NADIA TROMP | iai, Intl’ association AIA

AIA International Region Country Representative - South Africa

Principal, Ntsika Architects

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Nadia Tromp is an internationally acclaimed architect based in South Africa. She is an advocate for the profession and has represented South Africa both locally and internationally on numerous occasions. Her passion for human-centred design and the environment sets her apart from her peers, with her work crossing the boundaries of sector definitions through her depth and breadth of experience in many different areas. Her practice is engaged in research and design which tackles issues of social and spatial injustice and in creating spaces of dignity through her work.

In 2017, she became the first African female architect to win a World Architecture Festival Award for the Westbury Clinic. Her philosophy is to create architecture that is humane, equitable and a delight to experience.

She later received the Architecture Masterprize (2019), in Bilbao, Spain, for the Westbury Transformation and Development Centre and, in 2021, was named the laureate of the UIA Vassilis Sgoutas Prize, recognising her lifetime achievement and deep social commitment. Her honours also include the WAN Female Frontier Pioneering Award, the GIFA President’s Prize, multiple SAIA and GIFA awards, and the most recent SCAPE Award of Excellence, where her project was named Flagship Project of the Decade.

Nadia has contributed to the betterment of the architectural profession in South Africa throughout her career, serving on the SAIA Board (2018–2021), as President of the Gauteng Institute for Architecture (2018–2020)—the first Black female to hold the position—and as Director and Co-Director of the UIA Community Architecture and Human Rights Work Programme (2017–2023). She has been a juror for the UIA 2030 Award in collaboration with UN-Habitat since its inception.

An international speaker and academic contributor, she has presented her work at major global forums, including the RIBA Sri Lanka International Conference (2022) and the AIA International Conference in Sri Lanka (2025). In 2023, she became the first female architect of colour to receive the Sophia Gray Memorial Lecture Laureate in South Africa.

Nadia is currently the Chief Architect leading the reimagining and construction of the new Parliament of South Africa buildings in Cape Town. A trailblazer and visionary, she has become an inspirational role model for architects across generations.