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2012 Corobrik National Architectural Student of the Year Award

University of the Witwatersrand Student, Nontokozo Mhlungu has, clinched the prestigious national Corobrik Architectural Student Award for 2012 and the R50,000 prize, beating the top thesis students from seven other universities around South Africa to the winning post.
In her thesis entitled “Hillside Sanctuary: Reception centre for the urban refugee” Mhlungu explored a refugee’s survival strategies in Johannesburg.

She believes refugee camps are an example of ‘post crisis’ rehabilitative systems which vainly attempt to restore stability in a state of disaster. With so many refugees arriving in Johannesburg, she questioned whether the city had made sufficient provision for sheltering and protecting refugees particularly should there be further xenophobic turmoil in the townships. Her research took into account facilities offered by refugee aid and religious organisations and how this type of accommodation differed from typical rural and urban settlements.

“By understanding these fundamental parallels, a premise is formed for the development of a unique and prototypical urban refugee centre located in Hillbrow at the heart of Johannesburg’s eclectic foreign national communities,” she said.

The centre presented in her thesis comprises emergency relief facilities, rehabilitative programmes and transitional accommodation all encompassed within a spiritual, yet nondenominational Christian church establishment. This highlights the ‘curative’ relationship between spirituality, architecture and the user.
The panel of judges, architects Heather Dodd, Sindile Ngonyama and Peter Rich, said Mhlungu’s thesis is a scheme that explores the spiritual, existential and practical needs of the refugee in Johannesburg. As spokesperson for the judges, Peter Rich says, “it is a mature spatial exploration of a difficult site that is resolved with a very clear concept. As a final resolution it’s an architecture that is enabling, it has a pleasure of use and it’s open to adaption.”
“Good research and a well prepared entry that was clearly presented explained how she arrived at the concept.”
Speaking at the event Corobrik managing director, Dirk Meyer said that the juror panel had found it particularly difficult to select a winner for the 26th Corobrik Student Awards due to the very high standard of work that was presented. Consequent to three thesis projects being recognised by the juror panel as being of ‘international quality’ and able to compete on the world stage, three ‘Commendations for Excellence’ awards were made to the 2012 National Architectural Student of the Year – Nonotokozo Mhlungu, Jarryd Murray from the University of Johannesburg and Norbert Koch from the University of Pretoria.

From Left to right

Back Row – Jarryd Murray University of Johannesburg , Ruan Marsh Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Andre Malan University of Cape Town, Norbert Koch University of Pretoria, Marcel Swanepoel University of the Free State.

Front Row - Dennis-Lee Stols University of KwaZulu-Natal, the winner Nontokozo Mhlungu University of Witwatersrand, Heather Dodd, Danél Mentz Tshwane University of Technology, Peter Rich and Sindile Ngonyama.



The judges and finalists are pictured at the 2012 Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Awards .

PdT & NMhlungu

The 2012 winner of the Corobrik Architectural Student of the year Award is Nontokozo Mhlungu from the University of Witwatersrand.

University of Pretoria

Norbert Koch of the University of the Pretoria is the 2012 will represent his institution at the Corobrik’s 26th Architectural Student of the Year Awards with his project ‘Memory and Wasteland.’
Speaking at the prize giving on February 12, Allin Dangers Director of Sales, Inland Region said that Corobrik had seen significant changes in architectural thinking over the years of their sponsorship. He said, “I have watched the growth of awareness in sustainability in design over recent years. More and more concerned citizens want to ensure the longevity of our planet.”
Norbert Koch together with second placed Rudi Botha with his project entitled ‘The life of our static buildings’ and third placed Lewis Wolf with his project ‘Pistons, Pin-ups and Fisticuffs’ have illustrated that the days when the aesthetics of architecture could be divorced from key sustainability issues were gone.

Norbert Koch said that an abandoned flour mill built in 1908 was the inspiration for his thesis. Situated in Pretoria West Koch proposes the building which was transformed through time, be revitalized. “It is rich in textures and details which will form the function and process and create new life for creativity.”
He proposes that a natural perfumery be set up to run alongside a glassblowing workshop which recycles glass to produce vessels for the perfume as well as art to be exhibited in the public portion of the building.
Taking cognizance of its history, the entire building and its spaces function as a memorial space that can be used by the public as well as the artists and artisans for everyday for stimuli of personal and collective memories on a daily basis.
Koch wants to address the downfall of the artisan brought about by mechanised forms of production. He believes that by remembering the past, this renewed space will focus on inspiration and imagination of artists.
Corobrik is committed to manufacturing clay bricks that offer a low environmental impact. Modern manufacturing technologies and the use of natural gas for firing ensures the company’s carbon footprint is kept to a minimum.

Norbet Koch, this year’s winner of the Pretoria University regional leg of the Corobrik Architectural Student of the year. He shows Allin Dangers of Corobrik the key elements of his thesis entitled ‘Memories and Wasteland.’

AFFORDABLE CLAY BRICK CONSTRUCTION HELPS COMMUNICARE SET A NEW MILESTONE FOR EXCELLENCE AT ITS BOTHASIG GARDENS SOCIAL HOUSING PROJECT

The Communicare Bothasig Gardens Project built in double skin clay brick with Corobrik face brick externally has been recognized for setting new standards for affordable integrated settlements in South Africa.

Bothasig Gardens comprises 120 new apartments on a 2.5ha site in the heart of Bothasig. The apartments, in six separate double-storey face brick buildings surrounding landscaped open spaces, are designed to provide a high quality, comfortable accommodation at a monthly rental that starts as low as R650.

With affordable built and low lifecycle costs key requirements, clay brick construction with face brick provided the answer, the maintenance free qualities set to support a lowest lifecycle cost outcome. Warm enduring colours and textures and human scale of face bricks add the finer elements to this projects sustainability equation importantly meeting the aspirations of the intended occupants to live in clay brick dwellings.

This project has fulfilled the developer’s mandate, going beyond just providing a roof over people’s heads to address, improve, and upgrade the surrounding communities, creating opportunities that compliment long term socio-economic integration. Accommodation of a very high quality offered at rentals that are lower than those generally applied in Bothasig and Edgemead define the Bothasig Gardens substantive value offering.

Commenting on the quality of the development, Minister Sexwale reportedly pointed out that, the Bothasig Gardens was “an asset to the community and will play a critical role in increasing property values in the Bothasig area”. These face brick apartments debunk the myth that social housing has to be of a lower standard providing an example of how large scale, affordable rental accommodation, can create a focus of excellence in a community.

Christie van Niekerk, Manager Corobrik Cape in summing Corobrik’s involvement with the project said, “Bothasig Gardens presents a great example of what can be achieved cost effectively in clay brick, the face bricks mitigating future maintenance costs being placed on communities least able to shoulder such a burden, and through that enhancing the lifetime value equation of the project.“

The architects selected Corobrik Constantia Travertine clay face bricks interspersed with sections of planter work for the affordable housing development Bothasig Gardens in Cape Town. The development comprises 120 units, ranging from bachelor units to one and two bedroom family units.

Corobrik adds to efficiency of new 10111 Radio Control Centre

The new R100 million South African Police Service (SAPS) 10111 Radio Control Centre in Korsten, Port Elizabeth, designed by Matrix for the National Department of Public Works (NDPW), is a world-class facility built primarily to improve on SAPS response times and provide a drastically enhanced and more efficient call out rate to the country.

Existing facilities at Mount Road were inadequate in terms of size and a new facility was necessary to deal with large, valuable and sensitive electronic equipment to expand SAPS operations to provide an improved and more efficient call out rate to the Eastern Cape, and in turn, set a precedent for future development nationally.

The building’s footprint is orientated along an East West axis aligning itself to the North as opposed to the sites North East boundaries. According to Fisher the Project Architect, this juxtaposition intentionally reinforces the building’s form as a pavilion with its massing defined by the levels of the site. The central Call Centre/Radio Control is perceived as the hub of the facility and designed as an independent entity inside the space of the building’s structure, defined by a single mono-pitched roof. All supporting accommodation feeds off this central space, taking advantage of the views and promoting transparency throughout the facility.

The underlying design intension was to create awareness through detail of materials across a limited palette. The client’s brief to provide an uninterrupted space for call takers required an intricate steel structure to both span and support a service platform above over an area of 800m².

Although conceptually there was a need for transparency, it was also fundamental to ground the building to provide a firm base to work from. This was achieved by detailing the four outer corners of the buildings structure in face brick. These corners wrap around textured plaster and seemingly elevate just off the surface of the surrounding finishes though a recessed shadow line of raw terelyne to help soften its connection.

“The bottom two courses of face brick above the recessed plinth is in essence a result of the need for a composite beam to form the cantilever in the brickwork,” notes Fisher.

The brick-on-edge and soldier course in the brick work rests on a continuous length of 5mm galvanised steel plate – over the full width of the wall – and a concrete cavity filled to the height of the soldier course. “The differing course configuration also facilitated the need to tie back into the required brick courses of the inner skins,” he says.

The choice in using brickwork was also taken a step further through the use of carefully detailed reveals and the combination of travertine and satin faced bricks. Light naturally reflects off smooth surfaces which intentionally created a ‘mosaic’ effect across the face brick facades. Corobrik’s Terracotta Travertine and Satin mix, batched 50/50 was specified for the exterior brickwork, while internally, Corobrik’s Firelight Satin was used.

Internalised purpose-made galvanised steel brick shelves, fixed to concrete ring beams, allowed for full height brick work with horizontal expansion joints at roughly 3,5m centres. These shelves allowed the face brick work to continue across the cantilevered concrete canopy slabs to allow the brick to wrap around the scratch plaster.

Furthermore, all openings are finished with header courses forming the side reveals and brick-on-edge courses to the lintel and sill of openings. Lintel and sill brick work intentionally projects past the face of the facades as capping pieces.

The versatility of face brick was significant in allowing the architects to utilise the material successfully in many guises in the Radio Control Centre effectively adding a further layer to the inner space of the building in the form of a brick with a lighter shade and of a satin finish.

“The building has been registered with the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) with the intension of achieving a four star Green Star SA – Office ‘as built’ accreditation that would recognise the building as being Best Practice,” says Fisher.
“A central Building Management System (BMS) was incorporated to drive, monitor and record all operational data of the building which includes electrical/mechanical services and water consumption to ensure their optimal performance and use. Other noticeable features would be rain water harvesting for 100% irrigation requirements, double glazing, solar glare control, acoustics, steel disassembly and intrinsic design features such as orientation and daylight views.”

The main entrance of the SAPS 10111 call centre building which has been built in Korsten, Port Elizabeth.



A close up of brickwork showing a combination of Corobrik Terracotta satin and travertine . The two different bricks were laid in a mix of 50/50

Corobrik Specified for Mine Housing in the Northern Cape

Corobrik is proud to be part of the progress of the mining of manganese ore a sector that is the greatest contributor to the country’s gross domestic product.

Production volumes amongst the two biggest players in the Northern Cape’s mining sector - Assmang and Anglo American – continue to increase at a tremendous speed. To both cater for new employees and respond within the ambit of the revised mining charter published by government in late 2010, both mining giants are in the throes of creating new and upgrading existing accommodation with a number of housing projects both on the drawing board and under construction.

Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore operation, located in Sishen near the town of Kathu, is believed to be one of the seven largest open pit mines in the world. Kumba is currently building 60 mine management houses with Corobrik Blue Barley Travertine and Roan Travertine face bricks. A contract for the construction of a further 479 - 50m2 houses.

In addition, production at the new Kolomela mine in Posmasburg came on stream in May 2012. The Kolomela mine expansion saw Corobrik delivering two million Corngold Satins for the building of 400 staff houses. This project has been divided into three projects, namely Postdene, Airfield and Boichoko.

The mining sector has been known for the appalling living conditions under which workers lived, which led to a myriad of social ills including the destruction of the social fabric of communities, substance abuse, as well as the contraction and spread of diseases.

Review in 2009, prior to the amendment of the charter, indicated that many mines were making solid efforts to upgrade housing with many moving away from controversial hostel systems to create quality family homes. To build on this, new policy guidelines have since been put in place to ensure that accommodation was not only consistent with international best practices but also to help facilitate home ownership for all mine employees by 2014. It is a stipulation that home ownership must be both affordable and sustainable.

In meeting the objectives of the mining charter, the use of clay brick in housing projects went a long way to provide both affordable and sustainable housing. A clay brick house meets the aspirational requirements of the prospective homeowners to live in ‘proper’ houses and all the dignity associated with that.

Miners keen to be housed may consider themselves fortunate that South Africa has not compromised and digressed from its well-entrenched masonry tradition and all the associated benefits that clay brick brings to house construction.

Brick fits all three dimensions of sustainability. Clay brick construction is proven economical as built and its record of performance, its robustness, its durability assures a low lifecycle cost. Add to that, that clay bricks have mineral properties that meet all necessary requirements for healthy living, that clay bricks release no toxic fumes under both normal and fire conditions to impinge on air quality. They have natural sound insulation properties to support quiet indoor environments and clay bricks sustainable value emerges in a unique holistic context.

The region borders the Kalahari desert and has some of the most acute temperature fluctuations in the country, the energy efficiency that results from the use of clay brick is important. The real benefits of clay brick construction are to be realised in our long hot summer months when the natural thermal properties of clay brick help attenuate the impact of high outdoor temperatures indoors.

The value of thermal mass the clay brick walls provide, slows the heat flow to the inside by 6 to 8 hours over the hottest parts of the day, moderating internal conditions and providing target thermal comfort for longer, reducing artificial cooling interventions.

Gary Westwood, of Corobrik said that one of the most critical housing projects in the Northern Cape – and one of the greatest challenges faced by the mining industry as a whole – was the resettlement of residents to facilitate the expansion of a mine. “Plans are currently being finalised to relocate the entire town of Dingleton 12 kilometres south west of Kathu to allow further expansion at the Sishen mine. This will require the building of more than 500 houses as well as schools, police stations and commercial properties.”

Assmang owns both manganese and iron ore production facilities in the Northern
Cape with their Iron Ore mines being located in Kathu and Posmasburg and their
manganese operations in the towns of Hotazel and Black Rock.

The recent fall in manganese prices has forced them to delay their capital projects in Black Rock and Hotazel. However, the project which includes 200 mine houses, a gym, a new guest house and accommodation for 40 students – is expected to go ahead towards the middle of 2013.

In Posmasburg 700 new houses are being constructed and in Kuruman, 800 houses will be built. The first phase, which comprises 89 units, is expected to start in January 2013. A combination of Corobrik Nevada Travertine, Nebraska Travertine, Corngold Satin and Opal Satins has been specified by Assmang for these projects.

In Kathu, there are plans to build 700 houses. Group 5 is already busy with the construction of 300 houses using Corobrik Sapphire Satin, Nevada Travertine, Montana Travertine, Nebraska Travertine and Opal Satin. VHB Developments is also busy with 60 houses which are being built with Sapphire Satin and Corngold Satin. Approximately 200 have already been completed and there are plans to extend the total number of houses to approximately 1000.

Assmang staff homes would be built by the mine with the intention to sell them onto the workers at subsidised rates. To help facilitate this staff receive a housing allowance that can go towards bond repayments whilst they are in Assmang’s employ.

One of the staff houses at the new Kolomela mine in Posmasburg which has been built and incorporates Corobrik Corngold Satin bricks



Corobrik Nevada face bricks bricks have been used in the mine houses built for staff working at Angleo American’s Kumba Iron Ore mine in Kathu.



Anglo American selected Corobrik’s Opal face bricks to be used when building this house for their mine staff . Staff will have the opportunity of purchasing the houses at a subsidised rate.



To offer staff different houses, Anglo American selected three different face bricks for the houses built for staff working on Kumba Iron Ore mine in Kathu. This house uses Corobrik Nebraska.