S A O TA
SAOTA
Constructing
A Fearsome Global Reputation PRODUCTION: Timothy Reeder
One of South Africa’s leading architectural firms, SAOTA’s innovative and dedicated approach to the design, documentation and execution of projects globally has seen it become an internationally sought-after brand. The company enjoyed a decorated 2018, with its global reach continuing to expand and allowing SAOTA to take on more complex and highly celebrated work. 2 / www.enterprise-africa.net
Yalikavak - Bodrum, Turkey
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“We strive to promote a service marked by excellence both in our buildings and in addressing the needs of our clients, with the focus on high standards and elegance.” This is SAOTA’s mission statement right from the outset, and, driven by the dynamic combination of Stefan Antoni, Philip Olmesdahl, Greg Truen, Phillippe Fouché and Mark Bullivant, a shared vision has been developed which is instantly recognisable around the world in their designs. SAOTA is positioned to offer expert services to the full set of key marketplaces: corporate, institutional, commercial and residential. The company began life specialising in villa-style single residence buildings, and even the creative minds at its heart would have had difficulty picturing the business as it stands today. Over the past more than 30 years SAOTA has grown both in scope and reputation, and is now able to take on notable projects numbering hotels, multi-residence apartment buildings, government buildings and more.
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GLOBAL FOCUS As SAOTA’s expertise has grown, so too has its reach. Having grown from its strong roots in South Africa, 85% of SAOTA’s clientele is now international. This has seen the firm compete projects in some 86 countries. Its footprint now covers five continents and includes highly technical work which spans some of the world’s most exclusive locations. Philip Olmesdahl, who has notched up over 20 years at SAOTA, describes the scale of the shift in focus since his early days with the company. “We have a good spread around the world,” he outlines, “and we are localising in particular areas. Excluding Greece, we have seen nice growth in all of our targeted regions worldwide, and we have a good spread of both residential and commercial property; among these are much larger scale master planningtype jobs in Turkey and Spain.” Its international capabilities have been instrumental in shielding the company from the pressures felt by others caused by volatile African markets, and SAOTA’s leaders want to achieve a balance between domestic and global
Clifton Terraces
// WE ARE PROUD TO SERVICE THE AFRICAN REGION AND ARE WORKING TO REGROW MARKETS THAT HAVE SLOWED // prosperity moving forward. “When we first moved out of South Africa, a lot of our work was still on the continent,” says Olmesdahl of SAOTA’s gradual move to today’s worldwide coverage. “Up until a few years Africa remained a substantial part of our business, but that has changed substantially since our moves into the USA, Europe, the Middle and the Far East. “Africa is not as prosperous any more due to a number of different reasons but Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa remain busy, and Senegal, Congo and Ivory Coast still have projects. We are proud to service the African region and as a result we are putting a lot of effort into re-growing markets that have slowed.”
SAOTA
Trust is being placed in the quality of SAOTA’s work from an ever-expanding proportion of the globe. This is largely down to a design philosophy that connects function and form, and the pursuit of true architectural design to create appropriate solutions wherever they may be required. It is also the SAOTA focus on achieving maximum value which has led to these global invitations to design, build and create some of the most highly prestigious projects in recent years. In turn, increased exposure to the global marketplace has seen SAOTA flourish, lending it blank canvases in the form of cities and contexts to allow inspiration to radiate from its unique approach to design. GLOBAL RECOGNITION Success in SAOTA’s industry can be measured in two ways. Contract awards for prestigious projects in far-off lands is an obvious indicator that a job is being well done, but the physical awards provide tangible proof of the progress being made.
New Engineering Building - UCT
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INDUSTRY FOCUS: PROPERTY
SAOTA is no stranger to either form, but 2018 was a remarkable year for prizes, even by its own lofty standards. Characteristically, SAOTA was celebrated both at home and abroad. The inaugural edition of Spice Lifestyle Honors took place in December, organised by lifestyle channel Spice TV to acknowledge excellence in the African fashion and style industry and recognise outstanding work by brands, individuals and lifestyle curators. SAOTA was delighted to be crowned Design Company of the Year, amid an extraordinarily strong field, boding very well for its big to bolster its African presence in the short-term. At the completion of the Clifton Terraces development, a luxury suite of apartments in Cape Town’s famously affluent Clifton suburb, Director Greg Truen spoke of the commercial success that had followed a pleasurable design experience for the company. “It’s largely complete at
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this point, and it’s largely been sold,” he said. “It’s looking amazing and we are very happy with the way the whole thing has turned out. It’s a fantastic building from an architectural point of view and it’s been pretty successful commercially as well.” His high praise was mirrored as Clifton Terraces was recognised for innovative excellence at the SAPOA Property Development Awards 2018, in the Residential Developments category. It is the most prestigious programme of its kind within the South African commercial real estate sector, and a primary objective is to define excellence in the property industry. Clifton Terraces is located in one of the most sought-after locations in Africa, surrounded by the worldrenowned Clifton Beaches and nestled between Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. “A key consideration of the design was blending the building into the natural surroundings using its
// WE STRIVE TO PROMOTE A SERVICE MARKED BY EXCELLENCE, WITH THE FOCUS ON HIGH STANDARDS AND ELEGANCE // overall form, its deep overhangs and a restrained natural palette of materials,” said SAOTA Director Mark Bullivant of the thought process that paved the way for the award-winning design. DOUBLE GONGS FOR DOUBLE BAY In Australia, meanwhile, overlooking a sheltered bay within Sydney’s world-famous harbour, you will now find SAOTA’s Double Bay, billed as a “youthful yet sophisticated contemporary family dwelling.” Set
SAOTA
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in a north-facing cove in Sydney’s vast natural harbour, the site borders a recreational park and a public pier which juts out into the bay and efficiently creates private, sheltered spaces for family living, whilst maximising wide outlooks towards the water and beyond. SAOTA, together with Architects in Association Tanner Kibble Denton (TKD), gathered an award at the Trends International Design Awards 2018 (TIDA), in the category Australia Architect New Home 2018. Now in its fourth year, TIDA recognises outstanding homes by architects and designers across a range of countries. A shining example of SAOTA’s strength in collaborative working, TKD worked closely with the client to ensure that SAOTA’s detailed design was delivered and a dream home
subsequently realised. Following this award, Double Bay has also been put forward for the TIDA International Category, but while we await news of this probable triumph, Double Bay has also been feted at the most high-profile event in the building industry calendar, The Master Builders Association of NSW (New South Wales, Australia) Excellence in Housing Awards. Standing out from over 400 entries across the state, Double Bay was awarded the top prize in the Contract Houses (new builds) category. “When visiting our clients in the newly completed Double Bay home, we were struck by the extremely high level of finish, accuracy and craftsmanship that had been achieved in the final product,” Philip Olmesdahl commented upon receipt
of the prize. “Horizon has achieved something special in the construction of this home that does full justice to our design, and this one-of-a-kind harbourside site.” There was not a single visible defect that we could identify,” he continued. “Our experience of the build process with Horizon was a productive collaboration between all parties, and we look forward to working with them again in bringing another project to life.”
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AS FEAT UR ED IN
ENTERPRISE AFRICA
FEBR UAR Y 2019