SAIA and Interbuild Africa partners to award bursaries

Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery is the organiser of Interbuild Africa 2014, one of the largest building and building services exhibitions in Africa. The Open Architecture programme offers architecture education in the form of a synthesis of face-to-face, block release, online and office-based architecture education. This initiative is aimed at students that wish to advance their qualifications, but are not in a position to attend full-time university studies.

According to Gary Corin, managing director of Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery, Interbuild Africa will sponsor three bursaries which will be awarded to the top three, first year Open Architecture students. The value of this bursary will cover each student's tuition fees to complete their second year of study.

Exceptional opportunity

"We're very excited about the opportunity to contribute to this initiative through our partnership with the Institute of Architects and Open Architecture," says Corin. "This award will provide each of the winning students with an exceptional opportunity to showcase their projects and to successfully complete the advancement of their education," he added.

According to Lone Poulsen, the programme director for Open Architecture, this awards initiative is aimed at students in need. "The Open Architecture students will be judged on the quality of their 2014 mid-term assignment submissions by a panel of judges from Open Architecture, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the Institute of Architects," she says. "The criteria for the awards will be based on a combination of academic record, merit and each individual student's unique circumstances," added Poulsen.

The three students selected will also have the opportunity to showcase their projects at Interbuild Africa 2014, which will take place from 20-23 August 2014 at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.