
The design and manufacture of a mobile fold-away trader’s barrow and the design of a “service node” within the anticipated future transport industry has resulted in runners-up positions for Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University architecture students in two national competitions.
Ian Winfield was awarded second place and R10 000 in the Annual CaesarStone Student Designer of 2014 competition for his design of a future “service node” for personal transport energy systems, while a team of students also took the runner-up spot and R10 000 in the annual Murray and Roberts Des Baker competition.
NMMU Architecture lecturer Donald Flint is thrilled with the students’ success.
He congratulated Ian for an entry which he described as “visionary” in a field wide open for interpretation, projection and “just plain guessing”.
“Ian’s proposal addressed the type of facility that could be injected into the residue space created where freeway and urban fabric meet,” he said.
Another group of third-year students – Ryan Pinches, James Thomson and Bradford Marshall – produced a practical, traders’ barrow to take second spot in the contest run in conjunction with the annual National Architectural Student Congress held in Durban.
The students’ OneTwoThree mobile shop/stall designed for a fruit vendor is made of recycled cable reel that contains a number of interior compartments used to store a multitude of parts that assemble to form the tree-like structure.
According to Bradford bags of fruit can be hung from the branches of the structure and goods can be placed atop the cable reel’s flat structure.
He said when in travel mode, the reel is rolled by means of handle that connects to the side of the reel. When assembled, the handle is used as a stand for the signboards.
“It has been very rewarding to see the students meet the challenges with imagination on all fronts. They certainly created a product that met their client’s approval – so much so that the hawker who test drove the design for three days did not want to return it because of increased sales,” said Prof Flint.

Alan Straton
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