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OC TO B E R 20 26

THE REVAMP

VOL. 1 3 3

S A 'S H OME OF ARCH I TE C TU R E A ND D E SI G N

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leader

WHAT WE KEEP

There is something very seductive about the blank page.

moment in time. Kevin Fellingham Architects takes on a Gawie

Nothing to negotiate with. No awkward walls. No inherited

Fagan house with what the project describes as 'sensitive

decisions. No ghosts.

boldness', refusing to treat the original as sacrosanct while remaining deeply attentive to its architectural DNA.

But increasingly, the more interesting question in design is

Elsewhere, Bone Studio works through omission rather than

not what can we make? It is what can we make of what is

addition, stripping away to find something more essential

already here? This issue of Scape is about that question.

underneath. Malherbe Rust's philosophy of 'sympathetic authenticity' underpins its careful reinterpretations of Cape

About the intelligence required to look at a building, an

vernacular, while Shirley Wayne Architect returns to modernist

interior, a piece of history, and decide what deserves to

sensibilities to reanimate a 1970s Llandudno home.

remain. What can be adapted. What should be removed. And what might become possible precisely because something

Different scales. Different histories. Different answers. But

came before. Because preservation does not have to mean

the same proposition: Moving forward does not always mean

paralysis.

starting over. Sometimes the most radical thing we can do is look again at what we already have.

Jo Noero calls it 'progressive conservation': allowing buildings to accommodate change rather than freezing them at a single

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NAVIGATE 19

The Shape of Living

Memory and Progressive Conservation

A Dream Realised

Grounded and Refined

Kwaaiwater, Revisited

A Haven for Family Rituals

Carved from the Coast

Soul in Simplicity

In the Afterglow

Reframing Value

Architecture in Layers

106

The Living Delta

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The Shape

of Living OKHA Interiors Sculpts a Bantry Bay Residence Through Atmosphere, Flow, and Bespoke Furniture

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Scape steps inside Project Ravine, OKHA Interiors’ quietly sculptural reworking of a Bantry Bay residence, before sitting down with Director Adam Court for an exclusive conversation on furniture, architecture, and the art of shaping space.

@__okha www.okha.com Images courtesy of OKHA Interiors

Perched above Cape Town’s Atlantic coastline, the apartment has been refined rather than overwritten. OKHA works within its existing framework, allowing warm timber, natural stone, and soft, neutral textiles to establish a restrained material language. Fluted oak joinery brings rhythm and depth, while considered lighting softens thresholds and shifts the atmosphere throughout the day. At the heart of the project is a collection of furniture designed by Court specifically for the residence and manufactured by Arthur + Co. The Lago server, drinks cabinet, and Tango dining table are conceived not simply as objects placed within the interior, but as part of its architecture. Together, they anchor the apartment’s social spaces and shape the rhythms of cooking, dining, entertaining, and retreat. Outside, the same sensibility extends across the ocean-facing terraces. A textured tiled wall acts as both privacy screen and sculptural surface, while timber pergolas temper the coastal sun and cast shifting shadows across the terraces. The result is a home considered as a whole, with furniture, architecture, material, and light speaking the same language.

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Sculpting Space

Q: You chose to work with much of

into the space and fuses with the

connected, materials communicate, and

the apartment’s existing framework

interior architecture.

texture and tactility create presence,

rather than completely reinventing it. What did you immediately recognise as

It’s a compact apartment, so within

worth preserving?

the open-plan space we identified the

AC: The thing that was instantly

the dining table, server, and drinks

recognisable, and worth preserving

cabinet, to delineate it. They became

and amplifying, was that indoor-

foundational pieces.

outdoor connection. The outdoor space had the potential to become an extension of the internal living area, a kind of spill space and natural

dining zone and used three elements,

They share a design language, materiality, tone, and texture. They don’t feel like a random collection of

memory, and quiet strength. Q: There’s continuity throughout the apartment without everything feeling overly matched. How do you maintain that balance? AC: You’ve got to have a clear design thread and narrative. Otherwise, it is just furniture sitting in a space.

continuation.

furniture; they become one carefully

There has to be a defined identity,

choreographed design moment. It’s a

mood, and character that runs

Before, the outdoor area was bland,

suite of furniture.

through the whole project. Here, the

blank, and featureless. It was almost an exposed corridor or utility space. There was no pergola, no seating, and no real design feature of any kind. So, the opportunity was to take what was

Q: Does being able to design what you imagine materially change the way you approach an interior?

tones, materials, colour palette, and individual elements all have continuity, but the shifts are subtle. They’re not identical, but they share

AC: It does. It’s about considering

the same character traits. There’s an

part of the living environment.

the space as a whole and not as an

evolution as you move through the

accumulation of small features.

space, while a common language

Q: The Tango dining table, Lago

The furniture I design is intended to be

connects one element to another.

server, and drinks cabinet were

seen from all angles and perspectives.

Particularly in a compact space, you

designed specifically for the residence.

The back and sides should be as

need that balance and complicity

How does designing furniture for a

compelling as the front. We approach

between the pieces. They’ve got to be

particular interior change the way you

a space in much the same way:

talking a similar language.

shape the space?

dimensionally, but also as a whole,

essentially unused space and make it

AC: This is where you go into sculpting space. One of our guiding principles is to avoid spaces feeling like they are just a car park for furniture. We try to create furniture that feels integrated

accumulated experience.

In Project Ravine, that common

Our interiors really extend and evolve

Furniture, material, light, and

from our furniture practice. Form, material, proportion, and light create mood and atmosphere. Each element is

language is quietly felt throughout. architecture work together, leaving space for what ultimately matters most: the life that happens within it.

memory and

progressive conservation How Noero Schwalbach Architects Attend to Both the Past and the Future

Photography by Paris Brummer

feature

For Jo Noero of Noero Schwalbach Architects, literary theorist Andreas Huyssen offers valuable ways to think about history and memory, perspectives that have significantly influenced Noero’s museum work. ‘Simply put,’ Noero says, ‘history is bunk – almost all of history is written from one point of view, and much is left out.’

@noero_schwalbach www.noeroarchitects.com

At Red Location in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, Noero used memory as a stimulus to help recall the issues and ideas people grappled with in their everyday experiences of living in Red Location during and after apartheid. Twelve large boxes, known as memory boxes, placed together at the museum were intended to aid remembrance. Noero explains that each box was linked to a struggle theme, such as art and struggle, or women, children and struggle. People moving between these boxes were led by their own experiences and memories, coming up with ideas particular to their own lives. ‘In this way,’ Noero says, ‘people were given the freedom to stitch together their own readings and ideas of the past using memory and the memory box.’ The most important spaces for Noero’s team were those between boxes, which they called ‘the twilight of memory’ and imagined as a space for the present to settle into the past. Other memory work recently completed includes the First Nations Heritage Centre at Riverlands, adjacent to Observatory in Cape Town. The location is significant to First Nations people in the Cape and beyond and is celebrated through an indigenous landscape and a medicinal garden. To mark the site, Noero developed a large bent mural in collaboration with the Collective led by Chief Zenzele, which represents the past, present, and future of this community. ‘In every respect,’ Noero says, ‘this is a public wall proclaiming its presence in a large public space surrounded by large commercial buildings, which have very little to do with the

Photography by Paris Brummer

First Nations people in Cape Town.’

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Photography by Paris Brummer

Photography by Morne Van Zyl

“We feel strongly that demolition is wasteful, and, given the world as it is, all work should be directed towards sustainability.” – Jo Noero

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Across their work, Noero Schwalbach Architects believe it

Asked about his favourite house, Noero highlights House

is wrong to demolish any buildings. ‘We feel strongly that

Nxumalo, built on the east bank of Alexandra township in

demolition is wasteful, and, given the world as it is, all work

the late 1980s for Dr Theresa Nxumalo. When she left South

should be directed towards sustainability.’

Africa to live in Zimbabwe, the person who took care of the house transformed the 90-square-meter house into a small

Noero describes a rare opportunity to work on the same

shopping centre, with a spaza shop on the intermediate level,

heritage building at two separate points in life. In the early

a pool table area on the lower level, and a dormitory on the

2000s, they were approached by an engineering practice to

upper level. ‘This gladdened my heart as it confirmed my

convert the warehouse at 24 Alfred Street, Cape Town, into a

belief that buildings should be able to be adjusted over time

modern-day office space. This proposition was complicated

to new needs as they arise,’ Noero confesses. For him, one

by the fact that the building was under heritage scrutiny and

of the key failures of modernism is that, in its pursuit of form

any changes required a rigorous approval process. Ten years

and function, it produces buildings unsuited to any purpose

later, when the building was sold, they were approached

beyond their original one.

again to convert it, this time into a small hotel. ‘We kept the original building together with our first extension intact and simply rearranged the interior to accommodate 76 hotel bedrooms and ancillary accommodation,’ Noero explains. They strive for what they call progressive conservation rather than pathological conservation. This follows the belief that heritage buildings need to be able to accommodate change rather than be restored with absolute fidelity to the original. Another project guided by this approach was their design of a venue next to the old farm building on Wynberg Main Road. Dating back to around 1820, this listed building is one of the oldest in the neighbourhood. Noero Schwalbach decided on a modern, lightweight building that would honour the older building in its scale and location on the site. This easily dismountable building will be adaptable to future change and is mindful of Buckminster Fuller’s idea that the lighter the building, the less energy is required for construction and maintenance. ‘The new building settles and adjusts itself to the context and uses the building edges to give expression to the various edges and site/landscape conditions,’ says Noero. The west side is glazed and faces the older heritage building across a narrow walkway. The south side, at the back, opens through a double door to a back garden which is used as an outdoor space for wedding gatherings. The east side faces onto a narrow side space and is solid; the north side opens onto a formal garden and has large sliding glass doors that connect the internal space to the garden.

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A BATHROOM, RECONSIDERED

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On average, we spend around 850 days of our lives in the bathroom. It’s little wonder, then, that the bathroom has evolved beyond pure functionality. It is where the day begins, where we retreat, reset, and, occasionally, find a few quiet moments entirely to ourselves.

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A DREAM A Look Inside Ceramica’s Inspiring New Cape Town Showroom

REALISED

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After a 33-year journey that began in a modest 220-square-metre space, Ceramica has unveiled its new flagship showroom in Cape Town. Nearly ten times larger than the original showroom, the expansion marks a major milestone for the business, founded in September 1993 as Ceramica Cleopatra. ‘To actually get here today. This showroom is a dream come true for me. I’ve always imagined it,’ says owner Zahoor Osman, reflecting on the emotional transition from their home of 31 years on Imam Haron Road. This milestone opening is the culmination of years of searching and preparation: sourcing the location took five years, followed by two and a half years of development.

Photography by Ross Nagel

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“I believe that the showroom sets a new standard of how products in the design arena are presented to the design community.” – Zahoor Osman At the heart of the new space is a sculptural colour wheel, an innovative focal point designed to streamline product selection. Over the years, Zahoor and his team have observed that clients might enter the showroom without absolute clarity about what they want. The structure became, for Zahoor, an obvious way to address the reality that customers almost always start their search with a colour in mind before considering style or genre. The feature lets visitors compare subtle shade variations side by side, such as different tones of pink or orange-tinted tiles that might have been less defined in the client’s mind. ‘I think by putting the colour wheel together, it’s going to make it so much easier for them to select the product and hone in... making that whole selection process a lot less daunting and easier,’ notes Zahoor. While the colour wheel is currently Zahoor’s favourite highlight, he envisions going even further in future showrooms by creating a secondary wheel organised by material typology, such as marble, travertine, or cement looks.

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@ceramicalifestile www.ceramica.co.za

Unlike conventional retail, this showroom leaves out lifestyle displays. ‘We don’t believe that interior designers and architects need lifestyle displays. They have the skill set. They have the talent already to create what they are creating... They just need to find the products to execute their vision.’ Zahoor’s stance conveys the deep trust Ceramica has in the vision of the architects and interior designers they have worked with over the past three decades, as well as their continued commitment to supporting these designers. Instead of pre-packaged room concepts, the space provides functional sample presentations where professionals can build storyboards and source materials effortlessly. The timing of the opening aligns perfectly with the current construction and hospitality boom in Cape Town and the broader Western Cape. Supported by a dedicated team, some of whom have been with Ceramica for over two decades, and one for 31 years, Zahoor views the space as both a celebration of past experience and an ambitious step forward. ‘I believe that the showroom sets a new standard of how products in the design arena are presented to the design community,’ he said. ‘It is a big step in a long journey which is still carrying on.’

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Grounded and Refined

Malherbe Rust Architects Shapes Cohesive Environments Where History, Agriculture, and Contemporary Life are Seamlessly Interwoven

interview

If you have recently explored the Cape Winelands, perhaps strolling through the endless gardens at Babylonstoren or buying rustic bread at La Motte, you might have caught yourself thinking about how easily contemporary life continues on these historic farms. But this ease and modern refinement result from Malherbe Rust Architects’ thoughtful interventions that balance heritage with innovation. The multidisciplinary team of architects and designers, led by partners Johan Malherbe, Chris Fick, Amelia Strydom, and Servaas de Kock, shares the philosophy that their work should be authentic, hand-crafted, and contextual. Their sensitive approach to architectural renewal has won them recognition, such as the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) Award of Excellence for their work at Babylonstoren and the Cape Institute for Architecture (CIfA) Award for Architecture, for the Bakery at La Motte Wine Estate. Recently, they’ve exchanged their familiar mountainous setting for the coastline of Keurboomstrand with their project, BLOU. Across their work in hospitality, wine estates, heritage conservation, and residential architecture, sophisticated simplicity is always anchored by place and vernacular. This immersion in context begins with their historic home at the foot of Paarl Mountain.

interview

Across your portfolio, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between refurbishment and newly built projects. This likely stems from the sensitivity to context in all your work and your careful balance of heritage and modern design. How has your experience with refurbishment projects shaped the way you approach architectural design more generally?

Our practice is based in Paarl, in the heart of the Cape Winelands. We have always searched for the continuation of the Cape Vernacular, not only in the buildings themselves, but in the spaces around them and the landscaping that ties them to the land.

The experience we gain on each project is different. Refurbishment work is about making intangible histories tangible by translating what a building has lived through into exquisite detailing, careful proportions and a re-interpretative architectural response. We carry those skills into how we design more broadly.

Our architecture within the heritage realm is not about creating signature architecture, but rather sympathetic authenticity: work that discovers, searches and complements.

Across projects like Babylonstoren, La Motte, Oude Leeskamer, and Laborie Restaurant, your practice repeatedly engages with the Cape Winelands and its historic Cape Dutch and Cape Georgian architecture. What draws you to this part of South Africa and its unique architectural style?

How do you think about your own presence, or absence, in the buildings you work on?

Through your heritage projects, you work on some of South Africa’s oldest buildings. La Motte Wine Estate, for example, is over 300 years old. How do you design with time in mind? In other words, how do you renew buildings that have existed for so long and are expected to last and remain relevant for another 300 years? Authenticity is foremost. Everything follows from that – respect for what exists, careful reinterpretation, and applying knowledge, experience and care at every stage. 42

interview

“Authenticity is foremost. Everything follows from that.”

interview

When approaching a historical renewal, how do you decide which layers of an existing site’s fabric are essential to preserve and protect, and which are open to contemporary reinterpretation?

One aspect of architectural renewal is making historic sites more accessible to a contemporary public. Could you expand on this potentially educational and inclusive side of your work?

Thorough research allows us to understand, through history, how the building(s) developed their layering over time. Once we understand that sequence, we can determine the significance of each layer, and from there decide what should be retained and what can be removed. The significance is established against a set of criteria, such as uniqueness, cultural importance, religious or political association, rarity, and so on.

We search for the ‘living soul’ of the place. To renew without protecting the ‘soul’ is meaningless. The confusion created by copying and falsification destroys authenticity. Hollywood architecture has no educational value beyond the price of entry. Inclusivity, for us, comes through use, experience, and a clear understanding of how the new and old relate to one another.

How have you used contemporary processes to achieve sensitive restoration? Lidar scans and drone footage both have their place, but above all, we rely on hand-measured drawing and documentation. Conservation work demands a sensitive eye, real understanding and an appropriate response. Not AI. Many of your residential projects carry traces of Cape Dutch architecture, even when the design is clearly modern. Can you speak to the role of design language in connecting people to their environment and the past? People like to copy beautiful things, but copying isn’t understanding. We try to create a new understanding by using historical examples to create hand-crafted architecture that belongs to its cultural landscape. That is what creates relevance and connects people to the place they’re in.

@malherberustarchitects www.mrarch.co.za Images courtesy of Malherbe Rust Architects

project

kwaaiwater, revisited

Kevin Fellingham Architects Reimagines a Gawie Fagan Coastal Holiday Home in Hermanus with Sensitive Boldness

project

Imagined as a weekend getaway, with rooms wrapped around an open courtyard and a living room that looked out like an open belvedere towards the ocean, Kwaaiwater in Hermanus was originally built in 1991 by Gawie Fagan, the eminent architect of elegant contemporary buildings and charming renovations. Fagan and his project architect, Moira Serritslev, had to work within strict conditions imposed by the original site owner. They built a beautiful cottage, drawing strongly on the vernacular language of the neighbourhood’s big chimneys, low eaves, and ogee-profile gutters, but reinterpreting it with a degree of Fagan’s personal and Postmodern wit. When Kevin Fellingham Architects took on the project, it was part restoration, part bold reimagining of the existing, and part an entirely new building.

Location: Hermanus, Western Cape Size: 310 m2

@kevinfellinghamarchitects www.kfellingham.com

project

MEET THE TEAM Architect: Kevin Fellingham Architects | Heritage Consultant: Ursula Rigby Architect and Heritage Practitioner | Environmental Consultant: Greenplan Consultants | Structural Engineers: Henry Fagan Engineers | Contractor: Lighthouse Construction Joiners: Wood Fusion Works | Light Consultant: Go Green Design | Wetland Pool Specialist: Wetland Pools

project

From debates to honouring Fagan

Coolness and views

Over time, the original house became enormously difficult to

Air from the rock store is delivered directly into the reglazed

live in, suffering from minuscule bathrooms, dingy bedrooms,

courtyard, where high-performance double glazing with a

leaking box gutters, drafty windows, and a skylight that

subtle tint and reflective surface keeps infrared and ultraviolet

created sweltering tropical conditions in summer, with

radiation out. A large internal shutter was relocated from the

temperatures rising to the mid-40s inside. While a growing

courtyard to the west face of the kitchen to enable cross

obsession with heritage legislation as a tool of the Nimby

views and cross ventilation. Additionally, an extract hood

took hold and everybody held strong opinions, Kevin

was designed as a version of the iconic roof and chimney

Fellingham Architects believed the house did not need to be

combo, integrating kitchen and courtyard ventilation to keep

treated as sacrosanct. Instead, the team embraced Fagan’s

fresh air flowing through the family spaces. Finally, replacing

sensitive boldness in dealing with heritage issues in a manner

nine small aluminium-framed sliding windows with five

he would respect and admire. Ursula Rigby served as heritage

large sheets of sliding glass – whose frames remain invisible

consultant, working with original drawings and details shared

from the interior even when closed – brought into being the

by the Fagan office, while access to old documents helped

original vision of the main living room as an open veranda

navigate neighbourhood constraints. Henry Fagan also put

looking out towards the expanse of Walker Bay.

them in touch with Jacques Retief, the original engineer of what is an extraordinarily complex and lightweight piece of

“When Kevin Fellingham Architects took on the project, it was part restoration, part bold reimagining of the existing, and part an entirely new building.”

roof construction. Replanning the envelope Taking advantage of a half-meter change in building lines and a small amount of unbuilt bulk, the architect replanned the house entirely. Circulation was simplified and reduced, bringing light into larger spaces and inserting six ensuite bath and shower rooms beneath an equally complex roof that climbed up and out rather than down and in to maximise the available envelope. The design also demolished the division between the family kitchen and staff kitchen inherited from the waning days of apartheid. In a nod to Fagan’s fondness for expressive elements, a new big chimney was constructed to bring cool, clean air into a rock store cooling system located within the raised rear levels.

Images courtesy of Kevin Fellingham Architects

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a haven for family rituals

Studio BHD Transforms a Claremont Family Home into a Soulful and Grounded Sanctuary

project

Framed by the natural backdrop of Table Mountain and surrounded by long-established landscaping, Coach House sits in one of the city's most established and character-rich residential neighbourhoods. The site offers a unique balance of urban accessibility and a tranquil residential atmosphere, with mature trees, generous gardens, and heritage architecture defining the streetscape. Guided by a desire to create a home that feels deeply soulful, grounded, and effortlessly lived in, Studio BHD approached the existing family residence not through complete reinvention, but through thoughtful interventions. By respecting the existing architectural language, the project introduced contemporary elements that enrich the home’s warmth, functionality, and connection to everyday family life.

Location: Claremont, Cape Town Size: 391 m2

@studio_bhd www.bhd.design

project

“Throughout the project, every intervention was made with a single objective in mind: to create a home that feels authentic, enduring, and deeply personal.”

Preserving heritage and material integrity To achieve this, existing timber beams and structural features were intentionally retained and celebrated, becoming part of a cohesive material narrative that combines dark stained oak timber, bold natural stone, clay klompie bricks, light oak timber flooring, textured plaster, and rich joinery detailing. The balance between darker and lighter timber tones establishes visual depth while maintaining a calm and timeless aesthetic. Approached with restraint, the project favours authentic finishes that age gracefully, including burnished and brushed brass accents, textured natural stone, handcrafted surfaces, and layered timber elements, introducing richness without excess to create interiors that feel collected rather than decorated. Shared spaces and daily rituals Internally, significant emphasis was placed on improving the quality and flexibility of shared living spaces. The open-plan kitchen, dining, and lounge areas were carefully reimagined and refined through bespoke joinery, considered furniture placement, upgraded lighting, and integrated storage solutions, allowing the home to better support both entertaining and everyday family rituals. Complementing these central gathering areas, new study and library spaces, featuring shelving and tailored cabinetry, create moments of practical functionality and liveability without compromising the home’s understated elegance.

project

MEET THE TEAM Architect: Studio BHD | Landscape Design: Oasis Design | Contractor: Cobalt Projects | Photographer: Paris Brummer | Stylist: Myuzu 57

project

Organic landscaping and outdoor connection Extending the design philosophy beyond the building envelope, the landscape strategy created alongside Oasis Designs embraces a softer, more organic approach to planting and external living. Rather than formal gardens, the design encourages a naturalistic composition with textured paving, informal pathways, reused pergola elements, and indigenous planting. Seamless transitions between interior and exterior spaces reinforce the relaxed, conservatory-like atmosphere envisioned by the client, fostering a lifestyle where outdoor living and connection to nature form an integral part of daily life. A family’s retreat Throughout the project, every intervention was made with a single objective in mind: to create a home that feels authentic, enduring, and deeply personal. Coach House demonstrates how careful refinement, sensitive preservation, and a restrained material palette can transform an existing residence into a timeless family haven. Uniting heritage, comfort, and contemporary living with quiet confidence, the home stands as a lasting retreat that softly gathers the light, land, and memories of everyday life.

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project

carved from the coast

Shirley Wayne Architect Transforms a 1970s Mediterranean Home into a Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Retreat in Llandudno

project

Perched above the granite rocks of Llandudno with the Atlantic Ocean stretching endlessly beyond, House Summerwind is a respectful yet bold transformation of a 1970s organic Mediterranean home into a mid-century modern sculptural abode. Situated on a dramatic coastal slope framed by fynbos and rugged rock, the house’s silhouette is boldly visible from both the beach and the mountain.

Location: Llandudno, Cape Town Size: 700 m²

@shirleywaynearchitect www.swarchitect.co.za

project

From Post-Modern to mid-century Designed by Shirley Wayne Architect, this transformation reimagines the original building as a low, lyrical, and earthbound retreat, adapted for contemporary living while preserving its soul. The original home embodied a Post-Modern Mediterranean style with stepped rooflines, oversized scale, and playful geometric shapes. Decades of exposure to harsh salt air and shifting lifestyles called for a sensitive transformation. The design brief was to retain the architectural essence, enhance the connection to the site, and future-proof the home against coastal conditions – all while navigating strict heritage and environmental regulations. The entrance sets the tone, artfully redesigned in a mid-century aesthetic that complements natural forms. Landscape integration The building’s horizontal planes echo the strata of the granite below, while outdoor terraces wrap around existing boulders, blurring the line between architecture and geology. Design and raw material overlap further as outdoor sculptural platforms are embedded in granite rock. The internal layout was reconfigured to open living spaces toward the ocean, relocate service areas to the rear, and introduce sliding glass walls that dissolve boundaries between inside and out.

project

Materials for climate and off-grid sustainability The material palette was carefully chosen to age gracefully in the coastal climate, utilising warm teak, permanent concrete, grounding granite, and open glass. Inside, the layout plays with existing volumes to link levels through visual connections, light, and material harmony. Every detail celebrates natural craftsmanship: bespoke joinery by local artisans meets raw existing granite boulders, complemented by precise steel balustrades and subtle shadow lines in the concrete soffits. Environmental sustainability and climate responsiveness are seamlessly integrated into the home’s design. Deep overhangs and strategically positioned windows harness natural sea breezes and cross-ventilation to cool the interior, intentionally eliminating the need for air-conditioning. For energy and warmth, solar panels generate off-grid electricity while heated water pipes warm the internal living spaces. A timeless dialogue This project is more than a refurbishment – it is a dialogue between past and present, between architecture and landscape. By respecting the mid-century spirit while embracing contemporary needs, House Summerwind stands as a timeless presence above the granite rocks of Llandudno. It is a testament to the enduring power of thoughtful design.

project

“The building’s horizontal planes echo the strata of the granite below, blurring the line between architecture and geology.”

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project

soul in simplicity

Bone Studio Strips Back French Country Makeup to Create a Soulful Home in Stellenbosch

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House A began with an evocative vision: what might a marriage between Axel Vervoordt and Rosie Uniacke look like as a home, a home of paired back classicism... Tasked with moving the property beyond its former French Country character, interior architects Bone Studio transformed it into a soulful, gallery-like space, defined by warmth in its tonality, texture and lighting. Developed over 12 weeks, the design evolved through countless drawing iterations, with every detail carefully considered in relation to the way the home would be lived in. From the proportions of the joinery to the smallest elements of daily ritual, the result is a deeply considered interior that feels both quietly expressive and intrinsically connected to its owner.

Location: Stellenbosch, Western Cape Size: 1310 m2

@bonedesignstudio www.bonestudio.co.za

“Bone Studio transformed the house into a soulful, galleryesque space that oozes warmth in tonality, texture, and lighting.”

project

Practice of omission Central to the project’s strategy was strict design restraint. Every element was thoroughly considered and intentional, driven by ‘design by omission, not addition’. Given complete creative freedom over the vision by the client, Bone Studio curated a serene aesthetic where bespoke furniture pieces bring material refinement and curated luxury alongside a warmly lived-in feel.

Structural reconfiguration and volume Structurally, the house underwent a dramatic spatial overhaul. By cutting back an existing pyjama lounge situated over the kitchen, Bone Studio opened up the main living area into a celebration of volume and scale. The east and west wings were completely gutted and reconfigured to establish a dedicated master wing, creating a flowing ease between the master bedroom, en-suite, and dressing area. 72

project

To maintain architectural delicacy without sacrificing thermal efficiency, the team collaborated with their aluminium supplier to push technical limits, creating a custom profile that mimicked the delicate lines of steel-framed windows. Artisanal craftsmanship and custom finishes Natural stone and solid timbers stand as the true heroes of the material palette. A dedicated collective of joinery and stone artisans, including Malco, I Am Shopfitting, Cannata, Rock and Stone, and Stone Age Masons, actualised the vision. Their work produced hand-chiselled custom vanities, solid stone baths, live-edge bathroom niches, and custom kitchen elements. Outdoor sanctuary Beginning with demolition in April 2025, the intensive eight-month gut-and-build encompassed both the internal architecture and a comprehensive outdoor transformation. The external scope introduced a new main pool, a smaller heated pool, and dedicated outdoor living spaces. The completed home was handed over in the first week of December 2025 – just in time for Christmas.

MEET THE TEAM Interior Architects: Bone Studio | Main Contractor: Constantiaberg Master Builders | Flooring Installers: GT Flooring & Interiors | Electrical: TJR | Photographer: HouseofZaan

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feature

Smart Climate Solutions for Every Project The best climate solutions are the ones that quietly support how a space looks, feels, and performs. Samsung’s air-conditioning range brings those priorities together, giving architects, designers, developers, and homeowners a flexible toolkit for projects of every scale.

For residential interiors and smaller commercial spaces,

outdoor unit. The result is efficient multi-room comfort with

Samsung RAC midwall split systems offer efficient heating

fewer outdoor units: an important advantage where space is

and cooling in a streamlined format. Selected models add

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WindFree™ Cooling, SmartThings connectivity, AI Auto

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Cooling and advanced filtration, helping occupants enjoy

cooling, intelligent controls, and the ability to serve multiple

personalised comfort without compromising the visual

indoor units from one adaptable platform.

language of a room. Across

the

range,

Digital

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Technology,

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Where greater integration is required, Samsung CAC

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cassette, ducted, and underceiling systems provide versatile

growing demand for smarter, more responsible buildings.

options for larger homes and commercial environments.

Yet, specification is only part of the story. Distributed

From compact one-way cassettes to distinctive 360 Cassette

and supported nationally by Fourways Group, Samsung

systems, these solutions can be discreetly concealed or

air conditioners are backed by project supply, specialist

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units, meanwhile, offer powerful, wide-reaching airflow, and

nationwide network of accredited installers.

flexible installation where conventional ceiling-mounted The outcome is a climate solution shaped not only around

systems may not suit the architecture.

temperature,

but

around

architecture,

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and

Samsung’s Free Joint Multi systems extend that flexibility,

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project

In the afterglow

Studio Goodd Reimagines a Contemporary Home Through Layers of Light, Texture and Atmosphere

“Warm timber, natural stone, and understated detailing create a quiet architectural rhythm, demonstrating how proportion, light, and material craftsmanship shape space without relying on statement pieces."

project

Perched between the dramatic slopes of Lion’s Head and the Atlantic Ocean, Merriman Road takes its cue from the shifting light, mountain air, and coastal terrain of Cape Town. Reimagined by Studio Goodd through interior architecture, interior design, and styling, the private home embraces its remarkable setting. Rather than competing with the building’s bold contemporary architecture and crisp lines, the intervention sought to soften its expansive volumes, introducing warmth, tactility, and a human connection. Rooted in the story of its surroundings, the home unfolds as two distinct experiences – a light-filled retreat by day, and an intimate, sensory destination by night.

Location: Green Point, Cape Town Size: 1200 m2

@studiogoodd www.studiogoodd.com

Softening architecture with earthy tactility

From day to night

The design draws inspiration directly from the natural

Flexibility and atmosphere guide the home’s transition across

landscape, introducing an organic palette of soft greens, muted

the day. Rather than relying on bright, direct illumination,

teal, warm beige, rich walnut, natural stone, brushed metals,

the lounge utilises a lighting scheme built around soft,

and layered textiles. In the principal lounge, the heart of the

layered pools of light that transform the room after sunset.

home, the sculptural curves and tactile finishes of rounded

The furniture layout encourages quiet conversation as

sofas, organic coffee tables, and bespoke rugs dissolve the

much as listening, allowing the lounge to function as a

rigidity of the architecture. Generously proportioned seating,

relaxed family room during daylight hours and an intimate

upholstered in luxurious Holly Hunt fabrics, adds richness

entertaining space when evening falls. Warm timber, natural

through texture, while GUBI Pacha chairs swivel effortlessly

stone, and understated detailing create a quiet architectural

between the interior and the view. Layered indoor planting

rhythm, demonstrating how proportion, light, and material

further blurs the threshold between terrace and living space.

craftsmanship shape space without relying on statement

Central to the master bedroom’s narrative is a bespoke rug

pieces.

that features an abstract composition inspired by dappled water reflections and the trees surrounding the property, adding depth through variations in pile height and tone.

project

The Japanese-inspired listening bar

Curation, colour, and craftsmanship

Descending to the lower ground floor reveals an entirely

The material palette for the listening bar was informed by

different atmosphere. Originally an overlooked and pass-

the intimate atmosphere of 1970s Japanese listening bars,

through room with little purpose, this space was reimagined

complemented by a colour palette derived from the clients’

as the emotional heart of the home. Conceived as a

favourite album covers. Deep ochres, warm browns, burnt

contemporary Japanese-inspired listening bar, it offers an

ambers, and smoky charcoals were analysed and distilled into

intimate retreat for the clients, who are passionate music

the palette, informing the tones of the oak joinery, upholstery,

lovers, dedicated to slowing down, sharing records with

and finishes. Featuring a custom DJ console, bespoke

friends, and escaping the pace of everyday life. Embracing

cabinetry, ambient lighting, and one-of-a-kind collectible

mood, ritual, and sensory experience, this immersive

pieces, craftsmanship and atmosphere take precedence

environment contrasts with the calm upper level. By day, the

over convention. Every element – from book spines to

space reads as a living room; by night, the joinery opens to

glassware and decorative objects – was meticulously curated

reveal a curated listening experience centred around a vinyl

to reinforce the palette and narrative. Through thoughtful

collection.

design, Merriman Road demonstrates how an interior can adapt smoothly to the rhythms of life.

“Craftsmanship and atmosphere take precedence over convention.”

project

MEET THE TEAM Interior Architecture and Design: Studio Goodd | Photographer: Mark Williams

project

SUPPLIERS Lighting & Furniture: &Tradition, Gubi, Jan Ernst, NØDE | Custom Rugs & Seating: Studio Goodd | Fabrics: Elitis, Dedar, Holly Hunt | Accessories: Nammu Ceramics, Vorster & Braye | Sound System: Void Acoustics 84

project

reframing value

SALT Architects Repurposes a Former Winery into a DignityDriven High School, Where Proximity between Prosperity and Scarcity Is the Project’s Central Argument

Photography by Christopher Littlewood

project

Standing on a hill between the sun-drenched vineyards of Stellenbosch and the historically under-resourced township of Kayamandi, Apex High School rests on a physical threshold between privilege and scarcity. Where grapes were once harvested to produce luxury goods, the former Louisenhof winery has been re-engineered by SALT Architects into a secondary school – a spatial act of reallocation that turns a site of indulgence into an engine for educational opportunity. In a town internationally celebrated for wine and its Cape Dutch heritage, and known for its concentration of wealth, this campus reframes what constitutes valuable production.

Location: Stellenbosch, Western Cape Size: 3191 m2

@saltarchitects www.saltarchitects.co.za

Photography by Christopher Littlewood

project

Photography by Robyn Walker

MEET THE TEAM Architect: SALT Architects | Client Representative: Afri.can Microfactories | Project Manager: FBM | Quantity Surveyor: R62QS Structural and Civil Engineer: Thys van Rooyen Consulting Engineers | Electrical Engineer: Ruabicon | Fire Consultant: Fireproof Training Academy | Contractor: Harold Turner Construction | Mural Artworks: Salomé Wessels 89

project

Blended learning

spanning over 10 metres carry tiled roofs with 2.5-metre

The physical architecture was specifically designed to enable

overhangs, forming deep verandas that replace traditional

Apex’s innovative blended learning model to succeed. Within

enclosed corridors. A central amphitheatre stair connects

large, daylit, and acoustically isolated volumes, 100 learners

both phases, while a planted berm at the rear forms a natural

work individually on laptops, with real-time support from a

outdoor assembly space.

teacher and two assistants. By replacing the equivalent of 12 conventional classrooms per floor, this spatial model

“A central question guided the material

eliminates the need for expensive mechanical systems;

strategy: how can a cost-conscious building

savings are reinvested directly into a 1:1 laptop ratio

avoid the aesthetic of scarcity?”

and digital infrastructure. These spatial and operational interventions yield remarkable academic performance: Matric pass rates rose from 79.9% in 2022 to 97.7% in 2025, with Bachelor pass rates reaching 72.7% and Mathematics at 85.7%, substantially outperforming both local no-fee schools

Material dignity, acoustics, and climate design

and affluent Quintile 5 institutions.

A central question guided the material strategy: how can a cost-conscious building avoid the aesthetic of scarcity?

Spatial journey and courtyard design

Resourcefulness was deployed in service of spatial dignity

The campus layout comprises an Admin Block, Phase 1

through calibrated proportions, rhythmic façades, robust

Classrooms, Phase 2 Classrooms, a Grade 4 Classroom,

materials, and vibrant mural artworks by Salomé Wessels

and a Guard House. Arrival begins at a carved opening in

that provide identity and acoustic control. Upper internal

the winery’s existing mass, where a low concrete canopy

partitions feature perforated face brick laid on edge to deliver

scales the industrial volume to human proportion before

high acoustic performance, while acoustic partitions allow

the sequence descends into an open, double-volume social

labs to combine seamlessly for examinations and gatherings

heart. Serving as the campus’s unenclosed core, this node

– removing the need for a conventional hall. Continuous

orchestrates all movement through the building. Phase 1

polycarbonate rooflights draw daylight 17 metres deep into

converted the original steel monopitch shed and concrete-

the floor plan, paired with operable openings at opposing

framed block into four blended learning labs of approximately

heights to induce natural airflow. Learner feedback confirms

170 m² each. Phase 2 added two single-storey classroom

that students explicitly link these ‘big, beautiful, clean

wings angled inward to form serene courtyards in dialogue

buildings’ to feeling safe, respected, and cared for. Spatial

with the original structure. Here, timber roof trusses

dignity, here, is not cosmetic; it is formative.

SUPPLIERS Facebrick: Corobrik | Roof Tile: Coverland | Flooring: cardonal Flooring | Roofing: Rooftek | Windows and Aluminium: Tekcent Glass & Aluminium 90

Photography by Christopher Littlewood

project

Photography by Christopher Littlewood

feature

A CONSIDERED FINISH FOR ENDURING MATERIALS As architecture turns increasingly towards natural materials, the conversation around longevity is evolving, too. Choosing timber and other low-impact materials is only part of the equation. Developed with this in mind, ProNature Outdoor and Indoor Wood Sealers are plant-based systems designed to protect timber while allowing its inherent character to remain visible. Suitable for softwoods and hardwoods, as well as CLT, thermo-treated timber, bamboo and cork, the range offers more than 60 colours – from finishes that enhance the natural appearance of the material to those that give it an entirely new expression. The stain-and-seal-in-one system provides colour consistency across a project, alongside UV protection and water repellence, while remaining breathable, nontoxic, and biodegradable. The same philosophy extends beyond timber. ProNature Wall Protect is a transparent, bio-based coating developed for mineral surfaces, offering durable protection while preserving the character and texture of the substrate beneath. Suitable for lime plaster, hemp-lime, clay brick, face brick, and natural stone, the coating is designed to remain breathable, allowing moisture vapour to pass through the surface rather than becoming trapped behind an impermeable layer. This makes it particularly suited to heritage architecture, where existing materials need to be protected without compromising their ability to

Manufactured in Cape Town using carefully selected

perform, as well as contemporary projects built around

renewable raw materials, ProNature brings 50 years of

natural, breathable materials.

international paint chemistry to a growing conversation around healthier, more sustainable buildings.

Together, ProNature’s Wood Sealers and transparent wall coatings present a more considered approach to surface

Because building for the future is not only about what we

protection – one that works with the material rather than

put into our architecture, but how thoughtfully we protect it

masking it.

once it is there.

project

architecture in layers

At Nine Yards, MILarchi Architects Weaves Nine Residential Properties into a Connected Precinct That Preserves the Memory, Scale, and Character of the Original Site

project

There is a particular kind of certainty in knowing what not to erase. With this project, the architects resisted the instinct to begin with a blank slate. Instead, they looked closely at the nine neighbouring residential properties that occupied this piece of Rosebank, finding value in their accumulated layers: their buildings, mature trees, walls, pathways and materials, and allowing these traces to become the foundations for something new.

Location: Rosebank, Johannesburg Size: 2795 m²

Images courtesy of MILarchi Architects

@milarchi_architect www.milarchi.co.za

“This was not a normal architecture project where we do a scorched-earth policy and then reintroduce the landscape. Here, we had to sensitively stitch the architecture and landscape together.” – Matthew Millar

project

The result is not a reconstruction of the past, but a contemporary precinct shaped by continuity. Buildings that could be retained were repaired and adapted for new uses, while new structures were introduced with a deliberately measured presence. Salvaged roof tiles, bricks, and paving carry fragments of the original properties forward, allowing the history of the site to remain visible within its new life. In a rapidly intensifying Rosebank, this approach gives Nine Yards a rare quality: it feels discovered rather than imposed. Its architecture does not announce a clean break with what came before. It allows the old and new to occupy the same frame. A precinct in sequence MILarchi’s most significant intervention is perhaps not a building at all, but the relationship between them: nine separate properties have been drawn into a singular architectural

experience,

connected

450-metre

pedestrian promenade that becomes the project’s social and spatial spine. Rather than guiding visitors directly to a predetermined destination, the route invites them to wander through an experiential landscape, connecting restaurants, shops, galleries, gardens and gathering spaces, with each turn revealing a different atmosphere along the way.

"We’ve remembered the previous site by inserting brick in the exact position where the old boundaries used to be. When a building crosses this threshold, we’ve even changed the texture internally.” – Matthew Millar

The architecture is therefore understood through movement. A threshold opens onto a garden. A deck turns towards an existing tree. A building gives way to a planted landscape. Spaces contract and expand, alternating between intimacy and openness, activity and pause. Mature trees become more than remnants of the former properties; they become anchors around which entrances, gathering spaces and new interventions are composed. It is an architecture that rewards looking twice. Rather than pursuing a single monumental gesture, MILarchi has created a collection of moments that accumulate into something larger. The identity of Nine Yards emerges gradually, through the relationships between its parts.

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Soft urbanism The collaboration with landscape designer Patrick Watson

This is perhaps Nine Yards’ most compelling proposition: that

is woven into this architectural strategy, allowing buildings

density need not mean erasure, and that newness need not

and gardens to evolve alongside one another rather than as

arrive at the expense of memory. MILarchi has transformed

separate disciplines. Yet what gives the project its particular

nine properties without flattening the qualities that made

strength is the architectural framework MILarchi establishes:

them distinctive. In their place, it has created a precinct that

one capable of accommodating landscape, commerce,

feels layered, porous, and alive; architecture that does not

gathering, and retreat without allowing any single element to

simply occupy its setting, but responds to it. Nine Yards is,

overwhelm the whole.

above all else, an exercise in continuity. A place where the past is carried forward, adapted, and given room to evolve.

Across the precinct, architecture becomes a device for framing life. Planting softens edges; the landscape creates moments of pause; pathways draw people onwards. A former swimming pool becomes an attenuation pond and civic space, capable of hosting performances, markets, yoga, and informal gatherings.

SUPPLIERS Custom Sanware and Tiles: Wolkberg Casting Studios Paving: Corobrik, SmartStone, Bosun, Creative Stone Plants: Gardenshop | Glazing and Aluminium: Alupro

102

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Top Left: 1.5m Full Stainless Steel Professional Braai Top Right: Full Stainless steel Portable Braai Bottom left: Stainless Steel Venti Fire Parilla braai with a Thermo Fires Elite Frame and door (Slide-up Door) Bottom Right: Full Stainless Steel Professional Freestanding braai

ALL PRODUCTS CAN BE CUSTOM MADE TO ORDER.

Customers can choose from mild steel, 3CR12 and stainless steel options, including 304 stainless steel, allowing the braai to complement both the home and the environment in which it is installed. One of the advantages of dealing directly with a local manufacturer is the ability to customise. If a standard size does not suit the available space, Thermo Fires can manufacture a braai to specific dimensions and requirements. Customers can even send through a picture or idea of what they would like, and the team can look at manufacturing a solution to suit.

SEEN SOMETHING BEAUTIFULL YOU WANT, SEND US A PICTURE, CHANCES ARE WE CAN MANUFATURE IT FOR YOU.

Thermo Fires also manufactures insert braais for existing brick openings, helping homeowners upgrade an existing braai area without unnecessary rebuilding. Frames and doors can also be manufactured to give older brick braais a cleaner, more finished appearance.

In South Africa, a braai is more than simply somewhere to cook. It is a gathering place, a weekend tradition and, in many homes, the heart of the entertainment area. Thermo Fires designs and manufactures locally made braais to suit the way South African families live, with built-in, freestanding, combination, spit, double-sided and custom-made options.

Replacement parts and accessories, including coalmakers, ashpans, grids, braai tools, rotisserie components and custom-made grids, help keep installations working for years. Individual components can often be replaced without having to replace the entire braai.

As a proudly South African family business with more than 20 years’ experience, Thermo Fires offers both standard and bespoke solutions. Built-in braais provide a clean, architectural finish, while freestanding models offer flexibility where built-in masonry is impractical. Wood-and-gas combination braais bring together the convenience of gas with the flavour and atmosphere of a traditional wood or charcoal fire, while spit braais offer another option for those who enjoy slower, traditional outdoor cooking.

With a 20-year workmanship warranty, locally manufactured quality and the ability to manufacture custom units, Thermo Fires offers practical, durable braai solutions designed around the home, the cook and, most importantly, the people gathered around the fire. Designers and manufaturers of locally produced quality standard and bespoke braais, 18 VIBEN AVE BRACKENFELL

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feature

Timber, Reimagined for Retail Food Lover’s Market has come a long way since its beginnings

appearance of Eva-Last’s VistaClad system at Food Lover’s

as Fruit & Veg City in 1993. As the retailer has evolved, so

Market River Quarter, that we are using it for two new centres

too has the architectural language of its stores, pairing a

in Johannesburg,' says Hughes.

contemporary retail experience with the warmth, texture, and organic character of fresh produce. That identity was

For specifiers, the project demonstrates how thoughtful

strongly established at the retailer’s standalone Bothasig

material selection can preserve a strong architectural identity

flagship, where lead architect Tim Hughes introduced

while meeting the demands of durability, maintenance, and

natural timber façades and greenery into a barn-inspired

contemporary commercial construction.

design. For the new Food Lover’s Village at River Quarter in Cape Town, completed in 2025, the challenge was to retain this recognisable timber aesthetic while addressing the realities of a commercial exterior: durability, maintenance, cost, and sustainability. The answer came in the form of Eva-Last VistaClad Infinity bamboo composite cladding in Teak, specified across the 778 m² retail project. Applied vertically across the shopfront, the timber-look cladding brings warmth and rhythm to the façade, softening the surrounding retail architecture while providing a considered backdrop for the Food Lover’s Market signage. Composed of recycled plastic and renewable bamboo fibres, VistaClad Infinity combines a brushed, wood-look finish with streaked, two-tone colour technology. Its protective polymer cap provides resistance to moisture, UV exposure, fading and insects – practical considerations for an exposed commercial application. Behind the finish, the concealed fixing system accommodates drainage and ventilation, while aluminium trims and flashing adaptors create clean transitions at corners, joins and edges. 'We’ve been so impressed with the performance and

104

project

the living delta

Studio Alexander and Maison & Sage Breathe New Life into a Historic 1960s Okavango Delta Lodge Through Poetic Adaptive Reuse and Lightweight Ecology

106

107

project

Along the winding banks of the Khwai River in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where annual floodwaters arrive during the dry season to transform the earth, stands Sediba Sa Rona. Meaning ‘Our Source of Water,’ this lodge rests along a critical ecological boundary between permanent water channels and dry savannah – a place where elephants, lions, and hippos gather along the river’s edge. Commissioned as a complete redevelopment of the historic 1960s Khwai River Lodge, architects Studio Alexander, formerly Jack Alexander Architecture Studio, and interior designers Maison & Sage sought not to conquer this delicate landscape, but to listen to its seasonal rhythms. The project stands as an immersive safari retreat deeply rooted in history, memory, and ecological reverence.

Location: Okavango Delta, Botswana Size: 2188 m2

@jackalexander.za www.jackalexanderstudio.com

108

project

MEET THE TEAM Architect: Studio Alexander | Interior Design: Studio Alexander, Maison & Sage | Project Management: Studio Alexander, Pula Cost Consulting Structural Engineering: ADA Consulting Engineers | Quantity Surveyor: Pula Cost Consulting | Contractor: Lodge Builders Botswana | Client: Savanna Expeditions | Operator: Desert & Delta Safaris | Photographer: Verity Fitzgerald 109

project

Adaptive reuse and circular heritage

Passive comfort

Central to the project brief was a commitment to preserve the

Operating in a remote wilderness, Sediba Sa Rona integrates

memory and atmosphere of the original 1960s buildings while

passive

reducing environmental impact and strengthening guests’

infrastructure. Deep overhangs, shaded circulation spaces,

connection to the wilderness. Rather than erasing the site’s

natural

past, the team adopted a circular design approach centred

materials combine to reduce operational energy demands

on repair, material reuse, and low-impact construction.

within the Delta climate. A dedicated on-site solar farm with

Existing timber, gum poles, teak furniture, and thatch were

high-efficiency battery storage delivers complete energy

salvaged from demolished structures and reintegrated

independence and zero operational carbon emissions. Off-

throughout the new development. By reconstructing the

grid water self-sufficiency is achieved through borehole

main guest area and guest suites on their original footprints,

filtration, storage infrastructure, and greywater recycling

the architects avoided footprint expansion, minimising

systems used for landscape irrigation. Through this holistic

vegetation disturbance while reducing demolition waste and

approach, Sediba Sa Rona provides a compelling model for

embodied carbon. Remarkably, the original 1960s swimming

low-impact hospitality architecture.

environmental

strategies

cross-ventilation,

and

with

robust

thermally

off-grid

appropriate

pool, noted as possibly the largest in the Okavango Delta, was retained and restored to balance understated luxury with nostalgic continuity. A ‘zero-concrete’ touch on the landscape To sit lightly upon the 34-hectare site and allow natural watercourses to flow unimpeded, the architecture employs lightweight construction systems elevated above the ground. The design team implemented a friction-based foundation system using natural materials with a strict ‘zero-concrete’ approach, utilising gumpole friction pile footings and elevated timber and canvas structures. Original timber deck structures were retained and adapted, while all concrete and rubble were removed from the site and reusable materials donated to local communities. Natural site conditions and giant existing leadwood trees informed the placement and orientation of every structure, with a significant leadwood tree preserved as the focal point of the main guest area. Materiality and riverine splendour The lodge’s spatial layout traces the riverbank, strengthening connections between landscape and building through open decks, elevated walkways, shaded communal spaces, and a 360-degree firepit that floats over the Khwai River. The

“Remarkably, the original 1960s swimming pool, noted as possibly the largest in the Okavango Delta, was retained and restored to balance understated luxury with nostalgic continuity.” - Jack Alexander

tactile material palette combines local grass thatch roofing and pergolas with timber gum poles, latte screening, natural canvas, saligna decking, and reclaimed saligna flooring. The layout opens views across lagoons, papyrus channels, floodplains, and grasslands, providing an intimate experience of the Delta’s rich biodiversity.

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Aurora II Herringbone LVT - Celeste