by Mosima Rafapa
Two final-year Bachelor of Architecture students from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Damian Ciaglia and Dineo Mogane, have won the national Saint-Gobain Architecture Student Contest and will represent South Africa on the international stage in Nord-Isère, France, from 16 to 18 June 2025.
Two final-year Bachelor of Architecture students, Damian Ciaglia and Dineo Mogane.
Their project, Re:Light, guided by senior lecturer Petrus Greyvensteyn and colleagues Nadia Lloyd-Lister and Navare Ebersohn, reimagines sustainable design by integrating light, timber and local heritage to create a vibrant community hub. The design includes a new residential area near Les Grands Ateliers and the renovation of an old school building in Chimilin into a multi-use space for local associations and organisations.
This marks the third consecutive year TUT students will represent South Africa at this prestigious competition, which challenges students worldwide to design projects promoting sustainability for both people and the planet.
During the national stage, which took place in April, the brilliant students faced off against competitors from Durban University of Technology and Nelson Mandela University.
Each year, Saint-Gobain chooses a country that faces an architectural challenge and partners with the local municipality in creating a project to tackle social and cultural issues.
According to Greyvensteyn, the competition brief is divided into two parts, with the first part focusing on renovating the school building to create a multi-purpose space for the community and attract tourists to the area. The second part of the project is in an adjacent village on a university campus.
“The new buildings are envisioned to complement the existing laboratory for construction and include new laboratories, a residence for visiting staff and students, as well as a master plan for a prototype village where the experimental constructions will be tested. The brief stipulated that the architectural language on both sides should share the same conceptual underpinning. Dineo and Damian’s design employed materiality and local culture to achieve this,” said Greyvensteyn.
According to Mogane and Ciaglia, “Re: Light is more than a design — it is a framework for community memory, sustainable growth and cultural continuity. It invites the people of Nord-Isère to see themselves — and their future — in a new light.”
TUT’s involvement in the competition
TUT first participated in the competition in 2018 and since then, fourth-year students have regarded the Saint-Gobain project as their first and most significant project of the year.
This year, 13 groups of students from the Architecture Department participated, with the top two advancing to the national competition. Another pair, Marubini Mundalamo and Divine Ngulube, secured third place.
“At Saint-Gobain Africa, we are committed to investing in young talent across the continent. The Architecture Student Contest offers future professionals hands-on experience through real-world briefs, fostering sustainable thinking and innovation. It not only connects students to a global network of peers and experts but also helps pave the way for them to 'Make it in Africa to Build Africa', equipping them with the tools and confidence to shape a more inclusive, sustainable built environment,” said Samukelisiwe Machi, Saint-Gobain Solutions Academy Manager.
We wish Ciaglia and Mogane every success in the international competition.
HoD of Architecture and Industrial Design department, Dr Tariené Gaum, with students Damian Ciaglia and Dineo Mogane, part-time lecturer Nadia Lloyd-Lister and senior lecturer Petrus Greyvensteyn.