Two postgraduate architecture students from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Daniele Cronje and Jason Evetts, have emerged as the winners of the Milpark Social Housing Concepts Competition, winning R40 000 and an opportunity of further involvement in the design phase of the project.
This is after the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) appointed Delta Built Environment Consultants as consultants to conduct a feasibility study for the development of social housing in the mixed-used precinct of Milpark.
As part of the concept development and typologies process, postgraduate architecture students, from UJ and WITS University, were invited to submit proposals as part of a student competition arranged over two rounds.
The JDA has identified the former Parktown Tennis Club on 64 Napier Road Parktown as a potential site for social housing.
The duo have the opportunity to develop their concept designs with a professional architect, accredited by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession, and attend a workshop for housing design to further their competition entries.
This competition is part of the JDA’s Social Housing Crisis design series, which has already introduced several great proposals to address the local demand for urban housing.
“This competition showcases how the City and our established partnerships with professional bodies, and the academic fraternity, can work together to fulfil our vision of turning the City of Johannesburg into a people-centred city,” said Member of Mayoral Committee for Development Planning Cllr Reuben Masango.
The City of Johannesburg has embarked on a new spatial vision for the city in line with its Growth and Development Strategy 2040, based on the corridor Transit Orientated Development. It forms part of an integrated, vibrant, high-density developments that seek to enhance pedestrian access to public transit options that will transform the city of Johannesburg to a people-centred city.
Based on the above objectives and development goals, the Milpark Precinct Urban Design Framework was adopted as a vision for the precinct. New developments should build on the large institutional presence in the area (SABC, UJ, Wits and Media24) and the high level of public transport accessibility.
Substantial new development is envisaged for this precinct, the majority of which should ideally be high-rise buildings.
The Milpark Urban Design Framework was approved as Council policy in 2016 and contains principal propositions for the transformation of the Milpark Precinct.
