SA
INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS ELECTS ITS FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT
The Board of Representatives of the SA Institute of Architects
(SAIA) elected its first black President in its 79 year history.
Mr Hassan Asmal, a practicing architect from Cape Town, was unanimously
elected President of the SAIA for the period 2007-2008 at
a meeting of the Board held on Wednesday, 30 August. He will
be in office for a two year period, up to August 2008. Mr
Al Stratford, current President of the Border-Kei Institute
of Architects (BKIA), was elected Vice-President of SAIA for
the same period.
Hassan
was inaugurated during a glittering gala dinner held on Friday,
1 September 2006 in Bloemfontein. In his inaugural address
he confirmed the Institute's commitment to transformation
within the profession, and called on black colleagues to take
up a more active role in the work and activities of the SAIA.
Hassan
was born in 1955 and grew up in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal.
After initially studying at the ML Sultan Technikon, he obtained
a B Arch degree at the University of Cape Town in 1982. He
gained experience in several practices before establishing
ACG Architects and Development Planners in 1993, where he
is a partner.
The
practice was awarded the SAIA Award for Excellence for Hartleyvale
Sports Stadium in 1998. In 2002 Hassan received the SABTACO
Joint Initiative Award first prize for leadership in the Unicity
Council Chamber Project for the City of Cape Town, and the
SAIA Award of Merit was conferred to the practice for the
Unicity project in 2003. His practice was part of an association
of firms that received an Award of Merit on Friday for the
Cape Town International Conference Centre.
Hassan
was elected President of the Cape Institute for Architecture
in September 2002 and since then has served on the SAIA Board
as one of the elected members of the Management Committee.
In August 2004 he was elected Vice-President of SAIA.
He
has lectured and has been an external examiner at the University
of Cape Town and the Peninsula Technikon. He was a member
of the Advisory Council for the Wesley College of Education
and also served on the Planning Advisory Board of the Provincial
Government of the Western Cape as well as a number of community
organisations.
As
a keen sportsperson, Hassan Asmal has achieved honours in
soccer and cricket. He is married and has three children.
Mr
Al Stratford, the newly-elected Vice-President of SAIA, entered
his working career as a draughtsman in the field of structural
steel and engineering. Although he has no formal education
in architecture he is now registered as a professional architect
after passing a special qualifying examination with the SA
Council for the Architectural Profession.
His
overarching focus is on the development of a broad based approach
to habitat starting with 'DNA' grounded in sustainable technology
linked to the transference of skills and the development of
new compact urban communities. To this end, he is practicing
with his partners, in Buffalo City East London where, with
the assistance of private developers, foreign aid and the
municipality, he is working towards the establishment of sustainable
high-density affordable development and urban renewal.
Issued
on behalf of the SA Institute of Architects
For
more information, please contact:
Su Linning Executive Officer
SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS
TEL : +27 11 782 1315 FAX : +27 11 782 8771
E-MAIL : admin@saia.org.za
