Sustainable designers to be recognised
HOUGHTON – James Delaney and Thulani Nkomo won the 2017/2018 sustainable leadership award for their work at The Wilds.
Local designers and innovators are invited to enter the AfriSam-SAIA Sustainable Design Awards recognising sustainable innovation in both rural and urban spaces.
The awards seek to find projects falling into one of the following categories: sustainable design, research in sustainability, sustainable product/technology or sustainable social programmes. These projects should showcase a response to the social complexities, growth requirements and needs of marginalised communities in South Africa.
Awards manager Eben Keun said that this year marks a decade since the South African Institute of Architects initiated the awards, but the criteria has expanded and evolved to include categories outside of architecture.
2017/2018 sustainable leadership award winner James Delaney was recognised for transforming The Wilds in Houghton from a neglected, dangerous space to become a park to be enjoyed by all.
“Our awards are about people who move our world forward. This is what James has done with The Wilds,” said Keun.
Delaney explained that The Wilds is almost 100 years old, but was largely neglected for a long period of time.
“It looked like a dark, dangerous jungle. No-one would come here and not a single car could be seen in the car park,” said Delaney.
He explained that together with co-worker Thulani Nkomo, they began by cutting back overgrown vegetation and bringing light to the dark space.
“We worked for three years, but at the end of it all, I still couldn’t convince people to come here. I needed more help and I needed more resources to move The Wilds forward.”
Delaney, who works as an artist, decided to take his drawings and turn them into sculptures for the park. He began with a large, colourful giraffe, which can be seen by motorists on Houghton Drive.
“Once people saw the sculptures, they wanted to visit the park and capture Instagram moments. The sculptures captured the people’s imagination and brought them to the park.”
City Parks have since sent in their Expanded Public Works Programme and community members have volunteered their time and resources to upgrade the park.
“Now, when you visit on a weekend you struggle to find parking.”
To find out more about the awards, visit www.sustainabledesign.co.za
Related articles:
ICYMI: Locals walk in the wilds and learn more about their community
