Hellmut Stauch: leading architect - Couverture souple

Nation, Mrs Shelagh S

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1977692281 ISBN 13 : 9781977692283

Editeur : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014

Synopsis

This book was written as a tribute to Hellmut Stauch, one of South Africa’s greatest architects of the 20th century. It tells the story of his early years, of the practice that he built, and of the many aspects of this multi-faceted man, as remembered by his partners, associates, friends, family members and members of the sailing fraternity. Much of the material is from the research for a dissertation that I submitted to the University of Pretoria in 1985 as part of the requirements for the M Arch degree. I first encountered Hellmut when he was a lecturer at the University of Pretoria, where I was one of his students. He had very little time for females as students—there were only very few of us at the time—so when some years later I became an Associate in the Pietersburg branch of Stauch Vorster, I could hardly believe my luck. I soon found that the stories of him as a minor tyrant were unfounded. He was simply a brilliant architect with very strong views on design and with an overpowering determination to be the best in every field, who also demanded—and got—only the best from his partners, associates and staff. And he was also a fine yachtsman, a formidable adversary on the water and a winner of races in almost every class of boat. It is fitting that the story of his early years and of the practice that he founded, at one time the largest in Africa, should be recorded, for those who were not fortunate enough to know him—and for those who knew him and may be reminded of times long past.

A propos du livre

About the Author :

Shelagh Nation, born in 1930, entered after much family argument and almost by accident, the then male-dominated profession of architecture. After three years working for NBRI, marrying (becoming Shelagh de Kock) and moving to Pietersburg, she graduated from Pretoria University in 1953. While raising her four sons she worked for architectural firms in Pietersburg and in 1965 became an associate partner in charge of Stauch Vorster’s Pietersburg office. There she dealt with a large variety of projects, including shops, offices, industrial buildings, a sports stadium, an information bureau and more than 100 houses, before moving to their head office in Pretoria. In Pretoria, she carried out research, especially in the field of buildings for education, and investigated the key problem of accurate briefing for all types of projects. Other issues researched in the USA, Canada and the UK were those of ‘recycled’ buildings, libraries and resource centres, instructional spaces for the teaching of computer science, and in Brazil, Argentina and Chile she researched particular aspects of planning, design and construction for low-cost housing. In 1982 Shelagh married for the second time, to Vic Nation, also employed by Stauch Vorster, and in 1985 she was awarded the M Arch at Pretoria University. Shelagh retired at the end of 1999, when she and her husband moved to Aurora in the Western Cape Shelagh retired for the second time at the end of 1999, when she and her husband moved to Aurora in the Western Cape. However, retirement continued to be theoretical, as she became involved with various projects, workshops and mentorships, as well as membership of the Heritage sub-committee based in Velddrif. A member of the PIA (Pretoria Institute for Architecture) almost since inception, Shelagh now has honorary membership in recognition. While serving on the PIA committee in Pretoria, the success of architectural familiarisation workshops for township children in their last two years of high school, aimed at encouraging interest in the fields of architecture, engineering and building, led to their being extended to other venues, including the Grahamstown Festival. A particularly successful mentorship she led in about 2005 at the LEAP school in Cape Town led to four learners winning a National competition and one of the four continuing into the field of civil engineering.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Date d'édition: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1977692281
• ISBN 13: 9781977692283
• Reliure: Paperback
• Nombre de pages: 154