The Black Sable Podcast

The Black Sable Podcast

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The Black Sable Podcast episodes

  • How to be Competitive in Architectural Competitions with Sabela Rey Vila
    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/
    1 hr 8 min
  • Design, Grit & Corobrik Awards — Tammy Ohlson de Fine

    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

    1 hr 11 min
  • Design, Grit & The Corobrik Award— Tammy Ohlson de Fine

    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

    1 hr 13 min
  • Dirk Bahmann: Inside the Mind of an Architect, Artist, and Architecture Lecturer

    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

    2 hr 39 min
  • Social Media and Architecture – with Mikayla De Gouveia

    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
      📺 Find more on our channel: @BlackSableZA on YouTube
      🌍 Visit our site: www.blacksable.co.za

      1 hr 3 min
    • Inside the Black Sable Team

      In this conversation, our host Jacobus chats to the Black Sable dream team: Mieke van Zyl, Jessica Rogers, and Priyan Moodley. They chat about how they fit together as a team, maintaining a healthy work environment, drawing every day and combating perfectionism.

       

      Want more Black Sable in your life?

      Connect with Black Sable on our other platforms

      • Website https://www.blacksable.co.za/ 
      • Instagram instagram.com/blacksableza/ 
      • Youtube www.youtube.com/@blacksableza 

        •  

        TIMESTAMPS

         

        0:00 Intro

        0:27 Meet Priyan, Jess and Mieke

        3:00 Dealing with team friction

        5:21 Positive crit sessions

        11:03 Reframing “You vs Me” into “Us vs The Problem”

        17:04 The power of iteration

        20:32 Drawing every day

        32:08 Practice, patience & perfection

        35:04 Individual drawing style creating a cohesive studio style

        38:16 How personality testing transformed the way we communicate

        52:02 Outro



        Intro & Outro Music: Synapse by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com 

         

        54 min

      About The Black Sable Podcast

      From the publisher's feed

      Jacobus Uys, Principal and Chief Inspiration Officer of Black Sable, explores the hidden side of architecture through motivating conversations with clever people.