough space so that it can be used as a desk and the bathrooms, while compact, give the illusion of spaciousness, with their frameless showers and backlit mirrors. The chic style is carried through to the public cloackrooms with their similarly demurely mirrors. In addition to the front entrance to the hotel through its swish revolving door or the alternative of the basement parking access, there’s also a fun ‘back way’ to the Hyde Park Shopping Centre, giving guests a secure playground to explore at their leisure. From a wide selection of restaurants, cinemas, banks, travel agents, hairdressers and beauty salons, to exquisite fashion boutiques, jewellers and book stores, the Hyde Park Shopping Centre is a destination all its own. With its new hospitality offering in the form of the Southern Sun Hyde Park Hotel, the centre is sure to grow and achieve even greater international acclaim. <

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Bedford Precinct Achieving a design balance in a mixed-use environment By Lois Aitchison

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The R1.2 billion high-density, medium rise Bedford the development consisted of a retail component with Precinct is situated in the heart of the upmarket suburb office space on the level above it and the residential of Bedfordview in eastern Johannesburg. This is an afflu- component comprised of 420 luxury residential apartent, sought after area with numerous well run schools,

ments including sophisticated luxury duplex pent-

hospitals and sporting facilities. The location offers houses, giving the precinct an excellent selection of easy access to the OR Tambo airport, the East Rand and

mixed use options.

the CBDs of Johannesburg, Sandton and Rosebank. Mixed-use developments are rapidly gaining popularity The construction of Phase 1 of what was then called internationally and locally. They not only facilitate an Bedford Square commenced in 2006, followed by

increase in urban residential density in a positive man-

Phase 2 in 2007. The construction of all phases was ner, they meet the current demand for residences with fast-tracked and the third and final phase was com- a convenient range of lifestyle elements. There is a growpleted towards the end of 2008. The final phase of

ing demand for the lifestyle concept of living, playing

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and working in proximity to an urban environment.

“Urban design principles were applied – the creation

South Africans have matured into urban people, prefer-

of compact integrated urban spaces that suit their

ring to live in urban environments with all the benefits

respective use characteristics and that are configured

that this type of lifestyle offers.

for ease of circulation both within and between the components. These include the separation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, public and private spaces,

Getting the balance right

levels of access and utility coordination,” says Nick Kyriacos, project design director and MD of Bentel

The structure of mixed-use developments generally

Associates International.

tends to be complicated due to the varying requirements of the diverse group of users say Bentel Associates

“The challenge in this type of environment is to get the

International, the architects responsible for the inno-

balance right between the proportion of space allo-

vative architecture of the 160 000m2 Bedford Precinct.

cated to the various uses and the mix of those uses.

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The scope of the project also has to be sufficiently large to offer the variety required to achieve critical mass for self-sustainability.” “The overall relationship and synergy between the carefully designed and integrated components of the Bedford Precinct are unique in that they provide a sense of community, a 24-hour environment and facilities and amenities that meet most of the needs of its residents. The Bedford Precinct is a cosmopolitan environment with a great Mediterranean ambience, you almost feel as if you are in Europe,” he says. In 2006, when the original owners sold Bedford Square to the HBW Group, the owners of Bedford Centre, the concept was expanded to meet the growing demand for residential and commercial space in this type of environment. The expanded concept included a further 211 apartments in Phase 3C, an increased portion of retail space and an underground mall linking the structure to the Bedford Centre. The architectural style was changed to ‘contemporary international’. The initial conceptualisation of the project was specifically Mediterranean but with the change in ownership of the project, it was decided that the theme on its own was outdated. As a result, a more timeless modern design was opted for in keeping with the contemporary look and feel of the revamped Bedford Centre. The initial layout concept, however, was retained. “The spatial layout of the centre takes its cue from

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the traditional European village, where people live above or nearby their workspaces, all organised around a series of different square sizes,” says Kyriacos. “The progression of the squares, usually linked with pedestrian pathways, culminates in a town square. This is what we designed at Bedford Precinct and buildings of varied size and scale with fine architecture and quality finishes line the piazza and define warm and inviting communal spaces. The relationship between the buildings within the Bedford Precinct is far stronger than it would be in a traditional South African shopping complex environment.” “As an upmarket mixed-use area, encompassing residential options, offices, retail and entertainment facilities the amenities and lifestyle value offered to the commercial and residential components is unparalleled in Johannesburg.”

Retail facilities The retail area includes a six-cinema Cinema Nouveau complex, a 6 000m2 Planet Fitness gym, numerous high-end restaurants, line stores and showrooms and a four-level A-grade parkade. The apartments have dedicated parking for all residents on levels that are separate from the retail parking areas. Initially the project included the piazza on the ground floor but as part of the expanded concept, this was later enclosed to form a ground floor shopping mall with the restaurant and entertainment

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piazza above it. This central piazza is linked to all the

supermarket fronts onto both Bedford Centre and

elements of the Precinct and enhances the sense of

Bedford Square and is almost at the heart of the Pre-

community. View elevators and escalators provide ac-

cinct. The two entrances draw shoppers in from both

cess to the traditional mall environment.

sides which are linked with an innovative retail shopping hub below Kirkby road. The underground hub

The underground retail mall links the Square with

facilitates easy and convenient access for shoppers

Bedford Centre and facilitates convenient access for

to either end of the retail centre below the square.

shoppers who would like the option of alternative retail facilities at either end of the Precinct. There is a transfer

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bedford Precinct has a series of smaller and larger

structure between the office level and the apartments

spaces, vertically and horizontally interlinked. Angular

on one side and the parking garage and the apartments

rooflines, varied silhouettes and elevations have been

on the other side. Another part of the final phase was

carefully designed creating a natural integration between

the expansion and refurbishment of Pick â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Pay. The

the retail and residential components,â&#x20AC;? adds Kyriacos.

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“A variety of textures, finishes and colour were utilised pedestrian-friendly area in a village atmosphere. The to create an architectural language, by juxtaposing paths culminate in the open piazza, with a central wastainless steel, glass, textured plaster, stone, aluminium ter feature containing a glass sculpture and festive and timber in different combinations without placing lighting effects.” specific emphasis on any one element.” The unique design and attention to detail of this prestig“All the components are fully integrated and the de- ious development has already made Bedford Precinct sign includes courtyards and landscaping with water

a landmark in Johannesburg. It is an enduring example

features linked by pathways and walking areas to of a unique, exclusive and completely self-contained the various components thereby creating a unique, mixed-use village in an urban environment. <

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Crystal Towers > the jewel in Century Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crown By Duncan Cruickshank

Award-winning Rabie Property Group has launched Crystal Towers Residences, offering purchasers the ultimate in luxurious living at Century City and providing investors with a unique opportunity to capitalise on the positioning of Cape Town as a premier leisure and business destination.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > Since its inception, Century City has become a 250ha suburb of Cape Town. It was constructed as a mixed-use development including entertainment, residential, retail and office components. Development began in 1997 and continues under the new owners, Rabie Property Group and investment thus far exceeds R10 billion. It is located 10km to the north-east of central Cape Town along the N1 motorway, within easy reach of the CBD, northern suburbs and Cape Town International Airport, and is traversed by numerous waterways, wetlands and canals. Century City is home to Canal Walk – one of the southern hemisphere’s premier shopping destinations with over 400 shops, restaurants and cinemas. Alongside is the thrilling Ratanga Junction theme park as well as the more tranquil and majestic wetlands reserve and bird sanctuary, Intaka Island with its myriad birds and exquisite indigenous flora. Comprising 91 luxury apartments, Crystal Towers Residences is part of the mega R750 million mixed-used Crystal Towers development now under construction. The development also includes a 180-room five-star hotel, Crystal Towers Hotel and Spa, which will be a sister hotel to the Melrose Arch Hotel in Johannesburg and fall within the exclusive African Pride Collection. Restaurants, a gym and health spa, conference facilities and meeting rooms as well as triple A-grade offices add to the offering. Sales Director Allen Usher says Crystal Towers will set ‘the diamond standard’ in contemporary luxury and design. “Every detail has been meticulously applied, from the imported German kitchens with silky Caeser Stone countertops, to climate controlled living and bedroom areas and heated bathroom floors. The uncluttered principles of modern minimalist design have been observed throughout, resulting in a refreshing and clean look while outdoor patios offer breathtaking views of either Table Mountain, the Tygerberg Hills or the Atlantic Ocean.” Within this peerlessly lavish lifestyle, residents of Crystal Towers will have access to the hotel’s five-star amenities including its bar and a 24-hour deli.

What is particularly exciting about this development is that cutting-edge green building principles have been applied wherever possible. Greg Deans, a director of Rabie Property Group, said while the Green Building Council of South Africa had not yet instituted a greenbuilding rating tool for hotels, Rabie had as far as possible, applied green-building principles in the construction of Crystal Towers. A green building is one which is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible. It incorporates design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce its negative impact on the environment and its occupants.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > Deans said reducing the carbon footprint of new developments was not only socially responsible but also made good business sense. “While there is a general perception that implementing green building principles significantly increases building costs, this is not necessarily true. In fact much can be done in the original design and orientation of the building to include natural ventilation and lighting while major developments in green technology, methodology and even materials have made green-building measures more cost effective and accessible,” he said. “In fact many of these measures, such as implementing energy saving components, can reduce your operating costs substantially.” Deans said South Africa was way behind many other countries in implementing green building principles but was now playing catch up. “At a hospitality conference in the United States (which has the LEED green certification system) last year, corporate America made it very clear that they would not consider allowing their staff to stay in any hotel which did not have the equivalent of at least a four-star rating and a growing number of international corporates feel like-wise about the office space they occupy,” he said. The green building principles that have been applied to Crystal Towers are not only to design and construction measures, but have been extended to the finishes. All the kitchens are imported from a German manufacturer, Nobilia. Nobilia is the first German kitchen company to be awarded the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) which means that all the timber used for the kitchen units is from sustainably managed forests. Jay Margolis from Inside Living, which has been appointed to supply the kitchens and other exclusive finishes at Crystal Towers Residences, adds: “We are very proud to have a supplier of Nobilia’s standing, which is not only the largest manufacturer of pre-assembled kitchens in the world, but also complies with PEFC standards. The mega development is testament to Rabie’s faith and confidence in Cape Town and Century City in particular.”

“Critical to the success of any new development is its location, coupled with the timing of the development,” explains Usher. “Crystal Towers Residences enjoys the best of both. Its central, sought-after location in the heart of Century City, which is generally perceived to be the Sandton of the Western Cape, is idyllic and the timing of the development, which is to be officially launched in March next year, coincides with much improved market conditions and sentiment.” Usher says purchasers will have the choice of studio or two bedroom apartments: “At around 60 square metres including a private balcony, the studios, which also

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

come with an undercover, secure parking bay, are substantially larger than average. These apartments are aimed primarily at investors and business travellers who are able to purchase selected apartments fully furnished with a choice of finishes put together by leading interior designers. The two bedroom apartments, aimed predominantly at owner-occupiers, average around 110 square metres including a balcony and come with two undercover, secure parking bays.” Usher said selected apartments would be offered with a unique investment package and purchasers would be able to contract the services of a dedicated professional management company which would let out apartments on behalf of investors as well as offer a bouquet of other valet services from arranging airport shuttles to cleaning the apartment, providing a laundry service, stocking the fridge and any other required services to ensure owners of a hassle-free investment.

Although the apartments are only to be officially launched in March next year coinciding with the expected completion date, purchasers are able to register their interest now to maximize their choice of apartment. Pre-launch buyers, he said, would benefit from being able to have their apartments listed with Status, accredited accommodation agents for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. “We have confirmed demand from Status for Century City based apartments, particular in Crystal Towers, which can be expected to raise around R50 000 per studio apartment and more for the two bedroom units during the World Cup,” he said. The Crystal Towers Hotel and Spa is due to open in December this year with the residences and offices due for completion in March/April 2010. It will be the astute investor who sees the obvious potential in this unique development – and will certainly reap the benefits in years to come. <

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Unusual and defining design elements By Lois Aitchison

Greenstone Mall, which opened in 2007, was designed by architects Bentel Associates International whose extensive experience in commercial and retail design is evident in the design of this award-winning mall. Owned by the Sasol Pension Fund, the mall is situated on a 21-hectare site in the southwestern corner of the 4200-hectare Greenstone Hill development on the site of the former AECI Modderfontein chemical factory.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Greenstone Hill, a Heartland Project, is one of the

recreational activity. It caters to the rising population

largest mixed-use ventures in South Africa where

densities and increasing spending power in the Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

commercial and residential zones surround the retail

primary catchment area that includes the upmarket

zone. Extensive demographic studies confirmed the

Modderfontein residential area, Edenvale, Linksfield,

need for this aesthetically pleasing and well-designed

Linbro Park and Lombardy East.

mall, which is making a significant contribution to the quality of life in the area.

DIVERSE SELECTION OF TENANTS

Ideally positioned with high visibility on the elevated

The style of the 75 000m2 Mall is contemporary, with

crest west of the Edenvale CBD and serviced by a

sophisticated finishes and standards. It has been de-

strong existing road infrastructure with easy access

signed to be a state-of-the-art facility providing the

to the N1, the Mall has become a hub of retail and

utmost shopper comfort levels and convenience.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

A ring road system with a large undercover component reduces walking distances to the centre, and ensures that the 4 500 parking bays are, on average, no more than 80m from any of the six entrances. A diverse range of 150 tenants which includes a Pick â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Pay Hypermarket as the the anchor (12000m2), Woolworths, Game, Clicks, the Foschini Group, Truworths, Mr Price Sports (a 2033m2) and Dischem (at 2500m2 one of the largest in the country), fifty line shops, four major banks, an eight cinema Ster Kinekor complex, a bowling centre, restaurants, fast food outlets and a wide range of services ensure that Greenstone is an exceptionally convenient mall catering to a wide range of shopping, service and entertainment requirements.

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

A SENSE OF DRAMA There are two unusual and defining aspects of the structure. The design of a retail environment involves many interrelated features that improve the quality and efficiency of lighting, heating and cooling systems. The envelope or the structure of the building also forms part of these systems. The architects creatively utilised the structure to create world-class interior spaces at very little extra cost.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

The two-level configuration of the Mall has dramatic, well-lit internal volumes. A design challenge, particularly in the retail environment, is balancing and controlling the light levels from various sources. To create the most effective lighting levels the architects incorporated clerestory lighting and the exposure of certain light enhancing elements of the structure. Light is expressed in a very contemporary manner and the design allowed for indirect light that cuts down on the glare, minimises heat and balances internal artificial illumination.

THYSSEN HP MISSING

V2/11115-Jul’09

UNITED BY INNOVATION DIVERSIFIED BY EXPERTISE

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

The centre features spectacular roof lights set in a com-

huge rotating doors that open and allow the two spaces

bination of exposed structural steel beams, timber struts

to become one. The entire central court, the major feature

and glazing. A variety of other architectural elements,

of the mall, was extensively modelled in 3D from an

such as the beams that support the walkways in the gar-

elliptical prism.

den court, are designed to complement these elements. In 2008, Bentel Associates International received a A second unusual aspect of the design is the combina-

Southern Africa Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC)

tion of indoor and outdoor components. An outside land-

award for the Greenstone Mall and the extensive and

scaped green zone links horizontally with a centrally

creative use of steel, the quality of design and finish,

enclosed zone containing the entertainment centre, the

the facilities, the environmentally sustainable design

promotions court and restaurants. The two components

and the overall impact of the building. <

are separated by an impressive glass wall containing

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

An interactive engineering feat By Bev Hermanson

Ask any yuppie in Gauteng what would be the most important convenience to have to be able to cope in the fast paced city life of the area and you’ll most likely get: “you have to have a reliable car. Without a car around here, you’re pretty much stuck!”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > Get yourself jammed in any one of a hundred daily traffic snarl-ups on the roads in Gauteng and look around you. Most cars have a driver, but no passengers. Car after car will whiz by you – one occupant, one occupant, one occupant – everyone rushing to get somewhere. Mixed amongst them, overloaded taxis take chances, skip robots and clog up intersections. Pedestrians hover on the verges of the streets, waiting to catch a lift. It’s all quite precarious. The good news is that this is about to change – for the better. It’s been a while in the making, but a number of stakeholders in Gauteng got together and have come up with a scheme that, once all the various elements slot into place, will make a tremendous difference to the way things are done in the province. Understanding that urban sprawl was one of the culprits, a plan was set in place to encourage densification of the population

around public transport routes. This should reduce traffic congestion, pollution from exhaust fumes and the extreme pressure on road maintenance from the sheer volume of traffic that uses the road networks. What is required to make this successful is reliable and safe public transport. A further consideration motivating the upgrading of the province’s public transport is the belief that the cities across the world that have the largest economies, such as London, New York and Tokyo, offer efficient public transport systems. Somehow, the two seem to go hand in hand. In fact, the recent trend is towards the establishment of 24-hour hubs where people work, live and play. An integral part of the scheme to upgrade the public transport for both Johannesburg and Pretoria is the R25billion Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project. Conceptualised

Construction of the in-situ balanced cantilever deck sections for Viaduct 5 at John Vorster Avenue.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > back in 1997 as part of the Blue IQ social upliftment initiative, the Gautrain is destined to have a resounding impact on the entire province, changing the way people choose to live, how they get around and even where they choose to work. Covering 80km, with ten stations, including a station at the OR Tambo International Airport, the Gautrain has been pretty much designed to appeal to all those single occupant commuters that have been contributing to all the traffic congestion. “The strategic objectives were divided into four groups – to ease congestion on the road networks; to promote the image of public transport; to promote BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) and socio-economic development; and to change the shape of urban development in Gauteng to that of transit-oriented development,” explains Dr Herman Joubert of the Gautrain Project team. For the people involved in piecing this project together, it’s been a most amasing experience. Amongst the public, there was a lot of skepticism and negativity to begin with, but as the plans have gradually been transformed into reality, there has been a distinct shift in sentiment. The prime objective has certainly been realised as, so far, 11 700 direct jobs and over 60 000 indirect jobs have been created. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of companies, joint ventures and enterprises established to cope with the demand for engineering and construction expertise and supplies, many of these are Black Economic Empowerment and SMME initiatives. Unfortunately, due to the brain drain, some of the engineers had to be called back from retirement, but on a more positive note, a total of 37 construction professionals that had left the country to work overseas, have returned home to participate in the project.

Top: The Gautrain being tested in Midrand. Centre: aerial view to the west of Viaduct 5 and Centurion Station. Above: Construction of the underground Rosebank Station platform.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Choosing the sites for the stations The siting of the stations has certainly generated enormous interest as property developers and hotel groups jostle for prime positions nearby. Each of the stations was chosen for the unique contribution that it would make to the area surrounding it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the questions we had to ask was: When passengers disembark at the airport, where do they go? Through our research, we found that the majority of airline passengers that visit Gauteng have a destination in the Sandton area. Once we had established that, it was just a matter of connecting the dots. We had to include central Johannesburg and central Pretoria, in support of the drive to revitalise the CBDs. Hatfield, north east of the Pretoria CBD is a potent area, with Aerial view of Park Station.

its proximity to the university, Loftus rugby stadium, the CSIR, business district and the many embassies in the area. Centurion and Midrand are rapidly expanding areas, Rosebank is another important business and residential hub, Marlboro is situated right next to an N3 interchange and Rhodesfield is a residential suburb that had been earmarked by the Ekurhuleni municipality for redevelopment due to its location close to the airport,â&#x20AC;? Dr Joubert adds. Facilities that had to be incorporated at each station include provision for other forms of public transport, such as buses and taxis and parking for commuters as well as transfer from existing rail services at Park, Pretoria, Hatfield and Rhodesfield stations. There is an emphasis on pedestrian traffic and access control and the development of pedestrian-friendly areas.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Gautrain System Identity To be people-friendly, a transport system must be easy to understand and to determine the system identity, consultants took a look at historically successful transport operations, such as the London Underground, which was given its first system identity in 1916. The Underground route map was introduced in 1933 and has been used by visitors and locals on a daily basis ever since. The first element that had to be determined for the Gautrain was the colour palette. This revolves around metallic gold (or the CMYK print version of metallic gold), silver, cool greys, coffee brown, fish eagle white, ivory, various shades of blue and, where necessary, safety yellow. Concept image of the look and feel of the train.

A Gautrain System Identity Manual was drawn up, covering the aesthetic design of the five major elements of the project â&#x20AC;&#x201C; civil structures, stations and depots, finishes and colours, landscaping and environmental management, and the corporate identity, signage and information systems. The theme chosen as the symbol for the Gautrain aesthetic is the acacia tree. Resting under a tree was seen as a significant part of a journey, in the days before sophisticated transport was invented and in general, trees are respected as sources of protection and nourishment. In Africa, trees are also symbolic places where communities gather for worship, to barter goods and to enter into social interaction. The progress and development symbolised by the Gautrain is combined with the static icon of the tree, anchored in the past, identified in the present, but with the vision of the future.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Top: Park Station entrance.

Top: Rosebank Station entrance.

Planning the stations

follow the general guidelines – the two elements of the architectural design that have to permeate throughout all structures are the wavy roof reminiscent of the top formation of the acacia tree and the trunk and branch structure of the tree. These elements are applied to the station buildings, bus shelters, parking facilities and even the emergency shafts.”

A consortium of architectural practices was formed to establish the architectural guidelines for the structures. The firms that came together are Bentel Associates International, Siyakha Architects, and TPSP Architects, to form the Gautrain Architects Joint Venture (GAJV). One of the main consultants involved in developing the guidelines is architect, Tom Steer. He was involved in many of the preparation stages before any of the tenders were awarded and has been intimately involved in the conceptualisation of the stations. “Each station has a macro and micro influence that we had to consider,” he says. “The Gauteng province’s motto is ‘strength in diversity’ and we decided that each station should have its own theme to create some interest for the commuters. The themes, however, must still

Above: Sandton Station entrance.

The themes chosen for the stations celebrate the diversity of cultures in South Africa as well as the wealth that we enjoy in terms of resources, technology, financial strength, our history, our political standing in Africa and our people. They are: › Park Station – people, mining and gold; › Rosebank – commerce and retail; › Sandton – finance and investment; › Marlboro – music, art and culture;

Above: Marlboro Station exterior.

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Midrand Station.

Rhodesfield Station.

› M idrand – the meeting point of Africa and the gateway of Gauteng;

in the country that we could use. We wanted to achieve a modern look, but using African colours, art and sculptures, based on what would normally happen under Acacia trees.”

› Centurion – sport; › Pretoria – rail history;

“The overall aesthetics had to be holistic, though,” Steer continues. “South Africa had a bad history related to rail transport architecture and there were no precedents

The GAJV opted for a two-tier approach to determining the finishes for the ten stations. Sandton and the OR Tambo terminal station would be given choice finishes as these stations carry passengers on the premium express service, while the other stations would be given more durable, standardised finishes. As the Gautrain stations are mostly large ‘park and ride’ facilities subject to high volumes of pedestrian traffic, there was a danger that the facilities could become sterile and unfriendly. The counter to that was to create opportunities for people to linger, such as at the entrances

Pretoria Station.

Hatfield Station.

› Hatfield – academic life and the youth; › Rhodesfield – industry and technology; › O R Tambo International Airport – a tribute to the elders of the nation.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Centurion Station.

and in plazas where water features and seating create an air of calm and peace. The station buildings are designed to be as transparent as possible, but canopies have been incorporated, using the tree concept, to shield the glass from the solar heat and provide shelter during the rainy season. OR Tambo International Airport Station.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The concourse floors are all tiled with terrazzo tiling. The walls are segmented into low, medium and high impact sections, according to height. The lower section, which is subject to the highest impact from trolleys and luggage is covered with heavy duty polished porcelain with polished granite skirtings and stainless steel impact rails. We paid a lot of attention to developing

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > tactile ground surface indicators that can be used by mobility and visually impaired people and of course we made sure there are ramps and facilities for the disabled,” says Steer.

Building the tunnel Of the total 80km of railway dedicated to the Gautrain, 15km is underground, linking the Marlboro station via Sandton and Rosebank, to Park station in the centre of Johannesburg. To look at the exacting task of boring and constructing the tunnel, Tony Boniface of GIBB, a tunnelling specialist was appointed to the Province team. Boniface, who had then recently returned to SA having been involved in the construction of the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) project, was well qualified to look at the proposed methods of tunnel construction for Gautrain. The THSR line is almost 400km long and Construction of the Johannesburg Park Station tunnel.

needed some 50 tunnels with an aggregate length of nearly 50km. “For Gautrain traditional blasting and drilling methods were used for 12km of the route. This method makes it possible to employ a large number of teams working simultaneously on several fronts which speeds up the whole process. For the remaining 3km, the contractor chose to use a highly specialised tunnel boring machine (TBM). Unlike other TBMs that have been used in Southern Africa previously, this one had to be able to cope with the soft decomposed granites between Rosebank and Killarney,” explains Boniface. With a rotating cutting head at the front of the machine, the Earth Pressure Balance TBM, as it’s known, bores through the ground, and as it does so it mixes the excavated material with chemicals to form a ‘gunge’ with the consistency of toothpaste. This toothpaste

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > like material is removed from the cutting chamber via an Archimedian screw, to be discharged behind the pressurised head of the machine, so as to ensure no loss of pressure within the head chamber where the disc cutters are housed. The ‘toothpaste’ is then fed onto and along a conveyor belt to the surface, to be carted away to a spoil site. As the TBM moves forward, a host of ‘services’ have to be extended – including compressed air, electrical cabling and lighting. The ground in front of the TBM had to be kept under constant pressure to stop it collapsing. Once a day, the disk cutters had to be inspected and the crew had to go through a sea diver’s type of compression/decompression chamber, to reach the pressurised head chamber. At all times, the ground had to be supported and as the TBM moved forward the permanent tunnel lining consisting of a precast concrete segments had to be erected and secured within the tail shield of the TBM.

The concrete segments used for the tunnel ‘wall’ were all made by Southern Pipeline on the East Rand. “The moulds were made in Europe, but we produced all the segments here. Accuracy was very important. We had to produce them within a millimeter of the specs,” says Steve Delport of Southern Pipeline. Due to the changing nature of the subsurface throughout Johannesburg, geological studies were an integral part of the excavation process. Desk studies were first conducted, based on data extracted from the city council’s geotechnical records. The information was then revised on an ongoing basis while the construction was underway, so that the correct techniques could be applied to each area. “Between Sandton and Rosebank, the ground was hard granite and here, the tunnel is between 40m and 20m below the surface. But then moving from Rosebank to Park station became a challenge because the centre of Johannesburg is actually quite

Inside the tunnel boring machine, looking towards the exit of the tunnel.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > a lot higher than Rosebank. When we got to Killarney, we had to introduce a gradual incline,” says Bonniface. “We wanted to keep the gradient as flat as possible, so we had to bore as close to the surface as we could. This means that, in some places, the tunnel is between 10m and 12m below the surface.” Although they tapped into the expertise of the mining industry, the approach to the tunnel construction had to follow a different set of guidelines. “In mining, production is paramount, so speed of excavation is the aim. For us, the longevity of the structure and public safety are paramount. The structure has to be built correctly first time because once the trains are running, maintenance can only be done for a few hours at night,” Boniface adds.

places, the tunnel houses only a single track, so synchronisation of the carriages, that will run every 10 to 12 minutes at peaks times, is reliant on a signal monitoring system that operates in both directions. Contingency plans in the event of any breakdowns or problems, included the positioning of seven emergency shafts along the tunnel route. Where the tunnel is deep below the surface, safety chambers have been created, where passengers will be able to congregate to wait for the emergency services to fetch them. Where the tunnel is shallow, the emergency shafts have stairs, so that passengers can get themselves up to the surface. The positioning of the emergency shafts was very much dependent on providing safe accessibility for the emergency services to reach these points and operate

The design of the tunnel involved more than the geological and elevation considerations, though. In many

effectively, without disrupting traffic flows and other activities.

The tunnel from Rosebank Station, at Emergency Shaft 5.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Aerial view of the viaduct approach towards OR Tambo International Airport Station.

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Public relations With all the heavy engineering work going on, it would have been easy to lose focus on the involvement of the public and the need for them to ‘buy’ into the concept. In the beginning, when the Blue IQ initiative was launched and the notion of a rapid rail link was first mooted, there was much skepticism. One of the tools that has been used to counter that and to keep the public informed and involved, is the Gautrain website. The Gautrain wbsite.

“At one stage, we worked shifts, 24/7, so that we could counter the negativity,” says Ingrid Jensen, who is part of the Gautrain PR team. Two of the components offered to the public were a ‘route planning’ tool for road commuters who may encounter road closures and detours due to the construction, as well as a map that shows property owners where their properties are situated in relation to the Gautrain route. For the latter, an erf number is needed, to identify where the property is. This enables residents to determine how much they would be affected by the construction and, later, how close they would be to the convenience of using the rail service. They could further register to receive road diversion information via e-mail or sms as part of the trip planning tool, or enter a starting point and destination point to receive details of the best route, taking into account traffic congestion and detours. “The bottom line for the design of the website was interactivity,” explains Jensen. “We started a newsletter, called the Gauteng Rapid Rail Roundup, that links to the website and we developed a section for children and teenagers.” One may ask why the youth need to be drawn to the website – the response – “these are our commuters of the future. They need to feel comfortable with using the Gautrain.”

Kids’ Station, as the youth website is known, has content that has been custom-designed to appeal to the younger age groups. This includes Gautie News, games,

The website provides useful route planning tools.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > puzzles, competitions offering Gautrain branded prizes, a Study Buddy and My Train that is aimed at Grade 10 and 11 pupils. “For the Gautrain construction, we had to tap into the expertise of the older generation. These skilled people won’t always be around. The aim of bringing in a youth element to the site is to stimulate interest in skills development in the disciplines involved, because in 20 years’ time, we will still need those skills,” says Jensen. “Especially when learners reach Grades 10 and 11, they have to make decisions about their careers. This is when they have to choose subjects and we wanted to build an interest in science, technology and engineering. We have explained some of the careers that have been involved in the building of the Gautrain. So, for instance, there would be an explanation of what it means to be a town planner and what it means to be an engineer, etc.”

The My Train website.

Advertised regularly in Mini Mag and National Geographic Kids, the Gautrain youth site is further promoted on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as Wikipedia, with links back to the site. The social network aspect of the site has been expanded over the years and now there are blogs that have been added, such as the History Blog, where members of the public are able to post their own experiences during the construction phase. As the Gautrain becomes operational, they will be able to add their commuter experiences as well. These can include photographs and video footage and the blogs can even be accessed via Facebook and Google mail, to make it easier. Over and above the public involvement and information aspect, the Gautrain website is used for internal communication. This entails a private access facility with dedicated user names and passwords, so that staff can receive alerts, information and notifications about the progress of the project. The website, therefore, has been a pivotal tool in the entire process, one that is taken very seriously by the

The Gautrain Kids’ Station website.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT > operators. “We monitor everything that is said about Gautrain on the web, in blogs and in Wikipedia,” says Jensen. “We also contribute, so that we have established a significant presence for the brand and the project. We track the statistics, so we know that, for instance, currently we have 1200 fans on Facebook and 700 to 800 followers on Twitter, amongst others. We drive quite a lot of traffic from these other sites to our own website and, on average, we are seeing between 900 and 1000 hits per day.”

Conclusion

become a giant project for the province of Gauteng – one that will be spoken about for decades to come, for its construction intricacies and contribution to socioeconomic development in South Africa. The negative perceptions bandied about in the early phases have been turned on their heads as the engineering feats and overall design conquests have risen head and shoulders above anything so far accomplished on the continent. The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link will change the face of society as we know it in the province and be a strong driving force in achieving a global place for the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg as worldclass African cities. <

From a ‘small train project’ thought up back in the late 90s, the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link has grown to

All images courtesy of Gautrain.

Construction of the multi-level underground Sandton Station and parkade, October 2009.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Images courtesy of ACSA.

A conceptual design challenge Central Terminal Building at the OR Tambo International Airport Innovative designs create an even balance between the built infrastructural requirements and ORTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operational, technical and economic considerations.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Since the Airports Company South Africa’s inception in 1993, Johannesburg’s international airport adjacent to Kempton Park has seen a growth rate that has become almost exponential, putting the airport’s infrastructure under pressure and making extra capacity and efficient movement of passengers a top priority. Now known at the OR Tambo International Airport, or ORT, this airport is now a world-class air transport hub, which hosts airlines from all five continents and forms part of a global network of trade, distribution and other economic activities. According to the Airports Council’s international passenger statistics, ORT is busier than Brisbane and Dubai airports and its passenger traffic has even overtaken that of Cairo. The biggest and busiest airport on the continent, ORT is now capable of handling 25 million passengers annually. Due to the dramatic increase in the airport’s passengers, ACSA has actively pursued the development of ORT not only as an airport of excellence and an entry point into the rest of Africa but also as an ‘aerocity’. To facilitate the achievement of its development objectives ACSA divided ORT into nine precincts dedicated to increasing and enhancing the efficiency and capacity of all its operations. Most of these precincts have undergone major infrastructural changes and development. The new Domestic Terminal building, which was completed in 2003, boosted ORT’s capacity to more than 16 million passengers a year. A R44 million domestic-to-international passenger transfer facility was opened in April 2004 and the International Terminal’s major upgrade is nearing completion.

Artist’s impressions of the CTB. Images by BAI.

and project director for the CTB development. “As a hub airport ORT has a focus to maximise the efficient processing of passengers and goods and therefore the conceptual design challenge for the CTB has been to find an even balance between the built infrastructural requirements and the operational, technical and economic considerations of ORT.”

Further developments include the Central Terminal Building (CTB), a new apron, the Gautrain link and several multi-storey car parks. Surrounding road infrastructure and access roads have also been upgraded.

“The design of a building within the space designated for the CTB is unique and challenging. A very significant part of the overall development at ORT, the CTB had to produce an efficient seamless structure which optimises capacity for the expected 25-million passengers.”

“The airport aims for the highest standards of service and its operations are run very tightly,” says Steve Riley, Bentel Associates International’s (BAI) architect

“There was substantial debate as regards the design and finishes of the CTB. However, practical decisions were made and a complimentary design approach was

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

utilised. The structure features a spacious triple storey internal space, an enormous central atrium with a glass dome allowing plenty of natural lighting, lots of large and spacious open areas and overhead walkways to other buildings,” comments Riley. Décor, finishes and interior design echo the adjoining buildings providing continuity and enhancing the efficient flow of passengers and visitors. The exterior design of the CTB complements the other buildings creating an overall similarity in style. “With this development we are ensuring that ORT can cater for all the people who will be moving in many directions through this hub. The enormous central atrium serves as a single entry point for all arriving and departing passengers as well as visitors to the airport. From this central core they will then move in different directions into the various parts of the building and further into connections with other parts of the airport, depending on where they want to be. We have dealt with several challenging dynamics in this design. This is a highly complex environment and in addition, the whole precinct has had to remain fully operational during the CTB construction process.” The CTB concept design also includes a huge retail component. Retail, one of ACSA’s three principal sources of revenue, is a key element in the company’s strategy to maximise non-aeronautical income. In addition, the airport station for a Gautrain link has been integrated with the CTB. ACSA has worked closely with the Gauteng Provincial Government on the development of the Gautrain high-speed link to ORT. The CTB comprises the following levels: › A double-volume basement housing an extended baggage handling facility

Images by Sean Mowatt.

› T he International Arrivals level with links to the existing Domtex arrivals level

› A n International Departures level linking to the existing International Terminal Departures Level, the Domtex retail mall and the multi-storey parking garage

› A n international transfer core concealed as a mezzanine floor

› A Domestic Departure level which extends from the Domtex Domestic Departure Level

> > SECTION BUILT ENVIRONMENT

As part of the entrance elevation treatment, a glass canopy was designed in order to detract as little as possible from the façade, preserving full visibility of the façade while still achieving adequate shelter for pedestrians entering the building. Amongst others, the design of the façade was influenced by the use of materials found in the adjoining facades, the layout and space planning within the CTB, the existence of the new raised upper-airside road and elements and forms traditionally associated with flight.

Construction of the atrium and main entrance.

› A level housing the viewing deck and office accommodation › A plant room and overall roof-level The building was designed using a 15-metre structural grid, a concrete frame and post-tensioned slabs. The plant rooms and overall roof-structure were designed as a steel structure. The west facades, central atrium and viewing deck comprise architectural steelwork. The entire building is serviced from the basement levels via the over-sized Baobab columns that rise through each of the floors to the plant rooms at roof-level. Taking these guiding principles into account, the architects sought to develop a design that was sculptural in form, that comprised materials that would stand the test of time and that would complement the architecture found on the western precinct. In the early stages of the conceptual design, the primary challenge presented by the atrium was marrying the dualities of function and an appropriate expression for what essentially would be the hub of the airport precinct. The integration of the atrium and main external entrance posed similar disparities.

The architectural expression implied a combination of forms, both centralised and dynamic, thus alluding to the aerodynamic symbolism. Extended 3D exploration of these complex relationships produced a tilted circular butterfly ‘winged’ roof, over a conical clerestory. In order to keep the clerestory free of heavy structural elements, the roof needed support from within the atrium space, via gigantic V-shaped concrete columns culminating in four split-vector steel members for every V-shaped column. The concept of an organically shaped ceiling over the check-in counters grew out of a desire to express the concept of a flowing stream of people, once again in the idiom of the aerodynamic form. The added benefit of this form is a fragmentation of the ceiling over the vast expanse of the check-in hall – a space prone to looking bland and lacking of architectural form. “ACSA is committed to empowerment and the transfer of skills. We therefore had an exceptionally large professional project team. The concept design, its development and the documentation of the CTB project is a joint venture between BAI and Siyakha Architects, BAI’s associated empowerment company, Osmond Lange Architects and Shabangu Architects. The CTB was not only a design challenge but it also provided an opportunity to demonstrate BAI’s ability to interface and communicate effectively and efficiently at all levels,” concludes Riley. <

Ukubona:

ukubona

Leading the way with switchgear, and high voltage projects

kubona, a formidable player in the medium and high voltage sectors, has reached new heights in the industry based on the quality of their work, performance and cost effective solutions. Ukubona experience, expertise and excellence have enabled it to play a great role in the refurbishment of the South African electrical infrastructure network. Ukubona started operation in 1989, from small premises in Edenvale, employing only four people, with a key focus on electrical switchgear. The scope of operation was installation, testing, commission and maintenance of the switchgear. Today Ukubona serves both South African and international markets and has grown to an employee complement totalling 64. Its mission is to be the preferred solutions provider in respect of medium and high voltage electrical equipment to both the public and private sector. “At the helm is executive chairman, Imtiaz Abdulla who has guided the company through the myriad opportunities that have presented themselves as a result of the infrastructure development on the South African landscape,” says Subash Dowlath, a director at Ukubona.

Ukubona has partnered with a technologically advanced partner to transfer the technology and knowledge to South Africa Ukubona was awarded one of the first electricity infrastructure orders for the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link Project. It was tasked to relocate 44kV electrical cabling in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. It was also awarded the reticulation of the Midrand Station for the Gautrain project. The company has the ability to re-instate the supply of electricity in emergency situations. It has completed three such emergencies in the past two years. This includes the Kempton Park main electricity supply station where Ukubona had six days from being commissioned to re-instating the supply of electricity. The job required Ukubona to:

UÊ,i ÛiÊÓÇÊ££ 6Ê«> i ÃÊ> `ÊÀiÜ ÀiÊÌ i Ê UÊ,ivÕÀL Ã ÊÌ iÊÃÕLÃÌ>Ì UÊ ÃÌ> Êx Ê vÊ££ 6ÊV>L i Long running contracts at OR Tambo International airport and Ekurhuleni municipality have enabled the company to build strong relationships with these two major i Ì Ì iÃ°Ê ÀÊÌ iÊ«>ÃÌÊ£ÓÊÞi>ÀÃÊÌ iÊ À« ÀÌÃÊ «> ÞÊ vÊ- ÕÌ Ê vÀ V>Ê - ®Ê >ÃÊV ÌÀ>VÌi`Ê1 ÕL >ÊÌ Ê service and maintain the entire medium voltage network at the airport. A maintenance contract for Ekurhuleni municipality’s entire medium voltage cable network has also been running for the past two years. Ukubona’s footprint has grown significantly with contracts throughout Africa, India, the Middle East, Mauritius and the United States. In India it was V ÃÃ i`ÊLÞÊ/>Ì>Ê-Ìii ÊÌ ÊÃÕ«« ÞÊ> `Ê ÌÊ>Ê£ÎÓ 6Ê cable project. )NTERNATIONAL PARTNERS The recent surge in the need for various products in the electrical sector, spurred Ukubona to source products worldwide to satisfy its customers’ needs. The highest standards are required in its international partners and their products, to meet the company’s quality standards. 6ALUE ADD Although switchgear is at the core of Ukubona’s business spectrum, the company has cast itself as

ukubona a specialised player in various other areas such as maintenance, specialised projects and supplying high voltage cables and transformers to suit clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs. This enhances Ukubonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge in providing a total service for the range of requirements that may arise. /Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;ÂŤ>Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x203A;Â&#x2C6;ìĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160; * Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â?Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;VÂ&#x2026;}i>Ă&#x20AC;]Ă&#x160; cables and power transformers. 3WITCHGEAR Ukubonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s switchgear division is capable of design, supply, installation and commissioning of medium voltage switchgear. The switchgear range comprises a distribution and transmission type with a fault rating at Ă&#x201C;Ă¤Â&#x17D; Â&#x2021;Ă&#x201C;xÂ&#x17D; ]Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x160;}iÂ&#x2DC;iĂ&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;ÂŤiĂ&#x160;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160;>Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;xÂ&#x17D; Â&#x2021; xĂ¤Â&#x17D; Â°Ă&#x160;1Â&#x17D;Ă&#x2022;LÂ&#x153;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x160;Â&#x2026;>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;LiiÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;>Â?Â?Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160; >Ă&#x160;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;ìĂ&#x160;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;iĂ&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;VÂ&#x2026;}i>Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;ViĂ&#x160;ÂŁÂ&#x2122;Â&#x2122;xÂ°Ă&#x160;/Â&#x2026;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;LĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;>`Ă&#x160; experience places Ukubona in a prime position to render a world-class service. #ABLES Ukubonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly skilled employees have rare jointing Ă&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2C6;Â?Â?Ă&#x192;]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2C6;VÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;VÂ?Ă&#x2022;ìĂ&#x160;V>LÂ?iĂ&#x160;Â?Â&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x2022;ÂŤĂ&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;{Ă¤Ă¤Â&#x17D;6Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160; types of cables. Examples are XLPE and oil filled cables. In addition, Ukubona is also a preferred maintenance contractor with regards to design, cable repairs and assistance with diagnostics. 0OWER TRANSFORMERS As a result of its involvement in turnkey substation projects, Ukubona has sourced and supplied power transformers from its partners around the world. It has: UĂ&#x160; Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;>Â?Ă&#x160;>VVĂ&#x20AC;i`Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC; UĂ&#x160;*wĂ&#x192;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x20AC;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;ViĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;wV>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;

Ă&#x160;ViĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;wV>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC; 0RODUCT CAPABILITIES Ukubonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metrical capabilities include the following: UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;/Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x17D;iĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x160;ÂŤĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;`Ă&#x2022;VĂ&#x152;Ă&#x160;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2DC;>}iÂ&#x201C;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;iÂ?>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;ÂŤiVÂ&#x2C6;wV>Â?Â?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; the following products: - Reticulation - Sub stations - Emergency repairs UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160; iĂ&#x192;Â&#x2C6;}Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x2022;v>VĂ&#x152;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;>Â?Â?Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160; commissioning and maintaining of MV switchgear. UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;/Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;`iĂ&#x192;Â&#x2C6;}Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x2022;ÂŤÂŤÂ?Ă&#x17E;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}]Ă&#x160;VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160; Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160; 6Ă&#x160;ÂÂŁÂŁÂ&#x17D;6ÂŽĂ&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; 6Ă&#x160;Â{Ă¤Ă¤Â&#x17D;6ÂŽĂ&#x160;V>LÂ?iĂ&#x192;Â° %MPOWERMENT WITHIN SOCIETY The management and staff at Ukubona have pledged a commitment from within the company to contribute in a positive and meaningful way to empowerment within society. 4RANSFORMATION POLICY Ukubona subscribes to BEE and gender equity, having already received a level 3 BEE score. It is Ukubonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stated intention to improve its BEE score every year. In

this regard, a transformation committee has been formed to ensure that the goals and objectives of measurable action plans are met. 3KILLS DEVELOPMENT Skills development is a core component of Ukubonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ,Ă&#x160; iĂ&#x203A;iÂ?Â&#x153;ÂŤÂ&#x201C;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;>Ă&#x152;i}Ă&#x17E;Â°Ă&#x160;/Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;`Ă&#x17E;Â&#x2DC;>Â&#x201C;Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x160;Â&#x2DC;>Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160; business provides staff with continuous on-the-job Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Â°Ă&#x160;/Ă&#x20AC;>Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;VVĂ&#x2022;ÂŤÂ&#x2C6;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160;LiĂ&#x152;Ă&#x153;iiÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;xÂŻĂ&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Ă¤ÂŻĂ&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160; the working week and varies between technical and management courses. As part of its mission of meeting the objectives set out by the AsgiSA initiative, the company has developed structures, which incorporate black women as shareholders/partners. 3WITCHGEAR AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT TRAINING CENTRE Ukubona has recognised the dire need for training and has developed a plan to open a training facility for switchgear and associated equipment. It has earmarked ,{Â°Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x160;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2C6;Â?Â?Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x152;>LÂ?Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â&#x201C;iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;ViÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;iÂ° â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will be a perfect opportunity for black females to be trained overseas as trainers, in order to provide locally based training, under supervision,

ukubona to all prospective equipment operators. We have internationally respected engineers who will assist with the initial establishment of the centre and ensure a smooth and solid base for the women who plan to own and operate the facility,” says Dowlath. 7IRING TEAM Ukubona already has numerous female panellists on its wiring team. Its intention is to formalise the team into a company whereby the female panellists would be shareholders and manage their own business. The Ukubona management team will assist the team with business guidance and marketing. 4ECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER One of the major advantages of Ukubona’s partnership with leading international switchgear company Gelpag/ Õ>` > Ê ÃÊÌ iÊÃ ÃÊÌÀ> ÃviÀÊÌ >ÌÊ ÃÊÌ> }Ê« >Vi°Ê i «>}É Õ>` > Ê >ÃÊ>}Àii`ÊÌ ÊÌÀ> ÃviÀÊÌ i ÀÊÃÌ>Ìi v the-art switchgear production, which has been jointly ìÃ } i`Ê> `ÊìÛi «i`ÊLÞÊ iÀ > Ê> `Ê iÃiÊìÃ } Ê engineers, to South Africa for local manufacturing for > Ê>}Àii`Ê«iÀ `°Ê i «>}É Õ>` > Ê >ÛiÊV ÌÌi`ÊÌ Ê ÌÀ> }Ê> `ÊìÛi « }ÊxäÊ«i « iÊvÀ Ê- ÕÌ Ê vÀ V>Ê>ÌÊ Ì i ÀÊ vwViÃÊ Ê >°Ê/ iÊ Ìi ì`Ê L iVÌ ÛiÊ ÃÊv ÀÊÌ ÃiÊ team members to then transfer their acquired skills and knowledge to the rest of the team at Ukubona. In the past this type of switchgear has been imported. “We believe that this technology can and should be manufactured locally. It is for this reason that Ukubona has partnered with a technologically advanced partner to transfer the technology and knowledge to South Africa.” 5KUBONA EMPLOYEES SHARE OWNERSHIP PLAN Ukubona is in the process of establishing an employee share ownership plan, which will be a shareholder of 1 ÕL >Ê ` }ÃÊ*ÌÞ®Ê Ì`°Ê Ê1 ÕL >Êi « ÞiiÃÊÌ >ÌÊ have spent more than three years in employment will be eligible. A central component of the plan, which is in its final stages of completion, is to include black females Ü ÊÜ Ê Ü Ê>ÊÃ >ÀiÊ Ê1 ÕL >Ê ` }Ã° 0ROJECT )KAYA Ukubona has taken the initiative to ensure a better quality of life for all of its long serving employees, by purchasing a block of seven flats to house employees with over ten years of service. The y>ÌÃ]ÊÜ V ÊLiV> iÊ «iÀ>Ì > Ê ÊÓääÇÊ> Ài>`ÞÊ >VV `>ÌiÃÊÓäÊi « ÞiiÃÊ Ê iÀ ÃÌ °ÊU

BEE Profile Subash Dowlath Dowlath is an admitted lawyer by profession who joined Ukubona 18 months ago on a vÕ ÊÌ iÊLÕÃ iÃÃ°Ê iÊ >ÃÊ ÌiÀiÃÌÃÊ Ê Ì iÀÊ industries, but chose to harness his skills and networks for the development of Ukubona. ÃÊ«À ÀÊÜ À Ê ÊÌ iÊ V> Ê} ÛiÀ i ÌÊÃiVÌ ÀÊ means that he is poised for penetration into the municipal and parastatal market, for the benefit of Ukubona. Dowlath has a BA LLB LLM and Diploma ADR, which assist him in integrating his role as Ukubona’s director of business development and legal oversight. Imtiaz Abdulla

ÕÀÀi Ì ÞÊÌ iÊ ÝiVÕÌ ÛiÊ > À > ]Ê> `ÊÃ ÌÃÊ on various other Boards in various sectors vÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞ°Ê iÊLÀ }ÃÊÌ ÊÌ iÊÌ>L iÊ ÃÊÛ>ÃÌÊ knowledge on government, and strategic Ã } ÌÊ Ì Ê «> ÞÊ`iÛi « i ÌÊ> `Ê ÌÀ> Ãv À >Ì °Ê iÊ ÃÊ> Ã Ê>ÊÇÌ Ê > Ê >ÀÌ > Ê arts expert that encourages focus and discipline in terms of the Ukubona work ethic, to ensure that Ukubona employees, produce at their optimum at all times. Under his leadership, Ukubona has already experienced many successes and is poised for much more. Trevor Besten /ÀiÛ ÀÊ ÃÊÌ iÊ ivÊ"«iÀ>Ì ÃÊ"vwViÀ]ÊÜ Ì Ê experience from the Entertainment and i` >Êi Û À i Ì°Ê ÃÊÃV «iÊv ÀÊ ÛiÀÃ } ÌÊ ÃÊ À« À>ÌiÊ-iÀÛ ViÃ]ÊÜ V Ê V Õ`iÃÊ ` ÃÌÀ>Ì ]Ê > Vi]Ê Õ > Ê,iÃ ÕÀViÃÊ and Legal. Trevor is hands on and ensures that Ukubona does not lose momentum. Facts and figures UÊ/ Ì> Ê Õ LiÀÊ vÊi « ÞiiÃÊqÊÈ{ UÊÊ ÃÌÀÕVÌ Ê `ÕÃÌÀÞÊ iÛi « i ÌÊ >À`Ê ®ÊÀ>Ì }ÊqÊn UÊ -"ÊÀ>Ìi`ÊqÊ ää£\ÊÓäääÊViÀÌ wi` UÊÊ7 iÀÊ vÊ ÕÃ iÃÃÊ*>ÀÌ iÀÃÊ ÌÀi«Ài iÕÀÊ vÊ Ì iÊ9i>ÀÊ>Ü>À`ÊÓääÇ UÊÊxä¯Ê}À ÜÌ Ê«iÀÊ> Õ Êv ÀÊÌ iÊ >ÃÌÊÌ ÀiiÊ financial years

This article was commissioned by Ukubona. For more information please call 011 608 4736 or fax 011 608 4741. Alternatively, email info@ukubonaelectrical.co.za or visit www.ukubonaelectrical.co.za

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Soccer City > Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s melting pot By Bev Hermanson

Soccer City is possibly one of the most symbolic stadiums to be constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. There have been a number of notable design elements that had to be researched and sourced, making this a groundbreaking project for South Africa.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Every four years, the FIFA Soccer World Cup is followed by billions across the globe, igniting the passion and camaraderie of many nations. In 2010, as we all well know, this event is due to be hosted in South Africa, a first time occasion for the continent of Africa. The throngs of supporters that will be lucky enough to join the festivities in the flesh will be testing our infrastructures, our hospitality, our security, our communications

systems and above all, the facilities at the stadiums that have been prepared in readiness for the event. Johannesburg boasts two stadiums that will be used for the 2010 FIFA World Cupâ&#x201E;˘ â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ellis Park and Soccer City. But it is the latter that will claim the bulk of the glory, as the opening games and the final match will be played there.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

The design secured the deal Risk in the architectural profession is a stark reality. However, that is what Boogertman, Urban Edge + Partners, the architects, did when pitching to do the design and architecture for Soccer City. “In 2000, we put together a proposal to do a head office for the SA Football Association. The location suggested was a sports field in the Wits University/Empire Road area. At the time, SAFA was preparing to bid for the

hosting of the Soccer World Cup. We already had various concepts for stadiums that had been put together, including a possible rugby stadium in Midrand, proposed for the Golden Lions, so we were naturally interested in seeing what we could do for them,” says Bob van Bebber, Project Director: Boogertman Urban Edge + Partners. “To help them prepare for the bid, we started looking at some design options and consulted with the technical team that was responsible for the staging of the Rugby

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

World Cup back in 1995. In the beginning, all the designs included structures to support roofing, but we eventually cut the roof back, with a saving of R360-million, and that was the design choice that went into the bid books for 2006 and 2010.” When South Africa won the 2010 bid, the pressure was intensified enormously. All aspects of the planning for the World Cup were examined microscopically. During the 2006 Africa Cup staged in Egypt, opinions were being bandied about that the design for the lead

stadium wasn’t iconic enough for a continent such as Africa. SAFA rose to the challenge and asked Boogertman Urban Edge + Partners to come up with some more ideas. The various symbols considered included reflections of the mine dumps so characteristic of Johannesburg, the kgotla defined by the tree, bowls, landscape and the protea, which is South Africa’s national flower. However, it was the calabash, symbolising the melting pot of African cultures, that was finally chosen.

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“Containers, or pots, represent sustenance for the

was obviously African and the calabash is clearly dis-

body and mind. In Africa, water and food are in great

tinctive.”

demand and they need to be carried and handled in containers. After a meal, sharing a beer pot that is

“We took a risk on staying involved. There was talk

passed from one to another while sitting around a

that they would just buy the design from us and put

fire, is a great communal activity,” van Bebber ex-

the execution out to tender. But we hung in and even-

plains. “We played around with a wide variety of shapes,

tually it paid off. In the end, the design secured the

but Danny Jordaan was looking for something that

deal for us.”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Upgrade of the existing stadium at Nasrec The new Soccer City stadium is a revamp of the old FNB

embankment seating surrounding the playing field. As

stadium that was first built in 1987. It is located some

often happens in a revamp, the existing concrete struc-

distance south of Johannesburg’s CBD, within easy reach

ture had not been constructed with the intention of

of Soweto, which is home to a vast number of soccer

carrying extra weight in the future and therefore the

enthusiasts. Close by, the Expo Centre regularly attracts

roof structure has been designed to be independent of

huge crowds to events such as the well known Rand Easter

the seating bowl structure. Using an ingenious piling

Show, motor shows and other large expos. This entire

solution, the roof structure is positioned on 12 off-

precinct has been revamped and now boasts well lit

shutter concrete shafts that, along with 120 inclined

pedestrian walkways, landscaped verges, CCTV security,

perimeter façade columns, carry the load to the foun-

public amenities and new roads leading to the Nasrec

dations, which have ‘some of the most extreme piles

Transportation Hub and a pedestrian mall.

ever installed in South Africa’ to cope with the load.

The old stadium comprised two levels of corporate

The calabash sits on a raised podium, on top of which

viewing suites, elevated seating on the western side and

is located a ‘pit of fire’. The pot, therefore, sits in a

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depression, which is the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, as if it were being naturally fired. The pit demarcates the security and turnstile line separating the outer areas and the secure inner areas. The structural profile of the existing suite levels and upper-tier seating of the existing western grandstand extend all the way round to encircle the pitch. The existing lower embankment has been rebuilt to considerably improve the view lines of the most popular seats, while the upper third of the existing embankment has been raised to form a secondary tier, turning the stadium into a 3-tiered, rather than a 2-tiered, facility.

The upper embankment and the rebuilt lower embankment are accessible from the lower concourse, which is fed from the podium level. The two suite levels and the upper tier are accessed via 3-dimensional ramp structures that are contained within the faĂ§ade of the pot. All VIP areas and the stadium management offices are located behind the main western grandstand. The suite levels have separate lift and stair lobbies at each corner for dedicated secure VIP access. New change rooms, media work areas, auditorium and VIP

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

parking are located within a new basement under the podium on the western side of the stadium.

The defining moment The circular plan format of the pot, which encircles the rectangular seating bowl and field, was selected to ensure that all façade detailing could be consistent in plan and section, thus ensuring an easier detailing, manufacture, and installation process. This furthermore ensured that the 120 concrete façade columns would be consistent in shape and form.

The stadium’s façade is made up of fibre reinforced concrete panels, in eight colours and two textures that resemble the shades and textures of the calabash. The curved surface is punctured by open or glazed panels that show up when the inside areas are illuminated. There are ten vertical slots, aligned geographically with the nine other 2010 stadiums around the country and the Berlin stadium in Germany. These represent the road to the final. The final selection of came about after An extensive search was conducted to find just the right material for the façade. The product had to ultimately reflect the

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

essence of the calabash. Having discarded ideas of

“Finding the correct material for the façade proved

composite aluminium, steel, and various roof-sheeting

challenging,” says van Bebber. “It took us about three

options, the architects were coincidently introduced to

months to find the right solution. We sent an e-mail

an extruded fibre reinforced concrete panel called Fibre

to Wolfgang Rieder, CEO of Rieder Elements in Austria.

C, from Rieder Elements in Austria. The product is sup-

Within a week, he was in our offices. He sat with us

plied in panels with varying surface finishes, honed and

and developed a brief and a week later came back

sandblasted, in combination with a variety of earthy col-

with a proposal. The defining moment for me was getting

ours, to create the unique variegated façade cladding.

that e-mail from Europe late at night and realising

The panels, which are light-weight and only 13mm in

that we could produce the façade cladding at only

thickness, are supplied in 1200 x 1800mm typical panel

10% more than the original figure budgeted. Essen-

sizes and are fixed to a galvanised steel sub frame. The

tially, the façade is just about 100% recyclable. The

panels have excellent thermal properties and have

panels are made on a conveyor belt and cut like cookies.

been subjected to rigorous testing, including hail impact,

They are then laid out to dry before being finished

water penetration and discolouration tests.

and packed for shipping.”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Eight large pedestrian ramps, designed for the efficient ingress and egress of spectators to the upper levels of the stadium, have been provided. These ramps, which also provide vehicular access to all levels, follow the shape of the façade bowl and consequently change position in plan from one level to the next. In addition to the sloped façade columns, the other columns supporting the ramps are inclined thereby requiring intricate design analysis and construction techniques.

Ensuring sound quality The upper roof, which is cantilevered from an enormous triangular spatial ring truss, is covered by a PTFE membrane in a colour similar to that of mine-dump sand.

The bottom of the trusses are covered by a perforated mesh membrane, giving the appearance of a smooth under-slung ceiling. It is here that most of the sound speakers are situated to add atmosphere to the venue. “There are 128 loudspeakers installed, in total. They are a collection of different models with different dispersion angles, all colour co-ordinated to blend with the roof,” explains Mark Malherbe, Technical Director of Prosound. “The bulk of the work was up in the roof, which meant that our technicians had to have all of their tools on lanyards, so if they dropped, they wouldn’t actually fall through the mesh membrane. We also had to construct walkways, as the speakers boxes are very heavy and the mesh membrane was not able to support the weight.”

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

As sound travels relatively slowly, the Prosound tech-

says. “The sound equipment has been designed to

nicians had to digitally align the various sound sources

take in the perimeter of the stadium, the passages

so that they coincide. The amplifiers were installed at

and toilet areas as well. From a design point of view,

the catwalk level so that they are easy to access.

the cable routes are very important. How the cabling

These are linked back to a central processor that

gets from one point to the next can be a huge issue,

sends the signals to them. Infill speakers were addi-

particularly when there has been an existing struc-

tionally installed to compensate for areas in acoustic

ture that’s being renovated, like Soccer City.”

shadows, such as some of the suites. Another huge issue is the noise that is likely to be Over and above the commentary and public address

generated by the crowds. “The Confederations Cup

systems, Prosound further made sure that there was

was an eye opener for us. We looked at the statistical

an evacuation facility that allows manual override of

analysis of the level of noise coming from the crowds.

the sound system if necessary. “The public address

The Vuvuzela makes it insane.” However, with just

system is multi-zoned, so that specific areas can be

short of 30 years experience in the big events and

evacuated if the situation arises, without causing

Rock ‘n Roll industry, the professionals at Prosound

general panic throughout the stadium,” Malherbe

are undaunted.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT >

Conclusion Due to a critical skills shortage in the construction industry, the Soccer City project embarked on an extensive training initiative to provide the necessary skills required by the project and to contribute to the development of the local community. A self-sustaining training centre was established by the Soccer City project near the site, in conjunction with a black economic empowerment (BEE) training provider. As part of their Corporate Social Investment programmes, GLTA/Interbeton have agreed to construct two classrooms at the Bella Primary School in Soweto, opposite the Hector Pieterson Museum. To this end, Boogertman Urban Edge + Partners and PDNA have provided, at no cost, the architectural and engineering services respectively to facilitate this.

By the time the first teams run on to the filed, 80 000 cubic metres of concrete will have been poured, 9000 tons of reinforcing steel will have been placed and 8000 tons of structural steel will have been erected. This, in combination with the moving of approximately 120 000 cubic metres of soil, the distinctive, yet functional architecture and dedicated efforts in the design offices and on site, will result in the 90 000 seater Soccer City being transformed into one of the most striking, impressive and well-equipped stadiums in the world. “Although we had a joint venture partner in Populous from London, we are proud of the fact that a South African firm did the main architecture for Soccer City. There are only 17 architectural practices in the world that can claim to have done a World Cup stadium – one of them is ours,” van Bebber concludes. <

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INDUSTRIAL DESIGN >

DESIGN IS ABOUT THE FUTURE: THE TIME TO CHANGE TRACK IS NOW Design reflects change. Change as the norm, not the exception, reflects how South Africa and the world has changed. “Yet 40 years later, the ordinary person in the street continues to ask the obvious. ‘Where in our market are our goods? Where do we buy South African designed products?” asks Linda Mvusi, chairperson of the SABS Design Excellence Awards 2009 adjudication panel on the 40th anniversary of the awards scheme.

Mvisi, an architect with around 30-years’ of experience knows what she is talking about. Trained in Ghana and the UK, she has practised in several countries before settling in her country of birth, where she has served on the adjudication panels of the SABS’ various design awards for more than a decade. While reflecting on the adjudication of the 2009 Awards, Mvusi ponders on an important scenario: “South Africa

Linda Mvusi, chairperson of the SABS Design Excellence Awards 2009 share some insights with Prof. Singh and Dr Bonakele Mehlomakulu, CEO of the SABS.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > pays a hefty premium by continually valuing extraction industries and manufacturing for export at the expense of industrial production the manufacturing of South African design for our domestic economy. Will South Africa continue to pay northwards of 5% of our real Gross National Product in Intellectual Property, billions of Rands in fees and royalties for other countries’ ideas? I hope not.” Mvusi boldly exclaims that: “Hope is not a plan!” and explains: “The problem is not design, education or the ‘much-ness’ of our material resources. The global economic downturn is fortuitous for a country with our socio-political-economic demographics. It reveals structural failure in our national mind-set. By and large, in the past, we rewarded respectful conformism and benchmarked minimal standards. We ostracised freethinkers, creative intellectuals, dissidents and criminalised the notion of having the courage to fail.”

The Snuza Baby Monitor, designed by ...XYZ, Savant and ID&B.

She continues: “The time to change track is now” and claims that the SABS Design Excellence Awards 2009 is a good news story: “positive proof that a country’s wealth is not in material resources, but in people’s intellectual creativity. Design is scaled at life itself, not the design object or complex system. In an ideas-driven, creative global economy, design and design-thinking is pivotal.” In October, 18 South African designed products received SABS Design Excellence Awards, representing what Mvusi terms ‘pivotal design-thinking’. Although the products were not in competition with each other, The Snuza Baby Monitor received the Chairperson’s Award for the product that most inspired the adjudication panel. Snuza, designed by …XYZ, Savant and ID&B, is a new generation baby monitor that allows mobile monitoring of a baby’s breathing.

The Moonflower Range, designed by Willowlamp.

…XYZ also received awards for its design of the Touchmart TAP, a solution to enable the general public to access a broad range of products and services using

Most of the other awards went to the home and office ware category. These included the Kubic Innovator LED system; the Willow Lamp Moonflower Range of

payment methods that are accessible to them, and for the Stopak Jumbo Inflator that is used in the transport of produce in road freight vehicles.

SECTION > Chandeliers which also received a host of other awards in recent times; the Vector gate-opening system; the Cobra range of taps and accessories and the SKALA business furniture system. The latter two recipients were both designed by one of Africa’s most prolific industrial designers, Brian Steinhobel. The Cobra range is also one of the rare high-end signature sanitary product ranges designed by African designers in recent years. In the medical and healthcare category, the Stimpod, a nerve-locating device also received and award, while in the leisure and sport goods category, the new age scuba diving flippers, Seawing Nova and the nifty Ybike, a huge improvement on children’s plastic scooters, received awards. and This year again saw a pool cleaner, the Superbug, being recognised awarded, highlighting South Africa’s exemplary track record in the swimming pool equipment market. In line with products solving real African problems, the Lifewise Eco-Loo was honoured awarded. This cistern doubles up as a washbasin and clears the toilet bowl of urine, if the person using it washes his or her hands for 20 seconds. This innovative product solves two problems in one go – not only does it save water, but it also enforces hygiene through hand washing. As is the case of the past 40 years, engineering products again stood out this year. These include the GALT Road/ Rail Vehicle, the Kaoko™ Throttle Control for motorcycles, and the Puzey on-road, off-road motorcycle. And on the electronics front, the Command and Control Backpack, aimed at the military market, and the Sola-lite™ also received awards. Sola-Lite™ is modular and upgradeable a solar-powered LED Lighting System that comes in a DIY kit form with detailed instructions and is specifically designed for homes or buildings that require lighting but may not be connected to the national electricity grid.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > In her reflection of this year’s award winners, Mvusi comments that: “A significant proportion of entrants were small-medium and family enterprises – wives and husbands, siblings, parents and their children offspring – the sector most resilient with ways and means in a turbulent economy.” She notes that: “The overall standard was higher than previous years, reflecting deepening design consciousness, and surpassing ‘problem solving’ and competence per se: > The

designs articulated new ways of thinking, embracing responsibility for real issues. Primarily tools for perception, not just ‘objects in space’, they clarified purpose, meaning and use through legible metaphors, articulating rich relationships between people and objects.

> They

evolved through collaboration between users and designers, for in reality no one knows the aspirations and actual activities of users affected by design than users themselves.

> The designers tailored technology and materials to

users’ cultural and psychological needs, anticipating and accommodating future change. > Outstanding

products were strategically designed beyond clients’ protocols, re-organising corporations for to accommodate user-responsiveness, not just user-friendliness.

> ‘Fail-Safe’ Design – designing products and systems

to fail without disaster – is exciting. It acknowledges

The Vector, designed by Centurion Systems.

as an appreciation that old and new technologies can, do and should co-exist and be integrated and complementary side by side.” Mvusi concludes that: “This is people-centred design at its best! The SABS Design Excellence 2009 Awards embody critical values for a new, design-thinking South Africa.” In line with this statement, DESIGN> reviewed the successes of five of this year’s winners.

CENTURION SYSTEMS Centurion Systems is a manufacturer of security and access control products. Their product categories include gate automation, proximity access control systems, remote controls and receivers, high volume and manual traffic barriers (boom poles), intercom systems and related accessories. Established in 1986, Centurion Systems has always had a culture of innovation. , and tasks itself Its mission is to become a worldclass leader in the access automation industry. Centurion started off Starting in a temporary hut in managing director, Pat Dickens’ (MD) garden, the firm . It soon had to find much larger premises and has been moving every four to five years since. Today it boasts a purpose-built factory of 15 000 m2 incorporating robotics and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. Since its inception, Centurion Systems has pioneered many world-firsts such as battery backed-up gate motors

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > and the use of high torque DC motors. Their manufacturing processes are is being continually upgraded and its factory is fully compliant with the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 to ensure the highest quality. The company invests considerable amounts in its R&D programme and has , with 15 qualified engineers to research new and innovate products to add to the its range. According to Marketing Manager, Adam Butchart: “Without continuous investment in R&D, our company would find itself joining the ranks of its competitors – following the trends rather than creating them. Clever design, together with an intimate understanding of the manufacturing process, helps to drive down unit costs, a factor critical to remaining competitive. In certain cases, the introduction of innovative features justifies higher selling prices, thereby maintaining our competitive edge as well as our profitability.” Over the past 23 years, the company has brought more than 50 products to the market, of which more than 40 are currently available. Even more encouraging is that all products are manufactured at the company’s factory in North Riding, South Africa, and their exports currently span five continents. When asked what makes the Vector a worthy winner of the 2009 SABS Design Excellence Award, Butchart remarks: “The use of a novel centrifugal braking system

allowed the designers to focus on developing a highly efficient epicyclic gear train. This allows a smaller motor to be used, while still delivering class-leading performance. The choice of stainless steel, aluminium and plastic materials ensures a lifetime of corrosion free operation. Quadrature position sensing and a closed loop speed control system ensure that the operator stops smoothly and accurately at the ends of travel. A fully featured electronic controller, with LCD user interface, ensures ease of use and enough flexibility to overcome the majority of installation challenges.”

CHROME CHERRY DESIGN STUDIO Established in 2004, Chrome Cherry Design Studio (CCDS) was founded as an outlet for the creativity of its shareholders, five lifelong friends. Their skills and experience stretch over span various design fields including industrial design, automotive, exhibition design, aerospace, furniture design and even film. Launched two years ago, YBIKE is the first product conceptualised, owned, manufactured and marketed by CCDS and is currently available in nine countries with others following soon. Since then it has won awards at the SA Toy of the Year 2007 and SABS Design Excellence Awards 2009. Surprisingly, for the adjudication of SA Toy of the Year 2007, the judges only had a prototype

to judge and YBIKE competed against world brands such as Fisher Price, Mattel, Barbie and Lego. Jean van der Merwe says: “We at CCDS are firm believers in that not only good functional design, but more importantly also the aesthetics of design are important integral to our company’s development, sustainability and competitiveness. We understand the changes in a increasingly design conscious society and strive to develop products out that meet this need. Why can products not also be objects of beauty?” When asked what makes the YBIKE a worthy winner of the 2009 SABS Design Excellence Award, van der Merwe responds that: “The YBIKE may seem to be just another plastic ride-on, but every single aspect in its design, both functional and aesthetically, was researched and addressed. It passes complies with all applicable international toy safety laws and was tested by the Sport Science Institute and found to be very beneficial to the development of gross motor skills in young children. There are no short-cuts, from the choice of injection moulding – which is expensive – through material choices and place of manufacture, everything was done with reason.” Van der Merwe adds : “Being recognised by the SABS Design Institute has capped off an incredible two years since the launch of YBIKE. The award recognises the

work and effort that has gone into such a visually simple product. We are determined to be at the awards again in 2010.”

IDESO Founded in 1998, Ideso is a specialist industrial design consultancy based in Cape Town. Its essential concern is to take a potential product or ideas through the entire product development cycle until an actual manufactured product is on the shelves. This includes concept design, material and process research, visualisation, photographically realistic rendering, design for manufacture prototyping, tooling, packaging project management and manufacture. “Design is our life. It is in everything we do. Our aim is to design products that significantly improve our customer’s competitiveness. Only by designing great products can we expect to remain sustainable,” says Marc Ruwiel. He explains: “We have designed over 350 products in the last 11 years. Of these, more than 300 have gone into production and at least 200 of these are still in production.” Ideso-designed products are available all over the world. “The USA and the UK are popular export destinations, particularly for plastics and homewares.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > Several of our medical products are sold in Germany and in the Netherlands. The planters we designed for Styler are available in the Middle East. We have also designed collapsible horse stalls for a company based in the USA, two-way radio chargers for a company based in Hong Kong and a modem and tracking device for the UAE coast guard.” And he adds that: “It is always fun to see products one has designed in a completely unexpected and foreign setting.”

The Command & Control backpack, designed by Ideso.

The sturdy Command & Control backpack that won a SABS Design Excellence Award was a surprise entry in the ICT category because it is a housing system for such products rather than an actual ICT product. Ruwiel explains: “We believe that it is the combination of ergonomics, strength and fit suitability for purpose” that secured this award. This range product is more than a mere backpack because they are it is intended to house sophisticated and fragile communication devices which need to ‘survive when being parachute dropped

from a plane or dropped onto a concrete floor from a truck. While it must , yet still protect its contents, it must also and be comfortable to carry for a wide variety of people. It needs to do all this while weighing a fraction of the equipment that it supports. It may not be the prettiest product we have ever designed, but it is certainly practical.”

KAOKO™ THROTTLE CONTROL The Kaoko™ Throttle Control was formulated in 2002 by a South African adventure rider, Roy Mentis, while on a long distance trip through the Kaokoveld in Namibia, one of the last true wildernesses in the world. Mentis explains that today, the company’s core business entails the manufacture and marketing of one of the simplest and most effective friction type throttle controls available worldwide. In 2002 the first Kaoko™ Throttle Controls were designed for BMW motorcycles. Through their huge popularity, and by demand for other makes of motorcycles, R&D became an on going process, as the controls are bikespecific and purpose designed. Currently over 100 models are available and since 2005, the Kaoko™ Control has enjoyed exponential sales growth. “Design plays a major role. The Kaoko™ Throttle Controls has earned the reputation as a market leader. Kaoko™ vigorously keeps abreast of new motorcycle models and designs and markets new kits accordingly”, says Mentis. Unique features of the Kaoko™ Throttle Controls include: 5-year functional guarantees; the products are fully CNC machined; they are simple to install and takes less than 10 minutes to fit; they are simple to operate, even with heavy winter gloves; they are safe as they cannot lock and can be overridden in an instant; and the products are readily available internationally. In addition to the Throttle Controls, Kaoko™ has also developed a high-tech long-range fuel tank for BMW

The Kaoko™ Throttle Controls, designed by Kaoko™.

bikes and numerous designs of soft luggage for motorcycles. Mainly manufactured in South Africa, the company exports its products to the USA, Canada, all over Europe and Australia.

…XYZ Formed in 1999, …XYZ has grown into one of South Africa’s largest industrial design consultancies, providing companies locally and internationally with award winning and market capturing solutions. The Cape Town-based consultancy has experience in developing products for a range of applications, from complex socio-technical environments, to ergonomic intensive tools, to rugged industrial goods. Their diverse knowledge of 12 professionals encourages cross-pollination between technologies and provides clients with a fresh access approach to new markets. They describe their core business as “linking society and technology through product innovation and incubation.”

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > When asked about the role that design plays in the company’s development, sustainability and competitiveness, Design Director Byron Qually responds: “Design thinking is used throughout our business, from extrapolating a client’s true requirements or to planning a the products for mass production. The real essence of good design practice is to manage issues of sustainability, consumerism, innovation and recycling, amongst others.” …XYZ has developed more than 100 products that embody multiple components and diverse technologies, of which 71 products have reached the marketplace in the past ten years. Depending on the client’s existing network, quality expectations, production volume and design for assembly considerations, the company manufactures in South Africa, China, India, Singapore and Portugal. Describing the three products that won SABS Design Excellence Awards in 2009, Qually says: “The Snuza Baby Monitor and Stopak Jumbo Inflator, respectively assist in managing the safety of individuals and cargo. The Touchmart TAP, being a mobile and standalone solution, has empowered users with access to a broad range of products and services that were previously inaccessible. All three products have constructively contributed to the well-being and development of the market society.” Commenting on their winning streak at various awards schemes over the past few years, Qually says ”The SABS Awards bring international recognition and credibility to the South African product development community. The scheme, in part, provides an audit of product quality for export potential and an indication of skills sets that can compete globally. …XYZ has won 20 awards, been featured on five international exhibitions, and has its products as part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.” Stopak Jumbo Inflator (top) and the Touchmart TAP, designed by ...XYZ.

These five companies exemplify what Mvusi describes as “people-centred design at its best!” >

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN >

The Carrol Boyes showroom at Signal Hill, Cape Town.

CARROL BOYES > A TRUE MARRIAGE OF SCULPTURE AND FUNCTION By Suné Stassen

On the slopes of Signal Hill, in the Bo-Kaap where the aroma of traditional Malayan cooking, curry, spices and rotis hang in the air, you will find the creative rhythm of the Carrol Boyes (CB) empire standing in all its glory. This is just a perfect home for many creative souls. The space is impressive and the showroom is any CB groupie’s dream – an inspiring collection of just about every single CB piece you could possibly think of.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > With her roots firmly cemented in the world of the arts, rather than in design, Carrol Boyes’s incredible understanding, insight and application of three-dimensional shapes, textures and her love for exploring many tactile mediums within the 3D context, motivated her to major in sculpture at the University of Pretoria. She saw herself as an artist from the age of ten. It was really all she wanted to do. But, as Carrol says, life is not like that and after leaving university she realised that she also needed to earn a living and started teaching English and Art at a school in Retreat and in Hout Bay in Cape Town for more than 11 years. At the age of 35 Carrol reached the point where she wanted to find out for herself if she could really make it as an artist and gave up teaching to pursue her childhood dream. As Carrol says: “I pretty much knew that sculpture alone was going to be a hard-sell to put bread on the table so I tried to marry the two: the functional objects, that I believed at the time people would need to use almost on a daily basis, with that of adding a sculptural approach. At that stage I thought it was the only way that I could satisfy my own creativity and still earn enough to stay a provider. With the hope that I would be able to sell, of course!” SS > And the first sale? You obviously had no idea that this simple idea was going to be the spark of huge beginnings. CB > There is nothing quite as motivating as someone who opens his or her purse and parts with cash for a piece of your work. That is terribly motivating. Because at that early stage you are so vulnerable and insecure and when somebody tells you that, hey, they like it so much that they would be prepared to pay for it…that really get the creative juices flowing and then you can work through the night and work really hard. I felt wanted, you see. That is really satisfying because you know that your work is appreciated when someone wants it.

The first set of salad servers created by Carrol Boyes.

This first piece was a man & woman salad server set. They were really chunky and heavy. If I have to see them now and chuck them into a glass bowl I would most probably break the bowl. I started learning more about the weight of the metal versus the usability of the item and all the rest that goes along with designing and making a functional and user-friendly item.

The Carrol Boyes showroom.

I took the first piece down to Peter Visser Interiors in Long Street and they decided to put it on display. Within a day or two it was sold. And then they said they wanted more. SS > I remember those days the Peter Visser gallery was the place to see what your work was worth. Do you even know who bought this first piece? CB > They gave me my first break and I really owe a lot to them because they really gave me a chance. I don’t know the identity of the buyer and I am pretty sure that he or she is completely unaware of the significance of the piece. By the way, I still have a copy of that set upstairs. And, yes, as you have rightfully pointed out, this ‘empire’ just happened. It was never anticipated or premeditated. Today we have 30 dedicated Carrol Boyes shops, which only sell CB and Monkeybiz items, and then we also supply between a 100 and 150 other stores with our products. SS > If one takes your training into consideration, to create with an artistic flair should come naturally to you. But placing this within the context and stress of such a huge business, do you have to work really hard to keep your personal creative flair alive?

CB > It bubbles over every now and then because it can’t be repressed. There are times when I just have to do something creative because I can’t help myself. It has to be expressed; its there, very much alive and I allow it to come through. The interesting part of being in this business is that I very often feel that I should rather create what the public wants. To assist in that demanding process we have these cards in our stores where the public can fill in and share with us what they would like to see in the Carrol Boyes range. Then the pressure is on to deliver to the public on what they want. But the truth of it is that from a creative angle I can’t work like that. I can sit with that list of what people would want, but if it does not come from within I simply can’t do it. I wake up on a Saturday morning and that is my time to create. And it doesn’t matter how long that list is, I will work with my creative process, listen to my inner creativity and then design or create what my heart tells me to create. I don’t know how to do it any other way! SS > You want to tell me that you are creating other amasing creations that we will never see? CB > I have a whole workshop full of stuff that will never see the light of day. I always tease my staff and say they don’t have to worry – if I get run-over by a buss tomorrow they have a whole drawer full of drawing books filled with designs. They just need to go to that drawer and everything will be fine.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > SS > How do you keep the balance between your ‘creative gut’ and what a client wants when you are approaching a commission? CB > I struggle terribly with things like commissions. Make this for that hotel or make that for a restaurant. It is a really big challenge for me. I also think it is difficult as I know that the client already has a preconceived idea of what that final piece should look like. To live up to that expectation is extremely difficult. Even though some clients do give me the freedom to interpret their brief, a commission is, in my experience, still very restrictive. But again, this is a very personal thing and not everybody would struggle with that. There are many designers who will thrive under these circumstances – but for me it is a personal thing. SS > I know you have a very talented art department downstairs. What kind of qualities do you look for in a designer? Do they need to be qualified in a specific discipline? CB > Besides having a very good feel for the 3D, and for sculpture in general, I want young people who have very much their own style. I don’t want a little Carrol Boyes. That is the last thing that I look for – especially in the Metal Design competition. One of the first things I say to the participants is that they should not think that they will please me or win the competition by doing a version of myself. I want to encourage them, through giving credit to their unique style, to develop a strong identity of their own. I look for people who are ambitious in design. Someone with creativity, combined with a head for business will always be a strong candidate. And yes, one does not always get all three in a possible employee but something like business savvy can be taught. They don’t need a specific qualification. I have employed people with no qualifications, simply because they have a natural and amasing sense of form.

SS > Do you know how many people work for you? CB > Somewhere between four and five hundred I think… [she then smiles] SS > What does the process involve from conceptualisation to the final product? CB > Here in Cape Town we will do the creative side. So the design is developed to the point where it is ready to be taken to the next phase, which will usually happen at the workshop in Limpopo. If it is meant to be made out of pewter we will make the mould for them, if it is going to be made out of aluminium we will send them a prototype and if it is going to be stainless steel we will send them an electronic version of the design. So we get the design to the point where it is ready for further development. At this stage, for instance, if it will be made out of pewter it will go up to the factory in Limpopo where they can immediately start casting then filing and grinding and finally polishing. If it is going to be a stainless steel product it will have to go through the die-making process, which can take between three to six months to be make. So we send it to Limpopo where they take it to the next level in producing the actual product. So, all the hard work, dirty foundry kind of stuff is happening at this workshop. This is also where the first quality control is executed. Then everything will be sent back to Cape Town where we will execute the next level of quality control. Many items are made into separate parts and then assembled down here. SS > Have you conquered your fear of knowing that your business has grown to this size and that it is supplying and supporting so many people or has this just come naturally to you? CB > It is still scary, but back in the days I used to be so scared that I only employed people who were unemployed. I reasoned that I did not want to take someone away from their job, claiming that I could be a better provider. To take that person’s life and say

that I am now going to be responsible for it was really, really scary.

cannot be reproduced by a machine. And donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that we are still working with a very tactile medium, even if it is something like a hard metal. The personal Today we obviously want to employ the best for the touch at the end of the production process adds company and even if it means that we would have to something very special and gives each product an inheadhunt somebody, then we will do it. We are at the dividual appeal. And yes, even if people can only afpoint were we want what is best for the company. This ford the key ring at the time, at least they can start their collection. is the only sure way to grow and to develop. SS > Most people still strive to have a piece of your work, no matter if it is a single key ring or if they are adding to their proud collection. The novelty and thrill still stand. Having built this empire that has securely manifested itself in the mass production market, what do you think is the secret of keeping the individual appeal and quality of each piece?

SS > You have recently launched a new range called incolor. Tell us more about the origin of this new range, as it is the first time that we see your work in bright colours and in plastic.

CB > I think I simply donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to get old. When I look at what appeals to the younger generation you become aware of a different world. They love plastics, CB > You must remember that even though we work there are amasing little brightly coloured toys, robots with mass production a lot can be said for the fact and bold and colourful little images on Japanese that each piece is eventually finished, filed, grinded stickers. In the light of everything else, the colours and polished by an individual. This is a quality that are fresh, bright and beautiful. So I just simply wanted The art department at Carrol Boyesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; head office.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > to see what I could manage in the medium of plastics and of course wanted to explore the possibilities of bold and beautiful colours. SS > Do you still use the same design and production processes or did you have to make costly changes? CB > Strangely enough the process is very similar to the process we use for producing the stainless steel range. The colour dyes for the plastics are pretty costly, though. SS > I find it really fresh to see the incolor range placed amongst the Monkeybiz and the rest of the Carrol Boyes range. It is visually a stunning surprise. To me it has always felt that the Monkeybiz products created a beautiful and refreshing contrast amongst the Carrol Boyes pieces but with the presence of the incolor range â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is simply marrying the two opposites even better. SS > Whom do you aspire to and who is your role model? CB > I would have to say Picasso really inspires me and not as a man or the way he had lived his life but the way he lived his creative life. He was the most amazing artist and his work really talks to me, especially if one looks at the vast range of creative disciplines he got himself involved in. In all his work, 2D or 3D, he had the ability to project his tremendous energy and zest for life.

The new incolour range.

From a business perspective, companies that I aspire to and learn a lot from are Georg Jenson, a company that has been around for a 100 odd years and Alessi, another company that has been around for something very close to that. Although both these companies have been around for many generations, it is pretty great to have them as our role models, where you can see how they have started the business, from the original ideas and prototyping, and even after the people who started them have passed on, how they still keep the brand alive and how they have taken the creativity of that company into the next generation. They are especially great role models to me because they are producing products within the same design discipline as we are. SS > If you had the choice to choose any artist or designer to work with on a special project, who would that be? CB > Norman Catherine. SS > And the project? CB > A boutique hotel. I would like to get involved in the design of the restaurant, the bathrooms, bedrooms, and furniture the whole shebang from top to bottom. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you think that sounds like fun? <

Distant voices By Carl Harrison

In pre-industrial African society, so archaeological records tell us, the makers of two- and three-dimensional objects played an important social role. They were the creators of the signposts which helped people navigate successfully through the cultural group to which they belonged. They were also the guardians of the patterns and objects by which their group were identified. It could be said that these crafters were the glue that helped bind the social groups of the continent together. The creative vocabulary of these societies was made up of a small set of designs that occurred on a variety of objects. These repeated designs, colours and combinations formed a single style which was part of an integrated design field within agro-pastoral society in southern Africa. In contrast to the modern western world, traditional African societies were more homogenous and communally orientated (Huffman 2007). The makers of things, therefore, did not stand alone as individuals but had the social responsibility of pleasing the community. This meant that their primary role was not one of change, but of perpetuating evolutionary continuity, or reiterating through the generations the ever-changing creative vocabulary of the social group in question. Although some may wish to name these important pieces of social continuity art, I would prefer to believe that the creative vocabulary that existed in precolonial society was of far more social significance

than that. I also feel that this vocabulary has the potential of becoming the basis of a new creative vocabulary for the continent of Africa. In most pre-colonial societies the patterns and shapes created by these craftspeople generally had some culturally-specific meaning. In many cases the designs and colours used also had symbolic significance. Red bands on a Venda initiation figurine for example would represent young unmarried women (Blacking 1969). In some parts of Africa the black graphite painted on pots signified being human, and in some parts they were treated as representations of living people (Barley 1994). The craft of pottery in most parts of Africa was associated with women, not because it was just seen as a female occupation but because the creation of a hard fired pot from wet clay was seen as a transformation similar to that involved in creating human beings. Most female potters, therefore, were also midwives â&#x20AC;&#x201C; individuals who played a very important role in traditional society (Barley 1994). In Africa it is clear that within the historical record there is evidence of a visual vocabulary that was very different from the European model adopted worldwide today. The question could be asked: Could the historically creative vocabulary of Africa be utilised in the creation of new products for the home and export market?

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN >

We missed the point entirely. We applied our own visual vocabulary to these pieces of other people’s lives and thought we were illuminated by it. By doing so, we set the trend of the visually decorative that has remained the basis for much creativity ever since. So here we are in 2009, surrounded by objects designed using a visual vocabulary that belongs to someone else from halfway around the world – a myriad of ideas using other peoples distant voices. So how do we go about creating a unique voice of Africa? How can we develop modern products that involve the voices of the ancestors? How can we make modern products that reflect the rich sociological and cosmological world of the past? Who knows what would be possible if Africa could seriously consider the issue and challenge the Western construct that we call design?

What untapped creative potential lies in the cosmologically illuminating ideas that make up the world view of the San of Botswana, or the traditional symbolism of the Akan in Ghana? Where is the high value, totally unique works that we regularly see and admire from the Aboriginal peoples of Australia? Where are the totally meaningful and functional products of this continent? During the colonial period the West was busy collecting objects that we did not fully understand. We immediately classified them as art and presented them as such. We busied ourselves cataloguing this ‘art’ and placed these objects in our galleries and museums. It is now clear that we did a disservice to these important objects, the resonance of which is still being felt today. We reduced these culturally significant and meaningful objects to those of the primarily decorative.

Let’s take a look at the visual language of this continent. Traditionally all things had function. All things were produced for a use. African masks were ‘telephones’ through which people could talk to the ancestors. Pots were seen in some areas as people, so much so that if one was broken a sacrifice would have to be offered. Strange-shaped objects were used for initiation, and a whole cosmology existed that was completely African – more importantly completely outside the experience and control of the Western world. Let us return to my question. How can Africa use its original traditional world of meaning to develop modern products for the world market? It is clearly much better to be product development leaders than to be product followers. Followers remain at the mercy of creative leaders who are clearly in charge of the next direction to take. Contemporary African artefacts clearly have a market and I am not suggesting for one minute that these industries be

abandoned while we search for a new direction. What I am suggesting is that a thorough re-evaluation of the historical creative vocabulary be made so that it can be used in future to inform a totally new and unique creative direction. When Fulani women in Ghana want to become pregnant, they take a small clay figure, made by a local potter, and wrap it in their clothing around their stomach. The idea, in their way of seeing the world, is to attract a soul from the heavens. Once pregnant the clay figure is stored in the roof of their house. This is an important aspect because should the child die in infancy then it is possible to wrap the same figure in order to attract the soul of the same child back to the mother. An interesting story we may say, but how can this be developed into a new product? If those people were to injection-mould a small figure in culturally specific colours attached to a key ring it would be possible, with the addition of the ethnographic story, to sell it to couples in the West who were contemplating starting a family. This could be a functional contemporary creative object with meaning that could only have come from the Fulani – only from Africa. In traditional society in parts of Nigeria, women would always give an indication of how they were feeling by choosing different bowls in which to present the meal. If they were in a good mood they would use the bowl that would convey this meaning. If they were in a bad mood they would communicate this in their choice of a different container. Through a leap in imagination we could see the potential of a new export product. Perhaps the bowl may be of a simpler nature, but the message could be conveyed by the application of a stylised happy or sad face logo in the base of the form.

I am not suggesting that we subject women to a lifetime of cookery servitude. What I am suggesting is that buyers overseas, if offered the bowls with the ethnographic story, may see humour and meaning in the idea and purchase a set for their own use. A functional contemporary creative object with meaning that could only have come from Nigeria – only from Africa. Here is an opportunity for Africa to rediscover its lost inheritance; its rich and vibrant way of seeing the word which Africans themselves control and could develop in their own way. The Western world has failed to see the real meaning of this continent’s design heritage. I hope the people of Africa do not make the same mistake.

References Huffman, T. N. 2007. Handbook to the Iron Age. University of KwaZulu-Natal Press. Blacking. J. 1969. Songs, Dances mimes and symbolism of Venda girls initiation schools. Journal of African Studies. Barley, N. 1994. Smashing Pots. Published for the Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Press.

About the author Carl Harrison is a maker of functional objects based at the University of Botswana. Presently he is in the process of setting up the African Innovation Centre which will hopefully act as a catalyst for the development of an indigenous creative vocabulary for Africa. He is also working towards a PhD on the subject of product innovation and SMME development in southern Africa. If you would like to get involved in the debate contact him directly at carl.harrison@mopipi.ub.bu <

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN >

Creating harmony between engineering and art By Jennie Fourie

There is a dreamlike quality about Pretoria-based artist, Dr Michaella Janse van Vuuren. Her movements are fluid; she has a gentle way about her; her Facebook profile picture shows her kissing a baby gazelle, her amazing 3D sculptures, lights, jewellery and prints create a fantasy world and take the viewer to faraway places. But there is more to 30-something Michaella than meets the eye. She holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cape Town. In her final year of undergraduate studies towards a BSc in Electrical Engineering, Michaella embarked on a research project where she developed a software programme for human eye detection and tracking in video footage. This interest encouraged her to enrol for the Masters degree, focussing on the development of a system for automatic human pose and action recognition in video sequences. During her studies she received a Scarce Skills Scholarship (NRF), National Research Fund Bursary (NRF) and a De Beers bursary for research in computer vision. It was at Bloemfontein in 2007, during a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Central University of Technology, that Michaella’s long suppressed artistic talents – which so delighted her at the Pro Arte High School for Art, Music Ballet and Drama in Pretoria – emerged again. The research focused on the development of

custom implants using computer-aided (CAD), and computer-aided manufacture (CAM) methods using CT and MR-scan data as reference. She recognised the amazing opportunities that the 3D printers offered and embarked on developing a range of imaginative projects. Jennie Fourie, one of Africa’s most experienced design journalists, caught up with Michaella. J > Your Chrysanthemum Centrepiece was voted the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa at the Design Indaba 2009. Has this accolade changed your life in any way? M > Winning the Design Indaba 2009 accolade has made a big difference to my life. I got a lot of media attention, making people more aware of what I am doing. It was also a sign that I am moving in a direction that people find interesting. I wasn’t sure how my work would be received, and it was interesting that the public voted for a technological object in a design-orientated environment. I think it attests to the fact that I am passionately involved with the design. J > Your objects – sculptures, prints, lights and jewellery – have a dreamlike quality. They also create the impression of things seen under water, under the sea. Can you relate to these statements?

The Birdman is a digitally created and manufactured moveable sculpture. When the rod is pulled the beak closes and his arms drop to the sides. When the rod is pushed his beak opens and the arms move outward. He is manufactured or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;3D printedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in one piece with no assembly required. The Birdman was manufactured using an EOS P380 in PA 2200 Polyamide.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN >

The Starball sculpture consists of an outer star shape and 2 loose inner spheres. 71x71x71mm.

The Spiked Coral sculpture. 69x68x30mm

The CauliStar sculpture. 70x70x70mm.

The Sphere sculpture was inspired by Chinese puzzle balls and consists of 3 separate spheres. 78x78x78mm

These sculptures are made by a manufacturing method called additive fabrication. The object is designed on computer in a specialised 3d design program. The design is made into a physical object by a process called sintering.

The sculpture is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;printedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; layer by layer building up the 3d form by fusing thin layers of nylon material with a laser. The sculptures shown here are sintered using an EOSINT P380 machine in PA 2200 Polyamide.

M > Definitely. I am inspired by the work of Ernst Haeckel, an 18th century biologist, and love to collect images of deep sea creatures, corals and anemones. I love the escape that fantasy provides from the real world. In the same way that under water scenes seem unreal. J > You have been able to marry engineering and art. It is often said that engineering is about turning ideas into reality. Is this what you were able to achieve with the processes you use to create your art? M > Yes, by means of 3D printing you can make the impossible possible. There is no limit to realising even the most elaborate design. J > Who are more excited by your work, engineers or creatives? M > The engineers appreciate the technical complexity, and the boundaries that I push with the medium. Creatives also appreciate the work, but more from an aesthetic point of view. The objects have to be evaluated visually, the same as other designs and artworks. I find that people not involved in either industry also find the work accessible. I get lots of positive responses. J > Rapid prototyping has traditionally been the domain of industrial designers and engineers. Did you find it difficult to apply your creativity to this rather rigid environment? M > I was introduced to 3D printing through the postdoctoral I did in custom medical implant design. I started my company NOMIL to give myself the freedom to create my own designs. I do not have to conform to the expectations of the industry, only to my own. It was a very natural step for me to take, moving into the realm of sculpture. J > For your doctorate in electrical engineering at UCT you developed a system that automatically recognises a

The Chrysanthemum centrepiece is a reversible design that can function as either a bowl or a candle holder, depending on which side of the design faces upwards. The centrepiece reflects my passion for the textures, shapes and patterns found in nature. I especially like to interpret those objects that have a repetitive mathematically founded pattern. Some objects are immediately recognisable, such as the Chrysanthemum, others are more abstract. Direct 3-dimensional manufacturing methods, such as selective laser sintering (SLS) used to create the Chrysanthemum allows me to design intricate textures and objects. These textures and objects would have been impossible to execute by hand, yet the centrepiece still retains the beauty and tactile feeling of a natural object. The Chrysanthemum is directly manufactured with the EOS P380 using the PA2200 polyamide material. Size: 250x250x82mm

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN > number of human poses and actions using negative space analysis. Have you applied this thinking to your art? M > My long term plans definitely include the use of the system I developed for my PhD. In the meantime I need to work on accessing the funding that will allow me to embark on such a project.

Cube light, 128x128x200mm

J > From which base do you look at the world – from an engineering or a creative perspective? M > That depends on what stage of the project I am busy with. When I need to research a subject, or when I am visualising an object in the beginning, I creatively try to find solutions. But when the actual design is done I have to go over to a purely engineering perspective. J > Is there something that you want to achieve artistically that is constrained by technology?

Lace light, 139x152x190mm

M > I am drawn to things that are very challenging, so on the one hand the technology has to be learnt and the limitations understood. On the other hand, knowing how all these programmes work and being able to use them efficiently give you enormous freedom to create whatever you can imagine. J > The flip side of the question above – are there other technologies that you want to explore in your art?

Icosa light, 140x140x186mm COLOUR CHANGING LIGHTS | The lights are made by a manufacturing method called additive fabrication. The lamp is designed on computer in a specialised 3d design program. The physical lamp is ‘printed’ layer by layer building up the 3d form by fusing thin layers of nylon material with a laser. The lights shown here are sintered using an EOSINT machine in polyamide. A recessed colour changing LED light provides the lighting colour effect.

M > I would love to work with the metal printers http:// www.exone.com , http://www.eos.info/en/products/ metal-laser-sintering.html and micro printers http:// www.microfabrica.com/pages/index.php J > On your website you explain that you can send a file to an overseas client who can then have it ‘printed’ into a product, thereby reducing its carbon footprint to just about nothing. Is this important to you? M > Because I am not burdened with high shipping costs, I am not only reducing the carbon footprint,

but I am also competing on an equal footing within the international market. J > You seem to have an international client base. Tell us a bit more about this. M > I already have loyal supporters. I spend a lot of time networking, and hope to see my work in some of the big collections in the future. J > Do you have role models – personally and artistically?

Sequin I: Swirl pendant in 9kt yellow gold, 21x21x9 mm

M > There are people whose careers I follow for inspiration – individuals who manage to sustain their own creativity. The Design Indaba conference has been a source of inspiration to me. I love the girls from Front for their experimental design, Rene Lalique for his beautifully crafted designs and Geoffrey Mann for his work in new technologies. J > Was there anybody who gave you a big break – in research, in engineering or in your art?

Sequin II: Flower pendant in 9kt yellow gold, 26x26x12mm

M > My parents have always supported my projects. My years at Pro Arte gave me the freedom to create, at UCT Prof. Gerhard de Jager allowed me the opportunity to obtain my PhD. Deon de Beer from CUT, Bloemfontein, has supported my career since my postdoctorate studies under him (Bloemfontein sponsored the first Chrysanthemum). J > What is your next big step? M > Firstly there will be the Design Indaba 2010. Then, because of the high costs of 3D printing, I hope to find sponsors to fund a project that will encompass the research needed for a bigger project that will combine engineering and my art even more. Visit www.nomili.co.za to gain an understanding of Michaella’s 3D modelling and production techniques. <

The Gold knot pendant in 9kt yellow gold, 20x20x15mm SOLIDSCAPE | The jewellery is designed using specialised 3D computer design programs. The gold objects are made by ‘growing’ the physical object in wax using a Solidscape wax printer. The wax object is then cast in gold using a lost wax casting process.

JEWELLERY >

The Gold of Africa Museum: The embedded history of gold By Suné Stassen

Too many South Africans and Africans still believe that nothing good can come from Africa. And yet, at the Gold of Africa Museum, I stood in awe while I was studying the most sophisticated detail, concepts, designs and skills. While most want to believe that Africa will always stay Third World, the embedded history of gold in Africa speaks of highly sophisticated systems, communication and value systems, skills, tools and social structures which already existed way before any European influences reached the continent’s shores.

Suné Stassen (SS), one of DESIGN> magazine’s contributing editors, visited the Gold of Africa Museum and then interviewed Christopher Till (CT), the brain behind the museum. SS > Why is gold so important in the history of Africa and what, in your opinion, fuels the mystical relationship that already exists between gold and the African continent?

The structure protecting and housing this special collection is of historical and architectural importance to Cape Town as the Martin Melck House is one of the oldest original examples of colonial style living from the 18th century, and was constructed in the then very popular neo-classical architectural style.

CT > Gold has been traded in Africa for hundreds of years – from ancient Ghana across the Sahara in exchange for salt, and from Nubia (current day Sudan) down the Nile to Egypt and from Mapungubwe in Limpopo (current day South Africa) through Sofala in Mozambique across the Indian ocean to the east. Gold has charted the trade routes and carried with it knowledge of these civilisations to the rest of the world.

Mashabane Rose Architects faced many challenges in integrating two very different worlds in one space – colonialism and the world of West African kings. Martin Melck House, which was at the time a prime seafront property, and the Akan Kingdom – the origin of this great collection – happened at the same time, making it even more special.

SS > While observing the most astonishing level of sophistication and exploring the detail and competency in the use of a variety of materials, problem solving skills and applications of concepts and creativity that already existed, some from as early as 18th century, I was thinking of a recent interview with the author, Moeletsi Mbeki of the publication, Architects

In West Africa it is taboo to look directly into the eyes of the queen mother and to prevent that, she would wear gold â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sunglassesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

JEWELLERY > of Poverty. In this book he explores why Africa is the architect of its own poverty. It is said that from as early as the 4th century Muslims travelled to West Africa for trade, and between the 11th and 17th centuries West Africa, also called the Gold Coast, was the leading supplier of gold to the world. Why is it that these parts of Africa are not the jewellery hubs of the world today? Having direct access to the history and having a much better understanding of the influences and impact of outside sources on the development of these social structures that are on display, maybe you can shed some light on how things developed since then. Does this level of sophistication in the jewellery industry still exist? CT > The establishment of the Gold of Africa Museum had as one of its objectives the preservation of the knowledge techniques, designs and practices of gold jewellerymaking as inspiration for contemporary design. The lack of infrastructure and any focused development, promotion and marketing of African jewellery has stunted any significant industry developing. AngloGold Ashanti undertook an evaluation of the capacity and capability of training and manufacturing facilities in Ghana and this forms a potential collaboration between the museum and our own design schools and industry which we hope to pursue, in the interests of furthering this objective. This will help to revive the energy and power of the objects representing the history that you describe. SS > I have noticed that the collection consists of artefacts only from West Africa. Any reason for this? Does this mean that the rest of Africa did not produce gold in those days or is there a much simpler explanation? CT > The collection, forming the nucleus of the museum’s permanent display, was purchased from Barbier-Mueller Museum in Geneva. The artefacts were collected from West Africa from the regions where gold was mined, traded and used in the social structures. This information is showcased throughout the narrative of the museum. Yet, the ancient civilisations of Egypt used the gold from the mines in Nubia to make extraordinary artefacts and

jewellery. We hope to present examples of these in an exhibition called the ‘Black Pharaohs’ we are working on. This will consist out of the artefacts of the ancient Nubia, when the kings of this region ruled over Egypt. The gold of Mapungubwe in the south east of the continent is an added reflection of the extent of gold use on the continent. SS > I saw some of the social structures of that time in the display. It is evident from some of the photographs on display that even very young children were allowed to wear these precious and extraordinary gold pieces. Surely this must have been a huge responsibility? Who were allowed to wear the jewellery? CT > The images showing children wearing jewellery in a large group illustrates the practice of families demonstrating and parading their wealth on a high days or holidays, so to speak. The jewellery is not worn on a daily basis and obviously only on ceremonial and celebratory occasions. This practice underlines their status and success. SS > What were in stall for the wearer if they dared to lose a piece and was finder’s keepers at all relevant those days? CT > You might have noticed the lid of the container on display. This container held the gold dust, which was, before modern day money, the currency of Ghana. On the lid is the sculptural form of a man kneeling with his hands tied behind his back and with the figure of the executioner towering over him with the sword held-up high. This message is clear: Steal gold or salt and the consequence is death! So finder’s keepers would have been a risky practice. SS > Tell us more about the powerful presence of the Lion and the Young Boy displayed in the museum. What do they symbolise? CT > The lion of Africa as the king of the jungle reflects the symbolism of power and majesty, which is clearly linked to the gold artefacts of wealth and power. The historical photograph of a young boy is showing

Interior of the Gold of Africa Musaeum.

Images showing children wearing elaborate jewellery as a reflection of their familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wealth and status.

The lid of a container that held gold dust.

JEWELLERY >

The use of zoomorphic imagery and relating these to messages and metaphors is integral to the design of the objects. There are many meanings attributed to these, often relating to the kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power.

the Ashentehene, the young hereditary king of the Ashanti people and his presence symbolises the protection of the artefacts and the exhibition on display as a whole.

the crocodile live in the same environment in harmony but the mudfish needs to be wary. One should not come too close to the porcupine, as its quills will teach you a lesson. And so on.

SS > I have also noticed a number of artefacts like a variety of golden sunglasses and, similar to our present day casual slop sandals, but in this case a few pairs of ancient slops that used to be worn by kings. What is the symbolic meaning of the golden sandals and is it fair to say that these designs were forerunners of what we know as sunglasses and slops today? Can we claim that, as far as we know, the first sunglasses and slops were designed in Africa?

This kind of imagery forms part of many African societies as apocryphal lessons in the delicate balance of power and its use. A good example of this would be the artefact that showcases the hand holding an egg which metaphorically means that holding the egg carefully as not to drop it and also one holding the egg not to tightly as to not break it.

CT > I don’t know but for sure a great patent to claim! The sandals are those of kings and chiefs. Decorated in gold, which symbolises the adornment of their feet, the sandals were also designed very broad to prevent their feet from touching the ground which was completely taboo. So too is it taboo to look directly into the eyes of the queen mother and to prevent that, the queen mother would wear the gold ‘sunglasses’. SS > It is clear that there used to be a very sophisticated communication system that spoke of value, status, structure and symbols and that also communicated the state of the king’s mind at the time. What is the symbolic meaning behind the Sankofa bird and does its bodily position have any significance? Also explain the significance in the use of the mudfish, elephant, leopard, crocodile, porcupine, monitor lizard and frog as important themes of some of the rings and other jewellery pieces and how have these played a vital part in the symbolic language that was used by the kings to communicate with their people and to others of similar status. CT > The use of zoomorphic imagery and relating these to messages and metaphors is integral to the design of the objects. There are many meanings attributed to these, often relating to the king’s power. Some of these are easily understood but others are obtuse.

In other words, a good ruler will demonstrate this balance in his relationship towards all his subjects. SS > Over and above wearing gold jewellery, what would have been a typical dress code for a king those days? CT > The Kente cloth woven from silk in thin strips on a loom is tied to the toes of the weaver before all the thin strips are sown together into garments worn only by royalty. These are highly decorative and vivid, gathered into large parasols held above the royal entourage. SS > In 2005 the King of Gold, HM Otumfo Osei Tutu II, who is the 16th king of the Ashanti’s of Ghana, visited the museum to donate an Ashanti stool. What is so special about this artefact and why did he entrust the museum with this valuable piece and not keep it for himself? CT > The King’s visit to the museum was an enlightening experience for all concerned. He was intrigued with the collection and the manner in which we have exhibited it, and expressed interest in our collaborating in creating a museum for him in Ghana.

The stool represent the golden stool which the Ashanti believe fell down from heaven giving birth to the Ashanti nation. This was lost after the British defeated the Ashanti in battle in the 19th century and sacked the royal palace. The damaged stool was unearthed The Sankofa bird for instance looks back implying the years later but was restored and is back in the royal all-seeing capability of the king. The mudfish, frog and palace, symbolising the unity of the nation. The stool

JEWELLERY >

The old and the new living side by side at the Gold of Africa Musaeum.

JEWELLERY >

Royal sables decorated in gold.

The jewellery studio at the Gold of Africa Musaeum.

Royal sandals and other gear decorated in gold.

given to the museum is a contemporary example with gold adornment and given by the king in friendship and to mark his visit. SS > From time to time the museum also houses very special collections from around the world. Any future collections that you feel will be a highlight? We have brought in a number of collections of material linked to Africa, including examples of African art. For a long time I wanted to establish a major collection of African art in a dedicated museum and took steps towards this while I was the director of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, acquiring the Brenthurst Collection. We have recently signed an agreement with the Barbier-Mueller Museum giving us access to their world-renowned collections of African art which we will be bringing to South Africa on an ongoing basis. SS > Tell us a little more about the methods that were used for gold trading, how they determined the value of gold and the interesting system that was designed for taxation. The container I described earlier mentioned the consequences of stealing gold dust was necessary to hold the means to trade. Scales to weigh the gold dust made up the equipment necessary to conduct business. Weights made of brass mirroring the symbols seen in the gold jewellery designs were used to establish the amount and consequent value of the gold dust used in each transaction.

CT > The colonial borders that define the modern day north western border of South Africa, the south western border of Mozambique and the south eastern border of Zimbabwe straddle an area that was once the kingdom of Monumatapa. Here the stone structures of Great Zimbabwe, Mapungubwe and Thule Mela on diverse sites show remnants of this ancient gold mining and trading state. At Mapungubwe, which is a sacred royal burial site set on the top of a large hill, archaeologists from the University of Pretoria excavated these sites in the 1930s finding gold artefacts and gold beads. Included in this find was the golden rhino which is now in the Mapungubwe Museum at Pretoria University. This evidence of gold mining and trade, centuries before the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, reveals a developed civilisation which placed value on gold as a symbol of power as well as wealth, reflected in the burial of this most noble of metals with the royal dead. SS > Finally, explain origin of the logo for the museum. CT > The logo of the museum is taken from one of the heavy gold bracelets in the collection worn by an African king. Its circular form provided the motif for this, which has been rendered in a linear form. It represents the sophistication of the gold artefacts in the collection and the advanced civilisation that made and used these beautiful objects.

The gold jewellery and objects were over time melted down to make new material and a tax on the weight of gold realised through this process was paid over to the king.

The designer was Iaan Bekker who was a senior director and designer at Lindsay Smithers at the time. <

SS > My personal fascination with the collection is most definitely the gold finds from South Africa at Mapungubwe and Thula Mela, two sacred cities that speaks of ancient cultures that existed roughly between 950 and 1640 AD. When exactly where these extraordinary finds made, and what were revealed during these excavations in terms of their social structures and relations with the trade route and other cultures?

All images courtesey of the Gold of Africa Museum.

FASHION >

Gideon

Lunar

Ruby

Two

2010 Winter Wrapped: Sanlam SA Fashion Week By Karuna Pillay

Madonna says its best: “Let your body move to the music, strike a pose – Vogue, Vogue...” The models, make-up, hair artists, hemlines, bust lines, tailored suits, silks, velvets and embellishments made for intrigue and gasps of awe as the models with their garments cascaded down the runway at the 2010 Sanlam SA Fashion Week Winter Collections held at the Sandton Convention Centre in September.

Gideon kicked off the experience of Fashion Week for me. His use of monochromatic winter palettes conjured up a dull dreary day that sought out layers of wool, draped every which way to create a feeling of warmth and comfort. The collection showed interesting cuts that created an ease of flow representing the wearer’s individuality.

Loxion Kulca

Abigail Betz

The House of Ole

FASHION >

Lebo Mash

Gugulam

Rjkay Creations

Guillotine

Tiaan Nagel

Lunar, on the other hand, made use of earthy, wearable, stylish, make-your-mark pieces. The layering and the cuts made for inspiring garments that strangely evoked a sense of calm in a dust storm with the use of neutral colours complimented by the, ‘oh so daringly delicious’ black numbers. Definitely something to be seen in at the 2010 FIFA World Cup! Ruby, always a highlight of Fashion Week, this time around showed nothing really new. The fabric mix was hot – velvets, bold motifs and even tattoo print hosiery. What is with the tattoo print hosiery? ... It did nothing for the naughty bits on show. Two focused on the tough economic times. About time fashion reflected the environment in which we all find ourselves. Essential basics and layering are nowhere

Ephymol

Terrence Bray

more evident than in this collection. It’s all about the body and how you dress it to make a statement. Almost everyone – whether in Paris or Parys – could relate to the superb crafting, attention to detail and pure love story material achieved by Abigail Betz. The collection showed beauty, splendid cut, sumptuous cloth with elegance only gained when floating on cloud nine after the fairy godmother had dressed you for the ball. The trend was definitely draping and layering to create a warm, snug yet comfortable look and appeal. Day 3 saw Wandi Nzimande celebrating 10 years of Loxion Kulca and introducing Analogue. Hip… hip… hooray… yeah-street smart has made the big times.

FASHION >

Colleen Eitzen

Amanda Laird Cherry

Clive Rundle

This edgy, attitudinal, funky, cool collection made my

Terrence Bray’s use of geometry has rarely been so

day – a blessing for hip hop modern-day men’s wear

beautifully represented. This collection’s foundation

that is comfortable to wear, easy to move in and chic.

should definitely be used in the classroom; and I am sure we will see more interest from pupils. The geometric

The House of Ole showed men that they to can be

outlines infused with a natural earthy palette made

quirky and smart. Using the old suit with a cleaner

for breathtaking ensembles that were livened by fau-

cut, without giving away style, but rather enhancing

na print and flashes of citrus. The sensual flow of the

the flair, was the ethos of the day. The idea of more is

garments suggested a romantic, yet, ‘I-know-what-I-

less was evident again by the layering concept.

want’ mindset.

Dancing like water on a rainy day epitomises Lebo

Day 4 brought Colleen Eitzen who, in my view, pre-

Mash’s collection of easy to wear – any time, any

sented a fun, light-hearted take on the winter blues.

place garments. Gugulam showed refined style with

Amanda Laird Cherry’s collection was wickedly fun,

a spirit of a Tasmanian devil. Everything in this collec-

creative and easy to wear. Dress it up or dress it down,

tion oozed sophistication, class, wearability and lon-

no matter the take. Again the layering was very evident.

gevity. Then to a fashion icon, Clive Rundle, that now resides Rjkay Creations’ collection was awesomely bold, so-

in The Firs Mall, Rosebank. This was an edgy collec-

phisticated and directed. The choice of rich fabrics

tion that did nothing but show of possibilities of the

captured the spirit of people and cultural diversity.

mind. From a wearability point of view, it is definitely

The fluctuating hemlines created spice and an air of

for those who want to make a statement – his winter

mystique that added flavour to the wearability of the

outlook is for the suit complimented by a mixture of

garments.

fabrics, short and long pants. Nothing was new. Sorry that’s incorrect. The use of the zip was taken to new

Guillotine’s collection can be summed up in a few words:

heights.

structured style that epitomises ease of wear. On the other hand, Tiaan Nagel in partnership with DAC, work-

SSAFW guru, Lucilla Booyzen said: “Some of the

ing with crafters from Kwazulu Natal showed a raw

emerging themes for winter 2010 centred on details

collection that focused on the stormy conflict of a

within the design and a combination of fabrics to en-

Winter’s day. The collection is modern and its beauty

hance it. The trend for both men and women is the

resides in its simplicity.

cardigan. We have not seen the cardigan for a long time and it’s making a comeback, especially since

“Who let the boys out, who let the boys out?” Ephy-

Michelle Obama wore a cardigan when se met the

mol presented an individual collection that boldly went

queen recently.”

where few men have gone before. This collection takes the South African man out of his comfort zone and

The SSAFW was again a great launching pad for emerging

places him squarely on the catwalks of style. Winter

talent and an opportunity to see what’s new. This

is certainly going to warm the hearts of the fairer sex

year saw the themes for layering, simple creative cut,

when they behold their men in these creations.

neutral colours and comfort emerging. <

FASHION >

CAPE UNION MART LAUNCHES POETRY

In yet another first for Cape Union Mart, the familyowned business with a reputation for value and quality – who also launched the popular Old Khaki stores and a new kiddies range called K-Way Kids – the company has opened its first unique women’s lifestyle stores called Poetry. The first of many to follow, the first Poetry stores opened at Cavendish Square Shopping Centre, Cape Town, and the Garden Route Mall, George, in early December 2008, with several more following in 2009. Highlights for consumers at the Poetry stores will include the unique and eclectic mix of everything from 100% linen and silk pieces to handmade soaps, biscuits and cushion covers. The stores carry a range of jewellery, exclusive body products, once-off home ware items (photo frames, glasses, napkins, door knobs from India and more), as well as Wonki Ware from George. “In the past, Cape Union Mart was known predominantly as a men’s store,” comments Cape Union Mart marketing manager Evan Torrance. “It was only in recent years that we started to actively target women shoppers with clothing and merchandise designed specifically to meet their needs. We soon realised that there were surprisingly few destination stores for women that stock exclusive and unique items that offer unique, value-for-money products. Radical growth in our women’s areas was apparent from the word go and our research confirmed that a real opportunity existed

for us to target a specific segment of women who are well-read and well-travelled.” Launching the stand-alone Poetry stores was a natural progression for the group, according to Torrance. “Despite the many large retailers offering merchandise for women, few offer unique merchandise. That’s where Poetry has a distinct advantage by not offering garments that are mass produced. Poetry has a refined exclusivity to it, which makes it very appealing. Poetry will offer small, limited runs of a particular product that often can’t and won’t be repeated.” Ken Lazarus, Creative Director for the Group, says that Poetry was founded by a small group of people who share a real love for making things that inspire the imagination. “We carefully source, design and select products from across the world with an eye for the smallest details, a passion for old-world craftsmanship and a desire to see shopping elevated to an activity where customers don’t just find novelties, but rather experience a journey of personal discovery.” He says that when shopping at Poetry, one will be as likely to find an Indian hand-beaded picture frame as a hand-painted floral sconce based on a 1940’s Italian original. “Everything will seem familiar, but you won’t be able to place anything either. Shoppers will experience a feeling of comfort combined with an overwhelming sense of excitement. Everything is old, but everything is new. That is the world of Poetry,” he concluded. <

POPULAR CULTURE >

Entertainment on wheels: Matatu mania By Lilac Osanjo, School of The Arts and Design, University of Nairobi, Kenya. Matatus are probably the single most significant feature of Nairobi roads. And although today they are being phased out due to urbanisation and development, they have been the artists’ canvas expressing unmatched colour and typography. As a form of visual expression, matatus contribute significantly to the creation of the urban culture in Nairobi. These fast moving public transport vehicles reflect the stress, speed and urgency with which urban people seek economic livelihood. With an estimated population of three million people, Nairobi is a hub of regional and national economic activities. Nairobi boasts of a kaleidoscope of intense economic activity, sombre grazing wildlife and foot-thumping traditional dancers, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) headquarters teeming with

international guests. Looking at Nairobi from a designer’s point of view one would be held static as the city bombards the vision with colour, shapes, unique patterns and voices. Speed, colour and flamboyance are what best describes matatus navigating most of Kenya’s roads. They have been transformed into “entertainment on wheels” or “mobile discos” as a visiting friend described them. Besides large portraits of movie stars, hip-hop artists and luminous calligraphy, these comfortable “theatre-like ensembles” criss-cross city streets. Commuters listen to music and watch video clips (most of them are fitted with DVDs that come with boosters and synthesizers). The speed, good music and movies add to the appeal matatus hold commuters. The stress from work and everyday hassles

are momentarily forgotten in the comfort of a warm glow from the soft lighting system, a video of an R&B artist. Comfort is assured with cozy, thickly carpeted lining on the sides of the matatu interior. The origin of matatus can be traced back to the 1960s, a time when most indigenous African workforce lived in the eastern side of Nairobi referred to as Eastlands. With support from the first president of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the vehicles were declared as legal means of public transport in 1973. The vehicles were exempted from obtaining licenses, although they were expected to comply with traffic rules. They quickly gained popularity among the low income indigenous people, mainly because they charged less than other public transport. Today there are over 80,000 matatus on Kenyan roads. Several factors worked together to ensure that the matatu industry continued to grow. Kenya Bus Services (KBS), the major provider of public transport within the city of Nairobi, suffered several setbacks in the 1970s and ‘80s, forcing it to undergo major transformation. In 1990s, the jungle green Nyayo Bus Service was introduced by the government to compete with Kenya Bus Services (KBS), but they quickly folded. The efficiency with which KBS had operated in the 1970s was quickly eroded and bus scheduling that ensured timely movement of passengers was abandoned. Today, Nairobi’s city centre is crowded with various small transport busses such as Citi Hoppa, Double M, and KBS Limited. Double M, for example, maintains a standard vehicle design, passengers queue at the bus stage and they try to maintain a schedule of sorts. This breakdown in order within the transport industry accelerated the growth and acceptance of matatus as the preferred vehicles. Matatu culture thus became part of and a reflection of the urban landscape, reflecting the life of the urban youth who are their target customers. The name matatu is derived from the Kiswahili word tatu that means three. Three shillings was the stand-

ard fare in a matatu for a very long time in the early ‘70s. Irrespective of destination, tatu was the expected matatu fare levied on the passengers. Matatus are often the most reliable means of transport to get around Nairobi, with these vehicles ferrying about two million people in and out of the city centre, and most parts of the country in Kenya.

Bad behaviour and visual expression The government has been cracking down on matatus accusing them of putting the public’s life at risk; the crews are often accused of derailing young girls and boys who end up dropping out of school to take endless rides on the “entertainment on wheels” and speeding and violation of traffic rules. In 2004, apart from those already mentioned, numerous anti-social practices were linked to the matatu business including bribery of policemen, corruption, sexual molestation and extortion of young girls, verbal abuse and intimidation of passengers. Matatus had become such a menace on the roads that the government banned the multi-coloured graphics and directed that they should all be one colour – white and have a yellow line. The crew was further instructed to have uniforms and be licensed operators. The government believed that the graphics and the attire were abetting the matatu menace. The artists and designers who were depending on matatu graphics for their daily income protested saying that the graphics were improving the look of the matatus and by extension, the urban landscape. They argued that the undisciplined matatu culture had nothing to do with the graphics. Secondly, the graphics were a pleasant break from the stressful environment within the city. The colourful matatus blended well with the city and should instead be promoted as a tourist attraction, they appealed. The artists protests did not succeed and the rule of law prevailed and with that, the colourful matatus faced imminent extinction.

POPULAR CULTURE >

Visuals

Forms of expression

Most matatus bear images of famous people – musicians, footballers and even presidents. For example, President Obama is a very common face, former Cuban president and even Osama Bin Laden can be spotted on matatus. The more popular matatus have identities such as Baby Mama, Breakthrough, Liquid, Delicious and Wrath. Their metallic graffiti-like graphics are attractive to most people, and this translates to good business as they fill up faster. Some of the better known graffiti artists include Top Cat, Cool Earl and Cornbread (analysis of these names will be the subject of another publication). The success of the artists depends on their passion for fine art and ability to draw comics and cartoons. A few of the artists are trained and have diplomas in art and design. But most of the others are self-taught, relying on talent to earn them apprenticeship with the more experienced artists.

Much like the street culture of the 60s, matatu art is often of an illicit nature expressing a rebellious streak in the visuals. The motivation to create the art is varied and includes self-expression, subversion and activism. Political messages have a major presence in the art. As seen in one matatu (Figure 1), the image shows of Osama and George Bush as “buddies”. Historically, this is absurd. But, absurd was a key characteristic of Dada artists who have continued to influence modern art and design. For this reason, we may want to hold matatus as masterpieces in modern art and design.

Fig 1. (top) A matatu depicting Osama and Bush as “buddies.” Fig 2. (right) A matatu depicting American dollars.

Matatu art is inspired by many influences. Apart from Dada, the rebels, there are aspects of Pop culture idiom and Hip Hop too. Pop culture is defined as the collection of ideas that are popular and well-liked. It is a manifestation of preferences and acceptance or rejection of features in for example, sports, music, film and literature; it is a contrast to the mainstream or “elitist” culture in society. Hip Hop culture started in the United States in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. It developed as one form of artistic expression alongside break dancing, emceeing and deejaying in the music industry. In the typical matatu, art, dance music (that is no longer break dancing) and deejaying are parcelled to make up the total package of entertainment on wheels.

The artwork

Sources of ideas

The matatu body or frame is seen by the artists as an empty canvas that requires an identity or form. The artist sets out to provide an identity that can create visual space for the matatu within a highly competitive visual environment crowded with other new and more expressive matatus. The first task is to give the vehicle a name, a colour scheme and message theme. The matatu artists begin with just the matatu chassis (frame and wheels that support the engine and body of the vehicle), and works to develop the whole final visual and audio ensemble.

There is a lot at stake when decorating a matatu because the return on investment for the owners depends on the youth-like appeal of the matatu as seen in Figure 3. In turn, appeal for youth is closely related to how â&#x20AC;&#x153;flashyâ&#x20AC;? the matatu is.

Assembling the flashy matatus fitted with DVD players, good lighting and comfortable seating can cost anything between Kshs 40,000 (US$560) and Kshs 5 million (US$ 7,000) depending on the ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; taste and how much they are willing to pay.

Matatus have been a reflection of the aspirations, frustrations and daily expression of urban life in Nairobi. As the artists rightfully argue, the graphics on matatus themselves are not criminal and are not intended to promote crime. But the content of the visuals, accompanied by the lively videos that are shown on the screens may well promote undesirable behaviour in society. To be fair to the matatu artists, it can also be noted that a few matatus bear Biblical messages and quotes. Whatever the case, it must be said that matatus have provided a visual avenue for artistic expression. Indeed, they have been part and parcel of our urban culture and their exit will deprive the youth and public at large of that form cultural expression. <

Fig 3. (top) A matatu in the garage undergoing painting. Fig 4. (top left) Beautiful girls are popular subjects. Fig 5. (left) Strength as seen in this matatu is also a common theme.

ART & CRAFT >

Without Masks: Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art The rich and multi-layered legacy of Cuba’s African heritage has long been a source of creative inspiration for many of the country’s foremost artists. For generations, musicians, fine artists, poets, writers, choreographers, dancers and designers have tapped into this legacy as a focus for their creative work. According to Orlando Hernández, there is an emerging interest amongst contemporary Cuban artists to grapple with the concept of the Afro-Cuban identity in a new, dynamic and deeply engaging manner.

Orlando Hernández, one of Cuba’s most prolific and well-respected art historians, lives and works in La Habana, Cuba. He is an independent writer, art critic, poet and researcher of popular culture and Afro-Cuban ritual art. Having graduated in Art History from Universidad de la Habana in 1978, he worked as a curator and researcher in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana until 1989. Hernández is the curator of Without Masks: Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art, a traveling exhibition that will be staged at The Johannesburg Art Gallery in April 2010. This fascinating exhibition forms part of The von Christierson Collection. In an interview with DESIGN > magazine, he explains the philosophy underlying the seminal exhibitions. D > How did this exhibition come about? OH > The exhibition and publishing project Without Masks: Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art was initiated in November 2007. From the outset, it has been supported and financed by the London-based businessman and collector of South African origin, Chris von Christierson and his family. Chris conceived the idea of creating a collection of Cuban art that would show the traces of Africa in Cuba’s artistic culture. He believed that the collection should not only exist for private enjoyment, but also for public enjoyment through exhibitions and publications.

The von Christierson family and a team from the Johannesburg Art Gallery visited Cuba as part of the preperations for the Without Masks exhibition. LTR are Marina von Christierson, Orlando Hernández (Curator of Without Masks), Steven Sack (Director of Arts, Culture and Heritage Services, City of Johannesburg), Chris von Christierson (seated), Nadia von Christierson, Reshma Chhiba (South African artist), Antoinette Murdoch (Director, Johannesburg Art Gallery) and Bernardo Sarría Almoguea (Cuban artist).

D > What is the purpose of the exhibition? OH > Broadly speaking, the exhibition aims to show how Cuba’s art landscape is influenced by its African heritage. We decided to give the exhibition a double title: a metaphorical one, Without Masks, and a more descriptive one, Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art. The titles jointly express the thematic content of the exhibition and the purpose that we aimed to achieve. On the one hand, the exhibition shows the new and original contributions that recent Cuban art has made based on the country’s African heritage, as well as the elaboration of AfroCuban religious traditions and legacies. On the other hand, the exhibition identifies and includes works that reflect controversial, conflicting, polemic zones

Visiting the studio of Manuel Mendive Hoyo. Mendive’s work is quintessentially Afro-Cuban, inspired by his Yoruba family background.

of the Cuban national reality that for a long time have been silenced or insufficiently disseminated and discussed in Cuban society. Here, I refer to the problems of prejudice and racial stereotypes, racial discrimination and racism, which still continue to affect the Black

ART & CRAFT > and Mulatto population of Cuba and indirectly our entire society and culture, despite the enormous advances in the field of social equality attained by the Cuban Revolution since 1959. In addition to offering an excellent opportunity to verify the continuous presence and vitality of those ancient traditions of African origin in contemporary Cuban art – many of which have been conserved, recreated and reinvented within the religious communities known as Regla de Ocha or Santería, Ifá, Palo Monte and Abakuá – this exhibition also strives to fulfill the intellectual, moral and political obligations to incite reflection, meditation and sincere discussion of the problems related to racial issues. The intention is to create greater understanding and contribute to finding future solutions to address these issues. D > What is the content of the exhibition? OH > The collection presently consists of 80 works by 25 contemporary Cuban artists spanning a relatively short period – from 1980 to 2009. However, the majority of the works were created during the 1990s and the early 21st century. We chose this brief period in Cuban art because in many ways it is in this interval that the treatment of the AfroCuban theme acquired new characteristics that contrast remarkably with the relatively stereotyped, idealised or picturesque nature that was predominant in former periods, particularly during the 19th century and a good part of the 20th century. The collection, however, can be considered as ‘a work in progress’ in the sense that in the future it may also include works of more Cuban artists from different generations who either currently focus or previously focused on the theme. D > What distinguishes this collection of contemporary Afro-Cuban art? OH > This exhibition has brought together, for the first time, a large and varied group of Cuban artists

devoted to the two great themes that have normally been addressed independently: that of the cultural and religious traditions of Africa in Cuba and that of the multiple problems related with the so-called ‘racial issue’. These themes have been enlarged to encompass other unusual aspects such as the artistic representation of the political-military presence of Cuba in the wars in Africa (Carlos Garaicoa) or the incorporation of new African figures and ritual traditions in our religious practices (Santiago R. Olazábal). This is a result of the emergence of an ‘Africanising’ process of re-connecting with Africa that has been taking place in recent years in some religious circles in Cuba. As far as we know, in spite of the previous existence of exhibitions related to the Afro-Cuban theme, there is no other private or institutional collection of this magnitude dedicated to address these topics in such a diverse manner, nor with such a high level of representation of relevant artists and works. D > How did you select the artists that have been included in the exhibition? OH > From the outset we followed rigorous criteria in selecting the artists. The majority of them have had ample national and international exposure and we also considered the aesthetic quality of the selected works. I must admit that our interest has also been focused, so to say, beyond the aesthetic, favoring the originality and profoundness of the discourses of sociological, historical, anthropological, religious, ethical and/or political nature contained in the works. Undoubtedly, our approach was guided by the presence in the most recent Cuban art of reflexive, rather than contemplative or hedonistic outlooks, and by the current importance that debates on ‘the racial issue’ are having in Cuba. Although we may have been inclined, in some instances, to focus more on the content than on the procedure, or on what the artists say more than on the way in which they say it, we took great care to make both requirements coincide. Our curatorial outlook

does not intend to be didactic or explanatory, but rather to remain within the questioning and exploratory tone set by the works themselves. D > Did you differentiate between internationally acclaimed and relatively unknown artists? OH > The exhibition includes artists of international renown and those that are practically unknown, without making any distinction between professionals who have graduated from important academic institutions and popular or selftaught artists. The exhibition includes the following artists: Ruperto Jay Matamoros (Santiago de Cuba 1912- La Habana, 2008); Belkis Ayón Manso (La Habana, 1967-1999), Pedro Alvarez (La Habana, 1967 Tempe, Arizona, 2004); Manuel Mendive Hoyo (La Habana, 1944); Julián González Pérez (La Habana, 1949); Bernardo Sarría Almoguea (Cienfuegos, 1950); Santiago Rodríguez Olazabal (La Habana, 1955); Ricardo Rodríguez Brey (La Habana, 1955); René Peña (La Habana, 1957); Moises Finalé Aldecoa (Matanzas, 1957); José Bedia Valdés (La Habana, 1959); Marta María Pérez Bravo (La Habana, 1959); Rubén Rodríguez Martínez (Matanzas, 1959); María Magdalena Campos-Pons (Matanzas, 1959); Juan Carlos Alom (La Habana, 1964); Elio Rodríguez (La Habana, 1966); Carlos Garaicoa Manso (La Habana, 1967); Oswaldo Castillo Vázquez (Santiago de Cuba, 1967); Alexis Esquivel Bermúdez (La Palma, Pinar del Rio, 1968); Ibrahim Miranda (Pinar del Río, 1969); Alexandre Arrechea (Trinidad, 1970); Juan Roberto Diago Durruthy (La Habana, 1971); Douglas Pérez Castro (Santo Domingo, Villa Clara, 1972); José Angel Vincench Barrera (Holguín, 1973) and Yoan Capote (Pinar del Río, 1977).

Visiting the studio of Rubén Rodríguez Martínez.

D > What do you hope to achieve through this exhibition?

Cuban artist, Bernardo Sarría Almoguea.

OH > The widely inclusive and integrationist ‘Afro-Cuban’ concept we have grappled with in this project – in which Blacks, Whites and Mulattos participate equally and which is perhaps evidence of the inter-racial fraternity attained by our Afro-Cuban religions since the 19th century – shows how far we are from participating in sectarian trends. But we consider it important to make new explorations and searches of the patrimony we have received from Africa. At the same time, we also highlight and encourage the insurgent, rebellious,

anti-racist nature that has always been present in the Cuban Black and Mulatto population with the purpose of showing its potentialities as an alternative, anti-hegemonic option to the Eurocentered, patriarchal, classist, elitist and racist mentality that still prevails in the majority of the world, including those countries where – as in Cuba – we thought they had been overcome. <

ART & CRAFT >

Explore 2 > The best of Namibia on show By Jacques Jansen van Vuuren

Explore 2, an exhibition of ceramics and photography opened at Studio 77, Windhoek, Namibia in October. This exhibition was a collaboration between Sigi Kolbe, better known as a painter and myself, who has made a name in fashion design. It was the first time I have exhibited pottery in two years and the first major photographic exhibition for Sigi. Sigi and I met earlier this year when she did a photo shoot for my fashion label Jacques Guto, setting off our collaboration on various personal art experiments. Sigi approached me about three months ago with the opportunity of a booked exhibition where I could show my ceramics along with her photography. At the time, forgetting how gruelling it can be to create a body of work for an exhibition, I obliged, seeing this as my re-launch into the ceramics scene.

The exhibition was opened by Tony Figuera, a photographer in Namibia, and the owner of Gallery 77 and Studio 77. During the opening I demonstrated throwing a pot on the potter’s wheel to make the viewers aware that the marks on the pots and the form are dictated by my hands, as people can sometimes be oblivious and not relate the creative process to the final product. The title ‘Explore 2’ was cognitive and accidentally very appropriate. Cognitively it explained how two creative minds could explore each other’s creativity, in two very different mediums and creative outlets. It accidentally happened that this exhibition was a follow-up on Sigi’s painting exhibition earlier this year, entitled ‘Explore 1’. The exhibition also explored the visual and aesthetical dissimilarity and mutuality be-

Vases by artist Jacques Jansen van Vuuren

tween functional pottery and non-functional/surreal photography. During the installation of the exhibition, seeing the partnership created between the works, it became apparent to me how in tune Sigi and I are. Sigi saw this exhibition as a platform for expressing her personal ideas on life, creating strong contrasts between her photography – displaying manipulated Namibian landscape images with obviously surreal imagery. Sigi finds inspiration from circumstances in life, society and familiar artworks and paintings. She then uses images of herself, friends and family as models for many of her surreal photographic artwork incorporating them with everyday objects and imagery from her environment. Sigi magically layers these various imagery and textures in Photoshop, with

seemingly as much ease and simplicity as a painter layering paint on a canvas. She has built up a huge photographic portfolio during the past year, ensuring that the exhibition shows maturity and exploration, but more importantly, growth as a digital photographic artist. My standpoint for the exhibition was to create decorative, functional pottery. It is important to me to combine visual stimulation with everyday functional objects, for example a mug. It is a magical feeling when you eat or drink from a unique, handmade object experiencing the artist’s soul and craft. Your body gets saturated with the experience, time and passion that went into the creative process. Consuming from such an object also stimulates your senses; feeling the potter’s finger marks on the pot,

ART & CRAFT > seeing the potter’s consideration for decoration of the pot, hearing, tasting and smelling the substance being consumed. The pottery created for this exhibition was inspired by two main ideas – the principal of thirds and stylised brushwork. The principal of thirds motivated the form of the pots, all of them being thrown on the potter’s wheel. I strived for a visually pleasing form, but also a comfortable form to use. The pots were left unglased on the outside, and oxides were painted onto the raw clay. This produced a tactile surface to the finished pot, were the user’s hand can feel the honesty in the process of using clay. The oxide brushwork was inspired by sumi-e brushwork and stylised plant forms. The brushes I use, I made myself from my own hair, creating a unique mark that is unmatched by any other brush. There is also a certainty created by these brushes. Form and shape are just as important, if not more, than the decoration. It is often said that: ‘A person should wear the dress, and not a dress the person’ and this holds true for how I feel about decorating my pots. The decoration enhanced the form and did not dictate it, creating a harmonious balance between form, function and decoration. Through this exhibition both Sigi and I have set new standards for ourselves, and will continue to strengthen our bond of friendship and creative understanding of each other, our environment and the people around us. Our next collaboration and exhibition has been booked for November 2010. <

Bush Highway (top), Uncharted waters (centre) and Violet Dreams by Sigi Kolbe.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY >

PROTECTING YOUR IDEAS IN AFRICA: PART II By Nicky Garnett

This article is the second in a series of articles about

to the right holder a single title of protection valid in

protecting intellectual property (IP) in Africa. It fol-

each member country. As such, it is not necessary or

lows on from the first in this series of articles which

possible to designate countries in an OAPI applica-

was published in issue No 13 in May 2009. This arti-

tion. In other words, all OAPI applications are in re-

cle focuses on the African Intellectual Property Or-

spect of all 16 member countries.

ganisation which is better known by the acronym for its French name OAPI i.e. Organisation Africaine de La

Together, these countries cover over 7.7 million kilome-

Propriete Intellectuelle.

tres of land, have a combined population of over 110 million people and a GDP of over US $235 000 billion.

OAPI is the second of two regional intellectual property systems on the African continent and is com-

The OAPI system enables potential applicants to file

posed of countries which were all formerly French

trade mark, patent and design applications which are

colonies whose laws were highly influenced by their

valid in 16 countries in one centralised location with

French origins.

one set of rules and one combined fee. This is an attractive proposition for anyone who seeks protection

OAPI was born out of the Libreville Agreement in 1962

for their IP in Africa.

and currently has 16 member states. These are: The OAPI head office is situated in Yaounde, Cameroon Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Re-

and is managed by a team of well trained and driven in-

public, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea,

dividuals with significant experience in their fields of

Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Ni-

expertise. The administration of OAPI is an interesting

ger, Senegal, Togo

mix of professional people from the various member countries with a common purpose of creating an effec-

OAPI is rather unique in that its member countries

tive and efficient system for the protection of IP rights

have renounced their national sovereignty to convey

throughout the OAPI territories.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY >

Part of its mission is to ensure good service delivery by accredited OAPI agents and OAPI requires that all cases (trade marks, patents or designs) which are filed at OAPI must be filed through an accredited OAPI agent. OAPI is uniquely situated in a region which is rich in oil, petroleum, natural gas and other highly sought after natural resources. OAPI is extremely aware of the benefits that a well recognised and trusted IP system can have for the member countries and is trying to promote such a system in the OAPI territory.

Patents and designs Applications for the registration of patents or designs proceed to grant within a period of approximately 12 to18 months. The cost of filing a patent application in OAPI is relatively high because there are significant surcharges for lengthy specifications and claims over ten. The surcharges can increase the cost of filing a patent application in OAPI quite significantly. That said, the costs are still very reasonable if one compares them to filing individual patent applications in 16 countries.

Trade marks Registration of trade marks by OAPI is a relatively fast and cost effective process with trade marks granted within about 12 months from filing. Trade marks are advertised in the OAPI Journal shortly after registration. There is a six-month post-grant opposition period in OAPI wherein interested parties can oppose registration of a trade mark. OAPI follows a multi-class filing system and, accordingly, it is possible to cover more than one class in a single trade mark application but it is not possible to combine goods and services in one application.

The Hague Agreement on Industrial Designs OAPI has recently become a member of the Hague Agreement with effect from 16 September 2008. The Hague Agreement is an international system for the registration of industrial designs. It enables applicants to file an application for designs through the International Bureau of WIPO in Geneva and to designate the states in which they want the design to be protected. The design would have the same effect as if it were filed directly at OAPI. <

EDUCATION >

Mohair and design educators: A cosy combination Feedback by Amanda Breytenbach, DEFSA President Photographs by Thinus Mathee

Mohair and design educators – strange bedfellows? Apparently not. The 12th National Design Education Forum of Southern Africa (DEFSA) took place on 4 and5 November 2009 in Graaff Reinet, Eastern Cape. DEFSA was invited by the organisers of the first International Mohair Summit, Inkanyezi Events, to present a conference parallel to the Summit.

The International Mohair Summit

Delegates at the opening of the DEFSA conference.

The purpose of the International Mohair Summit was to promote the use of the mohair fibre as widely as possible through attracting and reviving national and international attention. The United Nations declared 2009 as the Year of the Natural Fibre, which created the ideal opportunity for Mohair South Africa to co-host the Summit and showcase the mohair as well as the wool industry. South Africa produces 54% of the world’s mohair output of which the Eastern Cape region accounts for an estimated 90% of South Africa’s production. The area from Port Elizabeth to Graaff Reinet is unofficially referred to as the ‘mohair capital’ of the world. Mohair South Africa is considered as the leader of the international mohair market due to the majority production of mohair in this country. Unfortunately mohair production and prices have declined internationally since 1998. As a result, Mohair South Africa was established to perform functions aimed at the advancement

EDUCATION >

Amanda Breytenbach, DEFSA president, speaking at the opening of the DEFSA conference.

of the entire industry. In order to improve the consumption of mohair, Mohair South Africa is establishing partnerships and alliances with all the role players that takes part in the mohair product life-cycle. The International Design Summit aimed to include all role players from the producer to the processor, buyer to manufacturer, manufacturer to designer.

The conference organisers ensured that a comprehensive programme accommodated the various role players and participants of the Summit. The Summit comprised the following events; International Mohair conference, trade show, DEFSA conference, agricultural competitions, farm tour and a Media VIP programme. The highlight of the International Mohair Summit was a presentation

DEFSA Executive Committee debate strategic matters during lunch.

Lisa Slegtenhorst, Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student from the Central University of Technology, Free State delivering a paper.

delivered by the life style trend forecaster, Li Edelkoort. Her presentation showed promise of an increase in the use of mohair within the fashion and lifestyle industry and sparked hope for a possible increase in the demand of mohair with the farmers and manufacturers.

date and the Summit provided the first opportunity of this nature to design education. The 2009 DEFSA conference was appropriately titled Opening gates, between and beyond design disciplines. The two-day conference programme included eighteen papers that addressed a range of topics

The DEFSA conference The Mohair Summit organisers approached the Department of Applied Design at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in search for a suitable Summit participant from the design education sector. NMMU did not hesitate to present the collaboration opportunity to the DEFSA Executive Committee in September 2008 and offered to co-host the 2009 DEFSA conference. DEFSA was honoured when design education was recognised as a suitable participant in the International Mohair Summit and acknowledged as a role player in the mohair value chain. The Forumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s application for participation was accepted in December 2008. Over the past 18 years DEFSA has aimed to ensure that conferences provide attendees the opportunity to interact, exchange and debate topical design education issues. The main aim of the Forum is to foster design education in the Southern African region at various education levels as well as at industry and government level. DEFSA therefore considers the participation of design education in the International Mohair Summit as an auspicious opportunity to strengthen and build on the partnerships opportunity between several role players within the mohair industry and increase awareness around the role and function of design and design education in South Africa. Furthermore, interaction with industry especially producers and manufactures have not been successfully realised to

pertinent to the conference theme and sub-themes. Papers adhered to the stringent requirements of an academic conference and papers undergone a double blind peer review process prior to the conference presentation. Panel discussion sessions provided delegates the chance to reflect and debate the pertinent issues raised within the presentations. The importance of multidisciplinary design projects, overlap in design discipline offerings, industry expectations and requirements and the role of DEFSA in the future of design education at various education levels highlights some of the topics discussed during the conference. The finalised conference proceeding is published on the DEFSA website (www.defsa.org.za) and a selection of papers will be published in a special edition of the academic journal Image and Text, published by the University of Pretoria. The International Mohair Summit provided a unique opportunity to DEFSA delegates to be transported away from their mostly urban environments to the production and manufacturing sources in the rural areas of our country. Delegates attained first hand experience in the full product life cycle; from mohair shearing demonstrations to presentation of completed products. The Mohair Summit could serve as an example to similar initiatives in South Africa that can strengthen partnership and increase awareness between design, design education and related industries. <

EDUCATION >

IMAGINE THE FUTURE! Adobe Design Achievement Awards 2009 Imagine being in your early 20s, sitting in the audience of a couple of thousand or more, in the National Centre of Performing Arts in Beijing, one of the world’s most spectacular new architectural structures, surrounded by design greats such as Ahn Sang Soo, Don Ryun Chang, Min Wang, Ruedi Baur, Victor Margolin, Marc Alt, LUST, Laurence Madrille, Carsten Nicolai, Fiona Raby, Michael Vanderbyl, Sol Sender and a long list of others, whom you have studied for the past four years or more.

You’re staring at the gigantic projection screen, which is the size of an Imax theatre. Suddenly your name is announced as one of the winners of the 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Awards. In a haze, you walk up to the majestic stage and hear the applause of the massive audience from all over the world, recognising your creative achievement. To top it all, you receive your award from Victor Margolan, one of the world’s most respected design theorists.

EDUCATION > This was the reality that transpired for a handful of design students on 26 October this year. In partnership with the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda) the 9th international Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA) student competition attracted a record-breaking 3 300 entries from students in 37 countries. Recognised as one of the world’s most prestigious student design and film competitions, these annual awards honor the most talented and promising student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers and computer artists from renowned higher education institutions around the globe. “The Adobe Design Achievement Awards provides students worldwide with the opportunity to express their enormous creativity and showcase their work among some of the world’s top designers,” said Ann Lewnes, senior vice president of corporate marketing at Adobe. “The body of work that these students produce is truly inspiring.” Winners were selected by a global panel of industry judges based on their originality and effectiveness in meeting the project’s communication objectives and the contestants’ skills in applying Adobe products specified in their entries. The judges included Leimei Julia Chui (Japan), Louis Gagnon (Canada), Cristina Chiappini (Italy), Garth Walker (South Africa), Tarek Atrissi (The Netherlands), Kyle Kim (Korea) and Lance Wyman (United States). “This year’s ADAA submissions attracted a powerful collection,” said ADAA judge Wyman. “As the language of communication design is evolving and the crosspollination of designer skill sets is flourishing, it’s uplifting to see students produce high-quality work that creatively crystallise ideas and solutions. The competition demonstrated the global phenomenon that technology and the creative arts enable designers in different cultures to effectively solve similar problems or tell similar stories around the world, while still retaining their own individuality.”

The winners, which were divided into 12 categories, are: › A nimation: a team led by David Prosser of the Royal College of Art in the UK. › A pplication Design: Bryan Berger of Full Sail University in Winter Park in the USA. › B rowser-based Design: a team led by Jayheun Kyum of Hongik University in Korea. › I llustration: Joerg Block of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany. › I nstallation Design: a team led by Margherita Rubini of Universitˆ IUAV di Venezia in Italy. › L ive Action: Varathit Uthaisri of Parsons New School for Design in New York City, USA. › M obile Design: a team led by Marc Oswald of University of Applied Sciences Swabian Gmund in Germany. › M otion Graphics: David Harper of Indiana University in Bloomington in the USA. › N on-Browser-based Design: a team led by Jared Weinstock of Drexel University in the USA. › P ackaging: a team led by Adam Paterson of Royal College of Art in the UK. › P hotography: a team led by Barnaby Coote of Gobelins in France. › P rint Communications: a team led by Jiwon Park of Ewha Woman’s University, and Chung-ang University in Korea. All winners received a round trip flight to Beijing and two nights’ accommodation to attend the Icograda World Design Congress 2009, a US$3,000 cash prize, a copy of Adobe the Creative Suite 4 Master Collection, a winner’s certificate and a trophy. As part of the programme, students are also offered a one-year mentorship with a design leader, working in their area of interest, and are appointed to an Icograda Youth Advisory Panel. <

Winner of the Application Design category.

Winner of the Animation category.

Winner of the Illustration category.

Winner of the Browser-based Design category.

EDUCATION >

Winner of the I nstallation Design category.

Winner of the Live Action category.

Winner of the M obile Design category.

Winner of the Motion Graphics category.

Winner of the Non-Browser-based Design category.

Winner of the Packaging category.

Winner of the Photography category.

Winner of the Print Communications category.