SAIA KZN Practice Breakfast with Dr Luyanda Mpahlwa

PERSPECTIVES ON ARCHITECTURE AND THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA My Journey in practice... The topic for the KZNIA Practice Breakfast is centred around my Journey in Architectural practice, exploring the question of ‘How architecture fits into the transformation agenda” in South Africa and beyond. This exploration will be shared through my early involvement in Architecture as a student in Durban, where I was enrolled at Natal University and later Technikon Natal. My talk originated from my reflections from my time as a young black student and the experiences I made as a student of architecture in what was then “institutions reserved for the white population”! The talk will touch on the critical role of pedagogy, including the teachers who played a role in my journey. Further perspectives on the “narrative on architecture and the transformation agenda” will be explored through my work in practice, sharing experiences from various projects, Berlin, Germany, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and South Africa. The talk will also touch on the broader challenges facing post-colonial cities in the continent, from the perspective of the tension between the formal and informal cities and the rapid growth and urbanisation facing the continent, including South Africa. The transformation of our cities as inclusive and affordable environments is matter of continuing discourse