In celebrating the ten years of democracy, the Department of Housing hosted a "Housing Innovation & Design" competition, aimed at the architectural schools of tertiary institutions in Cape Town. Students from the University of Cape Town, Cape Technikon and Peninsula Technikon competed with the aim to design high density, aesthetically pleasing low-cost houses.

The competition topic was "innovation" in housing and aimed at the 4th year B. tech and 3rd year BAS students. One representative from each school was nominated by their institutions to be responsible for the event.

Each institution selected sites in the urban context and students designed a housing scheme that would combine urban design and densification, down to the detailed unit within the framework of the current subsidy debate. The institutions drafted a detailed brief to align it with their current syllabus and to maximise the educational value for their students. This brief combines the fields of urban design and technical construction details.

Minister Fransman, Minister of Local Government and Housing, announced the winners at the Cape Town International Convention Centre where the Gala Award function took place. The winning designers are Tecklehaimanot Beraki, Pamela Boast and Aman Gherger from the Cape Technikon.

Their design is based on a concept of high-density duplex housing with pedestrian walkways and pleasant outdoor spaces, based in a part of former District Six, and links the Castle and Table Mountain.

The winning designers Tecklehaimanot Beraki, Pamela Boast and Aman Gherger from the Cape Technikon	Minister Fransman, Minister of Local Government and Housing
Dr Laurine Platzky, Acting Head: Department of Housing