The Black Sable Podcast

Insights on Architecture Competitions and Emerging Architects
 
This podcast episode explores the hidden side of architecture with guest Sabela Rey Vila, an award-winning architect and researcher applying for a PhD in architectural competitions. The discussion covers her journey from Spain to South Africa, the unique aspects of architectural education in different regions, and the pros and cons of entering design competitions. Key elements of successful competition entries are highlighted, including the importance of sticking to one's passion, the role of intuitive design, and the potential for competitions to open new markets and opportunities for young architects. The conversation also touches on the role of competitions in the broader architectural profession and how they can serve as a platform for research and innovation.
 
00:00 Introduction and Purpose
 
00:35 Guest Introduction: Sabela Rey Vila
 
01:21 Sabela's Educational Journey
 
02:20 Challenges and Experiences in South Africa
 
08:15 Comparing Architectural Education: Spain vs. South Africa
 
14:12 The Importance of Competitions in Architecture
 
16:16 The Role of Passion in Success
 
22:19 Insights on Architectural Competitions
 
29:54 Benefits of Competitions for Young Architects
 
35:02 Valuable Perspectives in Architecture
 
35:36 The Impact of Winning Competitions
 
36:12 The Pompidou Centre: A Case Study
 
37:46 Entering New Markets Through Competitions
 
38:57 The Challenges of Architectural Competitions
 
40:52 The Joy of Designing Without Constraints
 
43:20 The Role of Competitions in Architectural Education
 
44:24 Networking and Exposure Through Competitions
 
54:40 The Creative Process in Architecture
 
01:04:04 Making Competitions More Accessible
 
01:06:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
 
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_building
 
https://calatrava.com/index.php/news/reader/conversion-of-the-old-reichstag-building-for-the-german-parliament.html
 
https://www.imarabe.org/fr
 
https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/
 
www.blacksable.com
 
https://www.sabelareyvila.com/

Tammy Ohlson de Fine — former interior designer, MBA graduate, and winner of the National Corobrik Student Architecture Award — shares her unconventional path to becoming South Africa’s top architecture graduate. We talk about balancing motherhood with design school, the sacrifices and rewards of chasing a dream, mentorship, networking, and what it takes to excel in one of the most demanding creative fields.

Connect & Explore:
🎙 Listen to more episodes: @blacksableza
▶️ YouTube: Black Sable Designs
📖 About the Corobrik Award: corobrik.co.za

Tammy Ohlson de Fine — former interior designer, MBA graduate, and winner of the National Corobrik Student Architecture Award — shares her unconventional path to becoming South Africa’s top architecture graduate. We talk about balancing motherhood with design school, the sacrifices and rewards of chasing a dream, mentorship, networking, and what it takes to excel in one of the most demanding creative fields.

Connect & Explore:
🎙 Listen to more episodes: @blacksableza
▶️ YouTube: Black Sable Designs
📖 About the Corobrik Award: www.corobrik.co.za

What happens when an architect creates art? 
In this episode we explore the intersection between architecture, art and architecture education and the spiritual side of designing with humanity.

Having worked in prestigious architectural studios, created award- winning artworks and lecturing at one of South Africa's top architecture schools, Dirk Bahmann, currently busy with his PHD in architecture shares his experience as a student, architect and artist and creating meaningful work.

👤 Guest Bio – Dirk Bahmann
-Architect, artist, and PhD candidate
-Research focuses on ritual, repair, memory & embodied making
-Blends theory with intuitive practice and slowness in design

💡 Key Themes
-Memory and energy in old buildings
-Erosion, repair, and the poetics of presence
-Ritual, resistance, and silence in architectural making
-Slowness and “not knowing” as design tools
-Theory vs embodiment in academia
-Architecture as a carrier of emotion and intuition

🏛️ Buildings & References Mentioned

🕒 17:23 – Punk Culture Reference
🔗 https://paulmcbride.me/2016/11/02/essay-the-punk-movement-in-the-realms-of-subculture-fashion-and-style/

🕒 13:17 – Wooden Hut in San Francisco (Parasitic Architecture)
🔗 https://www.dezeen.com/2012/02/16/manifest-destiny-by-mark-reigelman/

🕒 01:21:48 – Villa Savoye (Le Corbusier)
🔗 https://lecorbusier-worldheritage.org/en/villa-savoye-et-loge-du-jardinier/

🕒 01:31:58 – Kolumba Museum by Peter Zumthor (Cologne)
🔗 https://www.thisispaper.com/mag/kolumba-museum-peter-zumthor-rasmus-hjortshoj

🕒 01:33:52 – Therme Vals (Zumthor Bath House)
🔗 https://www.archdaily.com/13358/the-therme-vals/5fc1415563c017d62c001226-the-therme-vals-photo

🕒 01:59:41 – Sagrada Familia (Gaudí)
🔗 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sagrada-Familia

🕒 02:14:13 – “Ironman House” in Cape Town
🔗 https://peerutinkarol.com/project/clifton-nettleton-road-iron-man-house/

🔗 Stay Connected

🎧 Listen to the podcast: www.blacksable.co.za
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @BlackSableZA
🌍 Explore more: blacksable.co.za

📌 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to hear more from the hidden side of architecture.

#BlackSablePodcast #ArchitecturePodcast #DirkBahmann #DesignThinking #PeterZumthor #LeCorbusier #SagradaFamilia #ArchitectureTheory #SlowDesign #HiddenSideOfArchitecture📸 Follow dirk on Instagram: @dirkbahmann

In this episode, I chat with Mikayla De Gouveia — a third‑year architecture student at Cardiff University who’s also built an authentic online presence sharing the highs and lows of life in studio.

We get into:

What it’s really like studying abroad as a South African architecture student

How social media can be both a creative outlet and a pressure cooker

The sleep‑deprived chaos of studio life (and why that’s a problem)

Her hands‑on design‑build experience in Guatemala

If you're thinking about studying architecture — or already deep in it — this episode gives a grounded, no‑BS look at the grind, the growth, and the creative spark behind it all.

🔗 Follow Mikayla: @mikayla.deg
📍 Mentioned: Jewish Museum Berlin designed by Daniel Libeskind — a key stop in exploring how built spaces can tell stories jmberlin.deberlin.de+10en.wikipedia.org+10jmberlin.de+10,

 

⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro and who Mikayla is
01:30 – Balancing social media and studying architecture
03:00 – Time pressure and the studio grind
05:00 – Tutor feedback and the design power dynamic
07:00 – Toxic work culture in architecture
09:00 – UK architecture qualification route explained
10:30 – Why many don’t go all the way to registration
12:00 – How Mikayla got into architecture
13:00 – Artistic background and choosing architecture over fine art
14:30 – Study trips: Berlin, re-adaptation, and sketching
15:30 – Jewish Museum Berlin by Daniel Libeskind (@mikayla.deg

✅ Like the episode? Subscribe and help us grow the conversation.
🖤 Follow us on Instagram: @BlackSableZA
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🌍 Visit our site: www.blacksable.co.za