From the President’s Pen, Financial Matters, Quote for the month, Office Matters, Office Closure 2021-2022, Contact Details
In this issue:
PIA OFFICE NEWS:From the President’s Pen, Financial Matters, Quote for the month, Office Matters, Office Closure 2021-2022, Contact Details
Upcoming Events for November 2021 – Book now
PIA Awards for Architecture – Have a look!
PIA Website – Give us feedback
PIA CPD Assist
Welcome to our new members! We are delighted to have you on board.
South African building industry in line for more State support
What’s Behind Architecture’s Hidden Humor
Advertisements – Positions offered and Wanted
PIA OFFICE NEWS:
From the President’s Pen, Financial Matters, Quote for the month, Office Matters, Office Closure 2021-2022, Contact Details
Dear Members,
The good news is that we are now in the full swing of spring and the Jacaranda trees are in full bloom, showering us with a delightful purple haze. We trust that the coming months of good rains and sunshine will energize our lives and bring smiles and good humor.
Our bi-annual Awards evening held on Friday 22 October 2021 was a major success and a very big congratulations to all the project awards and the respective architects. Many years of architectural work went into these projects and they are well rewarded. For the first time we were able to award four projects with our Awards of Excellence.
There were also seven Awards of Merit and fifteen Commendations for Architecture. The adjudicating panel is also thanked for their personal time and effort during the adjudication process. A special word of thanks to our Convenor, Karlien Thomashoff, who worked hand in hand with Mauneen for the success of this event. The awards evening was held at Future Africa on the campus of the University of Pretoria and was an excellent location for a superb evening of joy and celebration. The event was also broadcasted live to members who could unfortunately not be present due to Covid-19 restrictions.
My personal thanks to our committed PIA staff for their arrangements of excellence in making the evening an event to remember.
Meanwhile our office management continues to provide services to members regarding PPP events, Council liaison and general administration.
Presently we have ± 60% of our members fees paid up and please would the other members consider timeous payment to provide the PIA with the financial platform to continue services. Our financial year 20/21 ended with a balanced financial sheet – no profit and no loss! Nonetheless income has reduced considerably over the past two financial years which has placed the PIA at a disadvantage. Our managed response has been to provide services at an accelerated level on electronic platforms with truly professional presenters and topics. This year we have had 34 events combined with 108 speakers. Thank you to all these presenters and also to the hosts. We have had a very successful IDEAS Conference with 5 on-line events, a multitude of on-line events, 4 on-line Jam Sessions and 4 on-line Professional Practice Programme events.
Our Transformation Portfolio with Nompilo Okyere-Dede, Jeremy Gibberd, Camilo Mogni and Claire McCusker have made recommendations regarding PIA accessibility by younger architects which the PIA is presently considering. A successful liaison between the University of Pretoria – Department of Building Environment and the PIA was recently held to discuss and propose how young architects can access PIA information and benefits. We are under pressure to provide services for no fee especially from students and entry level architects. The PIA has identified that our younger architectural community has limited exposure to the profession and that the PIA should be seen as the most appropriate vehicle for this exposure. We will implement a programme for the new year to bring younger professionals on board.
A very successful heritage event was recently held with close to 100 participants. Explanations and examples of heritage legislation and the implementation thereof was presented and discussed. Thank you to Karlien Thomashoff, Helene Potgieter, Arthur Barker and Adriaan Louw. Also view the PIA website under resources with heritage enquiries and general information.
The news from SAIA is that a new CEO will be appointed (after the sad passing of Mtembeni Mkhize). Interviews were held after shortlisting suitable candidates and a decision has been made. SAIA however continues to provide services to members and affiliates under difficult circumstances but this we trust should shortly be challenges of the past.
We are also proud to announce that a PIA member Amira Osman has been elected as the Vise-President of SAIA and we wish her great success in her new venture.
We would like to call on all members to view the new SACAP fee schedule draft which is open for comment.
Be on the lookout for our year ending events which include the PPP5 Workshop on 4 October (on-line) and Presidents Breakfast (live) on 5 November. Our last PIA committee meeting for the year will be on 25 November and our Annual General Meeting which is a yearly highlight will be on 18 November. Please participate in this on-line event and if you have any enquiries contact our Executive Officer, Mauneen.
Our new website has gone online and the first minor glitches have been attended to, but if you have any comments or user challenges, please contact Mauneen.
Please take note of our Business Affiliate and Sponsors page on the website. We would like to encourage you to advise any company that may be interested, to please be part of our business drive and this will be highly appreciated.
Finally, we are searching for a member(s) to advise us on the present direction of Professional Insurance schemes. This has been a well-informed portfolio and we are looking for new blood to advise.
Thank you for your commitment to the PIA and we look forward to your participation, views and energy during the last quarter of 2021.
As a parting thought I refer to one of the great modernist architects of the twentieth century, Louis Kahn who once stated:
“A great building must begin with the unmeasurable, must go through measurable means when it is being designed and, in the end, must be measurable”.
The PIA trusts that we have been measurable to our members during the past year.
Best Regards,
Jeremie Malan
PIA President
Financial Matters:
• MEMBERSHIP FEES : PRO-FORMA INVOICES for the 2020-2021 fiscal period were issued per email from 1 July 2021. The PIA is now at 60% paid up. Thank you to all our members who have paid their fees. Ishara will also be resending invoices to members whose fees are still outstanding in the next few days.
We are appealing to all those whose fees are still outstanding, to please pay by the end of November. It is impossible to deliver the quality of service you have become accustomed to, without the financial support.
If you have not received your pro-forma invoice for PIA & SAIA membership fees due, please contact Ishara on 082 496 4597 / finance@pia.org.za
Quote for the month:
“I am not a glass half full or glass half empty kind of person … I am however grateful to have a glass”
Office Matters:
We are all AT THE OFFICE! Come say hello, buy documents, bring cake for coffee!
Office Hours: Mondays to Fridays from 08:00 – 15:30
OFFICE CLOSURE 2021 – 2022:
Please note that the PIA Office will close for the Festive Season on Wednesday 15 December 2021 @ 12:00 until 11 January 2022 @ 08:00.
Contact Details:
General (any and everything): Mauneen van Wyk Cell: 083 297 4697 E-mail: management@pia.org.za
CPD: Marlize de Klerk e-mail: cpd@pia.org.za
Finance and membership: Ishara Pillay e-mail: finance@pia.org.za
Mauneen van Wyk
PIA Executive Officer