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Business Reporter
Architects and engineers should be innovative and must always explore the full extent of their skills limit to facilitate sustainable modernisation of the country’s cities and towns.
This emerged at the Architects Association of Zimbabwe annual congress in Nyanga last week, which ran under the theme “Research, Technology, and Innovative designs”.
National Housing and Social Amenities Minister, Daniel Garwe, who was the guest of honour at the event, emphasised the role of architects and engineers in delivering modern, innovative and sustainable projects in the urban set up.
“Climate change effects, antiquated infrastructure for water and sanitation, and also overcrowding, are among a host of challenges that require a collective approach to tackle. Design experts should observe their surroundings and global best practices and draw lessons from them,” he said.
The land is a finite resource that must be safeguarded for future generations, hence, the adoption of the densification policy.
”The Government is on the drive to modernise most rural areas through the construction of high rise buildings, which is a phenomenon in the rural district councils.
”The idea is to enable people to get the services, which they are not accessing in the rural areas. This will also de-congest most of the towns because people would get what they need at their door-steps in line with the President’s gospel of leaving no (and no place) one behind,” said Minister Garwe.
He said his ministry had a mandate to provide the best amenities in all settlements, which are affordable, stressing architects had a role to play for this dream to be realised.
”The Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities’ mandate and vision are very clear: provision of modern, sustainable and affordable human settlements for all Zimbabweans,” said Minister Garwe.
”Architecture as a profession, plays a pivotal role in complimenting this mandate and making dreams a reality. You are the linchpin in what we envisage as policy makers and the realisation of that imagination,” he said.
Architects Association of Zimbabwe chairperson, Morgan Jani, highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement and partnerships for well planned architectural designs. ”It is important that architects and engineers work hand in glove with the Government in ensuring that designs for housing developments are in tandem with the current trends.
“Also on the issue of sustainability and conformation to environmental standards, designs that were there 10, 20 years ago are no longer sustainable, bringing forth the issue of coming up with new innovations that are eco-friendly,” he said.
Architects Association of Zimbabwe president, Tariro Mbada, noted, “It is really an issue whereby the government has prioritised local operations that have seen us revive operations and go back to viability.”
The Government, through the Zimbabwe National Human Settlement Policy, has since embarked on Urban regeneration and renewal for old suburbs such as Sakubva in Mutare, Mbare and Makokoba in Bulawayo among others.
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