Share this on

Design Contest Aids HIV/AIDs Effort

Swee Hong Ng’s HIV/AIDS outreach center will serve the youth of Somkhele, South Africa.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 5/24/2005 12:00:00 AM

Pittsburgh Architect, Swee Hong Ng, was named winner of the Siyathemba design competition held by Architecture for Humanity and Siyathemba Consultants, the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies.

The 29-year-old Ng, who currently works at Pittsburgh architectural firm Edge Studio, will collaborate with the community and local architects to design and build a sports and HIV/AIDS outreach center in Somkhele, South Africa, a region with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS cases in the world. The Siyathemba (Siyathemba is the Zulu word for hope) competition was launched in 2004 for the area’s youth, who are three times more likely to become HIV positive.

Ng’s design is among nine finalists and 16 honorable mentions selected by Somkhele community members--students, youth football players, nurses, and teachers--from 300 international entries. His plans include a pair of earth, adobe brick, and concrete "V" shaped terraces, which will serve as a scenic venue for events. David Mathias and Tim Denis of Basildon, England took home the second place prize, and Guy Lafranchi and Dietmar Panzenbock, of Switzerland, placed third.