South Africa - December 2020
Bottom of Kloof Street, Cape Town CBD, “Mask up in Public” campaign poster (Photo by, Barak Mizrachi)
2020 has been a challenging year. In South Africa, the Covid-19 lockdown began on March 26th. Like all other business, Architectural practices needed to think quickly how to maintain and sustain their business. With construction sites coming to a halt, architects in South Africa turned to their drawing boards, designing, planning, and catching up on construction documentation, hoping that once lock down is over those projects will continue.
But it has not turned out completely as expected while no one really knew what to expect and could only hope for the best. Some practices have managed to weather the lockdown more successfully than others. With the relaxation of the lockdown restriction the construction industry when back to work on the 1st June 2020, three months after the most severe lockdown rules. It is suggested, according to construction intelligence firm industry insight, that the impact could result in a year to year contraction of 18% representing 4% GDP, and potentially could mean loss of up to 140 00 jobs, according to engineering news media.
Architectural practices set up their architects, technician, draftspersons, and administrators to work remotely from their home. Architects took to social media posting their workstations from their home office, living rooms, bedrooms and even kitchens. And for the first three months of lockdown and survived and persevered.
Since June 1st 2020, architects, have experienced an increase of applicants looking for jobs due to los of their job due to covid-19. We have experiences increasing number of contractors looking for work to tender on, and suppliers looking to sell their products or at least specified to any potential current of future projects. Many practices have had projects paused postponed and even cancelled.
Looking Forward
But we look forward, as the world is getting uses to a new way of working, living, socializing, and has adapted to a new normal. It is no longer a “new normal” it’s now “normal”.
In south Africa, we have now gotten used to meeting our clients, our engineers and other consultants, suppliers, and specifiers on-line. We have fast forward the on-line CPD credited seminars and events to a point where we enjoy the convenience of gaining CPD credits from the comfort of our living rooms.
This is now normal, and we that comes the comfort of continuing with our work almost as usual. This year I have learned to take a bit more time for myself and I see others do the same. Taking a walk on Table Mountain with our new puppy every morning has given me the opportunity to view my roles as architect differently, it’s given a quite time to think about the future and they way architects are taking active roles in a changing world.
We have come to appreciate the value of our personal spaces, whether it’s at our homes or out in nature. With significant increase of people working remotely, and children and students away from school, our homes have become the most valuable spaces, and South Africans are taking the opportunity to re-evaluate how to change, adapt and increase this asset and spaces to their personal needs. This is where our role as architects can shift and play a leading and forward-thinking engine to drive this process.
Looking forward on the foot of Signal Hill towards Green Point Park, Cape Town
(Photo by, Barak Mizrachi)
“our homes have become the most valuable spaces” Pavilion Extension to a 1890’s Victorian House, Completed days before the Lockdown of March 26th 2020, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town (Architects: BM Architects, Photo by Johann Lourens)
The light at the end of the Tunnel
With Vaccines now imminent, we look at a tiny light increasing its size slowly. But we must not forget, and we will not, of where we came from, what we have been through, and where we go from now. This year at taught us many lessons in life. We have been through a time machine taking us at a warp speed from our old way of life to a new way of life. Architecture has a way of showing us just that every day, in Cape Town, architects are constantly having to work with old heritage buildings, in Cape Town CBD and surrounding area, it’s unlikely that you would not have to deal with the old. So, adapting in architecture to an existing or new context is second nature, we know how to do it, we do it well, and we constantly evolve and change.
Glass tunnel connection, between old and new, Pavilion Extension to a 1890’s Victorian House, Completed days before the Lockdown of March 26th 2020, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town (Architects: BM Architects, Photo by Johann Lourens)
Is the water crisis over?
In Cape Town, as of this December 2020 the average storage capacity of dams is sitting at 97.6%. So, the crisis is over in the western cape, wheat farmers are seeing increased harvest of 28% y/y. Other parts of the country such as the Eastern Cape and Gauteng still experience water restriction. Eastern cape is battling and working hard to avoid “Day Zero” the day when water runs out.
Lessons have been learned from Cape Town are being adapted. South African Architects have taken a great lead in the water challenges over the last couple of years. Storage tanks and water harvesting have become a normal item we now add to our plans and designs for every building, from private residential to industrial and commercial buildings.
Green Point, Mouille Point Promenade, Cape Town, Green again. (Photo by Barak Mizrachi)
Upcoming events In South Africa
SAIA, https://saia.org.za/page/cpd_events
SACAP, https://www.sacapsa.com/events/event_list.asp
CIFA, https://cifa.org.za/membership/events/
PIA, http://www.pia.org.za/calendar/
GIFA, https://www.gifa.org.za/events/upcoming-events
From South Africa, I wish all the AIA International members, Mary Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Happy New Year for 2021.
Barak Mizrachi Int Assoc. AIA, SACAP
Country Representative – South Africa
