Page 12 - Designing Ways 260

TRADE WINDS

Eliminating barriers
to entry will give

South Africa the
design talents

it needs

ight now, the world needs more
creative problem solvers to
Rreimagine our living spaces and
build us a better tomorrow. The design
space has witnessed momentous changes
in the last few years - Covid-19 of course
has had an everlasting impact on the
way we live and work, but so too has the
intensifying climate crisis. that challenge the status quo and have Certificate in Architectural Practice helps
People are spending more time working the future in mind need to be fashioned, develop the necessary skills required
at home, with offices all but abandoned, ideally from fresh homegrown talents to enter the field of architecture at the
city centres virtual ghost towns and who are both passionate and accustomed level of a draughtsperson, and is also a
green living now firmly front and centre. to the ever-changing world around them. fantastic stepping stone for those wanting
Designing sustainable buildings that It means inspiring a new breed of urban to further their academic qualifications in
create positive change encompasses so designers, architectural professionals and the architectural profession. The Higher
much more than just their mere bricks interior designers who will play a central Certificate in Spatial Design prepares
and mortar. It means revolutionising role in South Africa’s rapid urbanisation. students for a career way beyond that of a
the way our homes and cities look, feel, Already more than 60% of South Africans Decorator. It gives students the opportunity
sound and even smell. Winston Churchill live in urban areas and the figure is predicted to explore transitional areas that would
did once famously say “we shape our to rise by 10% come 2030. By 2050, eight not normally be addressed in traditional
buildings, thereafter they shape us.” out of ten people are expected to be living in decorating qualifications,” explains Marga
New ideas that are kinder to the urban areas. Yet, the entry requirements to de Vos, coordinator at STADIO School of
environment, and alternative ideologies qualifications in the architecture field have Architecture and Spatial Design.
always been tough, often with a solid pure In a bid to help strip away the barriers
maths pass as a prerequisite. to entry, the entry requirements for the
As a tertiary education provider, Higher Certificate in Architectural Practice
STADIO has its eyes and ears firmly to do not call for a pass in pure maths or art,
the ground, and knows South Africa’s although English is still a prerequisite.
graduate supply and demand challenges “By eliminating barriers to entry like a
well. Starting in January 2023, they’ll pass in pure maths and adding more depth
be introducing two new one-year to our courses, we can ensure that our
programmes under STADIO School of inspiring design industry is open to even
Architecture and Spatial Design that more talented individuals. To bridge this
will gear up the labour force to meet this barrier, the qualification includes math
requirement head on. literacy in a module that will address the
The first is a Higher Certificate in mathematical applications expected of
Architectural Practice, endorsed by a draughtsperson and designer. With a
The South African Council for the strong focus on sustainability and social
Architectural Profession (SACAP), awareness, not only will they be able to
and the second programme is a Higher pursue a lucrative and rewarding career in
Certificate in Spatial Design which has architecture and design but can proudly
the backing of the African Institute of the say that they have positively contributed to
Interior Design Professions (IID). a greener, cleaner, and more efficient South
“We are incredibly excited to be able Africa after graduation,” concludes de Vos.
to offer these programmes which both dw
have a strong vocational focus that offer www.stadio.ac.za/arts-fashion-design/
students real workplace skills. The Higher school-architecture-spatial-design

12 Issue 260 • dw