In an age of sustainable or responsible architecture, the rehabilitation of existing buildings is often the ‘greenest’ solution. An example of this approach was the 37 Commerce Crescent renovation project in Kramerville, Johannesburg, undertaken by architecture and interior architecture company Paragon. The project was the rehabilitation of an existing industrial building … [Read more...]
Tapping into the expertise of designers, architects to foster workspace innovation
Leading organisations recognise that maintaining the status-quo is a failed strategy in today’s rapidly-shifting business climate. As a result, they need to continually innovate if they plan to thrive in a competitive marketplace. It is important to understand the driving factors behind the shift in climate. Technology, globalisation and the multi-generational workforces is … [Read more...]
A sustainable raw earth and wood classroom in rural Ghana
Text description provided by the architects: Kalì is a no-profit project which led to the construction of a junior high school classroom in the rural village of Okorase (Ashanti Region, Ghana). A group of 20 international volunteers worked three months with the local manpower to build a sustainable raw earth and wood unit, designed by Irene Librando and Nadia Peruggi. The … [Read more...]
Off-white, sculpted monolithic apartment block features terracing crescendo
dhk Architects has completed an apartment block conceived as a monolith with indentations and cut-outs. The building features 85 luxury residential apartments and penthouses supplemented with small-scale commercial and retail space at ground level. Occupying a prominent corner position in growing suburb Century City in Cape Town, the landmark development has been designed to … [Read more...]
144 Oxford Road is a flagship project for Growthpoint and Paragon
Developed by Growthpoint Properties to capitalise on the demand for P-grade office space in the central Rosebank precinct, which currently exceeds even that of nearby Sandton and Melrose, the premium project has been developed and refined over an eight-year period, with the Tiber WBHO Joint Venture having been on-site as main contractor since November 2017. The project is … [Read more...]
City living informs Cape townhouse
Inspiration for this townhouse in Cape Town, designed by GSQUARED, was drawn from the context and city living. The needs for privacy but still capturing the views to the city, harbour and mountain. The street edge was treated with a hard concrete structure to provide privacy to the owners. Carefully punctured openings on the street façade allowed for natural light and … [Read more...]
Kenyan high school a 2019 AIA COTE Award winner
This project is a winner in the 2019 AIA COTE Top 10 Awards FROM AIA: This is the story of a community imagining a different future for themselves and the path they took to realize it. It began with seeking peace in the region through access to clean water, then enhancing educational opportunities for primary school graduates. Located in remote northwest Kenya – within a … [Read more...]
Natural colours for University of Mpumalanga student residences
In 2013, an architectural design competition was held by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) for the establishment of two new South African universities – Sol Plaatje University (SPU) in Kimberley, and the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) in Mbombela. As one of the four architectural firms selected for the first phase of development of UMP, GAPP Architects … [Read more...]
A forest estate home which celebrates raw materials
Designed by Bloc Architects and Kevin Lloyd Architects, the Forest House is an exploration into materiality, light and the integration of architecture into the landscape. Situated in an exclusive forest estate in Durban, South Africa, the Forest House strives to frame the landscape with clean horizontal lines. The home celebrates raw materials, which helps soften the … [Read more...]
Using design to sell the perception of space
Not many buildings can be summed up in just one sentence, but that doesn’t stop Kuba Granicki from Johannesburg-based Architects Of Justice (AOJ) from trying; “It’s a giant box for boxes which are filled with boxes of people’s stuff.” The building in question is Storage King’s new head office, comprising 10 800 square metres under roof, and despite Granicki’s oversimplified … [Read more...]