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Writer's pictureRuth First Trust

Alumna in the Spotlight

We are excited to bring you another edition in our series highlighting the journeys and achievements of our alumnae...  



My name is Humayra Akhalwaya and I was on the Ruth First Memorial Trust scholarship during my high school years from 2014-2018.

After matriculating I pursued my Bachelor’s of Architectural Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand and upon completion I interned at various architecture firms for two years, as well as being one of the mentors to the current Ruthies.








I am now in the process of completing my Bachelor of Architectural Sciences with Honours at the University of Pretoria and this opened up the opportunity for me to enter the 2024 Timber Design Competition. This competition was an opportunity for me to design with emerging building technologies like CLT – a type of engineered timber- and hempcrete as they are both sustainable and can help reduce carbon emissions produced by the construction industry.


The aim of the competition was to design an innovative extension to the FABI Square building on the University of Pretoria Hatfield Campus in a way that showcases the capabilities of engineered timber. My design focused on fast and adaptable construction, which I specifically chose, because in a university setting it is important that student activities are not hindered for prolonged periods of time. The adaptability design informant was chosen as student and staff needs are ever growing and this gives them the opportunity to change the building over time without invasive renovation and demolition.




This project was completed over the course of five weeks with the help of my studio supervisors, after which I submitted and anxiously awaited the results. There were almost a hundred entries to the competition and on the 5th of September, I found out my hard work paid off. I placed in the top 16 of the competition entrants and was invited to showcase my work in an exhibition held at Future Africa at the University of Pretoria on the 9th of September!

Working towards a major submission for an architecture competition is daunting, time consuming and requires hard work. Whenever I am faced with a task like this I am reminded of the skills and support I received through the Ruth First Memorial Trust which has left me with the confidence to know I can face any challenge and complete it successfully.


Congratulations on this fantastic achievement Humayra! We love watching you shine!


Robyn Hill Manager: Ruth First Jeppe Memorial Trust







Should you wish to make a donation, payment is accepted by SnapScan or eft to Absa, Eastgate, Branch code 632005, Account number 4076706321. Many thanks.

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