Anyone living in South Africa can confirm that the country’s climatic conditions usually range from temperate in the interior plateau, to Mediterranean in the southwestern corner. Naturally, we cannot forget the small area in the  northwest which boasts a desert climate. Despite most of the country experiencing warm, clear days and cool evenings, we do experience a wide variety of weather events including drought, heatwaves, heavy rain as well as frost. Practical designing has to take all of the above into account, depending on the context of the location in which a building will take sha ..read more

In our two previous blog installments, we have explored the rich yet often inequitable history of the architecture of Cape Town. However, our journey is not yet at an end. After the injustices of Apartheid and the effect it had on the city’s architecture, South African architects were left with the difficult task of rebuilding the built environment for a better future and attempting to resolve some of the issues of the past. Coinciding with the emergence of democracy in South Africa was the birth of a new architectural language – contemporary. Much like modernism – contemporary buildings were ..read more

The Architecture of Cape Town – Part 2  In the previous installment of this blog, we left off discussing the impact of Sir Herbert Baker’s building designs on the overall architectural identity of Cape Town in the early 20th century. These designs, of course, represent the early stages of the development of a totalitarian architecture – which would eventually serve to further promote ethnic segregation during Apartheid. The architecture of Cape Town is incredibly layered and multi-faceted. Cape Town, despite its shining beauty, has a long dark history – and these roots significantly influ ..read more

The architecture of Cape Town Cape Town is truly one of the most eclectic cities in the world when it comes to architectural design. Along a single street, its inhabitants experience everything from traditional Dutch gables to striking art deco facades. It is here, among other locations around the country, that we at DesignScape Architects have made ourselves a home. This city boasts an amalgamation of every architectural style – making it a true melting-pot of design thought and culture. In just a few minutes of reading, check out our first installment of the fascinating architecture of Cape ..read more

Design Scape has extensive aviation experience with Airports in Africa. These include Cape Town International, King Shaka International, Kasane International, an airfield in Cameroon, and now an airport in central Africa. The idea for this new airport is to augment an existing international airport, which, for a growing group of private pilots, has grown impractical to operate from for various reasons. Hangar space is insufficient, and the parking space is limited. The pilots themselves are heavily involved in the private aviation of the country, as well as being involved in a growing, but inf ..read more

This week at Design Scape Architects, we’ll take you through the design process of a small house on a farm, in the Greyton area, under the Riviersonderend Mountains. The new house is to replace an existing log house that burnt down in a recent fire. Only the pool survived.   The site is level with an oak tree, with mountains to the North, a berm to the West and a river to the East. To the South, there are views of the valley below. All in all, a wonderful setting. The client wanted a two bedroom house with the option of a third Mezzanine bedroom. The client requested that the des ..read more

Projects in remote locations definitely have their challenges. The most common of challenges include scarce materials, and expensive transport.  In addition, local builders may be inexperienced beyond certain technologies. Our client, based overseas, is involved in a family farm in the Baviaans, with the closest town being Willowmore in the Karoo. Across the road, they also owned a small shop that catered for the tourist market. But the lease is expiring, so a new shop is needed on their own farm. And, as always, the budget is tight! We had ideas for a simple gum pole structure, as poles ..read more

THE DESIGN PROCESS This week we took one of our potential projects, and posted daily on LinkedIn some of the processes that we take, as architects, to come up with a design. The project is for a proposed estate in a coastal bush site, adjacent the beach, so a very special and sensitive space. Thus, we had to tread lightly, as, on a site like this, any proposal would stir up resistance. Our goal was to develop an initial response which could then be taken to various authorities, conservation or otherwise, to gauge reaction. Too often one can go far down a road to find there are immovable instru ..read more

The original Standard Bank Building in Adderley Street is an absolute gem, and a well-known site amongst architecture enthusiasts in Cape Town. In 1879 the City Council offered the Adderley Street site to the Bank, on a ninety-nine year lease at £150 per annum. Charles Freeman designed the Standard Bank building in the neo-classic style that was favoured so widely by the Victorians. Plans were completed in 1881, and a local contractor, T. J. C. Ingelsby, built it for £27000.00. The new premises were opened on the 19th of March 1883. The two-storied design featured a colonnaded entrance, with ..read more

Building contracts can be complex. Depending on the level of expertise, or the level of safeguards (like having a professional team in place), you are in for a rough trip or an easy ride. Well, a slightly easier ride… In many ways choosing the ideal contract will depend on the size of the job. You don’t want to use a sledgehammer when a panel pin hammer is all you need or vice versa. But first, let’s understand firstly what a contract is. A contract is defined by one party providing a service or goods to another party, and in return receives compensation, usually in the form of money. With any ..read more