SCAPE | October 2022 | Showguide | Vol.85

Count on us for innovation.

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Welcome to the October Issue of SCAPE

Our big day is finally here!

We’ve got a lot to celebrate in this issue. From the announcement of our Faces of the Future winners, spotlighting the next generation in design and build, to our SCAPE: The Trade Show showguide, dedicated to helping you navigate your way through SA’s biggest trade show for the design, build, and maintenance industry.

We’ve brought the pages of our monthly trader’s magazine to life with a day that celebrates the industry, sparks debate, and acts as a catalyst for growth. Our team has been waiting in the wings to present this event and connect the industry in person once more, so we are pulling out all the stops to make this an unforgettable experience.

Being a future-forward event, with an emphasis on places and spaces of the future, we thought it apt to start the issue with an agenda that is postured toward where we’re going and, more importantly, what the future of the industry could be!

We also sit down with SAOTA Principals Stefan Antoni and Greg Truen in a One-on-One interview and spotlight projects from Cape Town to Dubai, exploring the fantastic work of some of the icons hosting seminars on the day.

This issue is a celebration of the talent of our youth, the vision of our industry professionals, and the ideals of the future. We are looking forward to opening the doors to an exciting conversation at SCAPE: The Trade Show. We’ll see you and your team there.

Avoid FOMO, scan here to register!

A Future-Forward Approach

Agenda perspectives by Donovan Gillman (Urban Choreography), Kathleen Western (Kathleen Western Architects), Liam Ullrich (Daffonchio Architects), and Mpho Sephelane (SAOTA)

17 SCAPE 2022 Faces of the Future

Announcing SA’s Next Generation of Promising Young Professionals

The SCAPE Scenery 2022

Setting the Stage with the Trade Show Floorplan

28 SCAPE Speakers

Explore the Timetable, Seminar Topics, and the Iconic Speakers Presenting at SCAPE: The Trade Show

The Rise of Rubber

PlaySafe Safety Rubber Flooring 56 Utilities Spotlight

Enbaya Prepaid Meters

58

One on One

With Stefan Antoni, Founding Director, and Greg Truen, Founding Partner, of SAOTA

65

The Talk of Cape Town

The Rockefeller, Source Interior Brand Architecture

Old Cape Quarter

Meet the Exhibitors

Get to Know All the Innovative Brands Presenting the Best Products for Your Next Project

Welcome to SCAPE: The Trade Show

Introducing 2022’s Biggest Event for the Design, Build, and Maintenance Industry

Flooring Focus

Introducing Quartz Carpet’s URBAN Collection

The Contemporary-Classic Feather in Cape Town’s Cap, dhk Architects

80 Sustainable Symphony

Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, desert INK

The world as we know it is evolving and adapting at an unmatched pace. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that we can expect to see a vastly different built environment in the next decade. But how will the building and infrastructure designs, landscapes, materials, constructions, and processes be different from what we see now? Given the impact of architecture on people and places is so long-lasting, we need to think ahead to a world where the next generation will benefit from optimally functioning spaces, exceptional innovation and implementation, healthy environments, ecologically sustainable buildings and communities, and the conservation and preservation of precious natural resources. Designing for the future starts today.

A FUTURE-FORWARD APPROACH

This October, we asked a handful of industry experts to give their take on a few future-forward approaches within the trade. Let’s see what they think the future holds...

HOW DO YOU SEE BIOPHILIA AND REGENERATIVE DESIGN PRINCIPLES BEING INCORPORATED INTO BUILDINGS OF THE FUTURE?

The biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek a connection with nature. Edward O. Wilson introduced and popularised the hypothesis in his book, Biophilia. He defines biophilia as ‘the urge to affiliate with other forms of life.’ Biophilic or regenerative design is part of systems thinking and understanding that humans are part of nature. Natural systems derive from the land we all come from and depend on for our survival. It is about respecting the soil, the air, the water, fire and the entire spectrum of life, from microorganisms to living flora and fauna, and all of humankind. By implementing this approach, we will do less damage to what exists around us, meaning our designs in the built environment will accommodate more spaces and opportunities for life to flourish so that we can be closer to and nourish our relationship with the natural world.

Biophilia and regenerative design will create living environments using less resources and circular economies that favour reusing and recycling as opposed to filling wastelands and polluting the air, rivers, and seas. New ecologies of urban spaces where buildings are clothed in and filled with plants and associated life will provide fresh air and clean water while generating food for us and the rest of our living brethren. These new cities will be hybrids of natural systems supported by new technology in the advanced horticulture, regenerative agricultural, and environmental restoration sciences. Urbanscapes of the future will be choreographed by transdisciplinary teams under the leadership of landscape architects rather than styled by architects, engineers, and a few other building specialists. With buildings like The Fynbos in central Cape Town and projects that apply systems-based landscape principles like we teach in our Resilient Planting Design courses presented by Roomtogrow Business Skills, we are designing a future for our children and their children to thrive.

DONOVAN GILLMAN

Landscape Architect

Immediate Past

President of ILASA

Owner of Urban Choreography

"THE BIOPHILIA HYPOTHESIS SUGGESTS THAT HUMANS POSSESS AN INNATE TENDENCY TO SEEK A CONNECTION WITH NATURE."

Africa's first truly biophilic development, The Fynbos, 142 Bree Street, Cape Town

FUTURE-FORWARD

AS A YOUNG AND UPCOMING ARCHITECT, WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE THE YOUTH PLAYING IN THE FUTURE-FORWARD DESIGNS OF SOUTH AFRICA?

In today’s context, contemporary architectural practice and education fails to recognise African ideas of space and form beyond the Afrocentric aesthetic trends. We have come to perceive traditional African architectural methods as ‘backward’ processes to be updated/improved, and the Eurocentric methods as the desired ‘forward’ thinking direction to be venerated. Although we cannot ignore our post-colonial present, I believe our role as young, upcoming practitioners is to consider the necessity of including discarded African symbolism and histories to exist alongside our current approach to architecture.

One of the many ways we can begin this process is through finding and creating new design frameworks, languages, processes, and lenses through which to examine existing spatial issues. Frameworks that apply lessons from informality, adopt different ways of representation, prioritise knowledge sharing, and encourage radical design and material experimentation.

In appropriating design and material use, we can collectively begin to translate our stories through architecture as a way to preserve our cultures. Not only does this apply to the building processes, but also in the conception of narratives and participation of traditional symbols, ecology, fabrication of space, spirituality, and issues of sustainability. It is also important to cultivate a community of young thinkers and future practitioners to occupy institutions and professional spaces in order to propel transformational discourse on education and the translation of African knowledge systems in the built environment.

Having said that, the success in designing our future cities may be rooted in understanding and learning from the layered connections of our past to our present, and how our individual stories may add value to spatial practices.

MPHO SEPHELANE

Candidate Architect

Winner of the 2021 Corobrik Student Architecture Awards

SAOTA

"IN APPROPRIATING DESIGN AND MATERIAL USE, WE CAN COLLECTIVELY BEGIN TO TRANSLATE OUR STORIES THROUGH ARCHITECTURE AS A WAY TO PRESERVE OUR CULTURES."

KATHLEEN WESTERN

Founder

NATURAL MATERIALS

THERE IS AN EVER-GROWING NEED TO CONSIDER LOCAL, AVAILABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND ARTISANS WHEN DOING SITE-SOURCING FOR BUILDING PROJECTS. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE IN THE CRAFT INDUSTRY AS WE SEEK TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE?

The pressures of climate change and extreme weather events, resource shortages, economic instability, unreliable supply chains, and undependable basic utility provision continue to elevate the need to design and build sustainably, from being required by regulation or encouraged by ratings to the only responsible and meaningful way to develop. Local sourcing is often a requisite for public projects, and done well it boosts immediate economies, skills development, and social integration. Where good quality artisans and sustainable materials are available close to a site, this makes a lot of sense for the costs, timelines, and performance obligations of a construction project.

Challenges in the South African environment include the availability of good craft and trade skills and their generational transfer, quality artisan education and apprenticeships, economic pressure on local makers and manufacturers, and extortion in procurement. A regionalist approach to design and construction, combining craftmanship with technology in an aspirational way that is responsive to climate, economy, and culture, can overcome social resistance to a perception of traditional skills and materials as regressive.

A comprehensive digital golden thread using multi-dimensional Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the efficient design, construction, operation, and ultimate disassembly of the project can create better built environments and facilitate a circular construction economy. Buildings, and communities of buildings, viewed as ecosystems consider sustainability at every life stage. Design for disassembly extends the lifespan of durable materials. Buildings can become material banks – ideal for less sustainable elements or those with long periods of renewal. Regenerative design, including biomimicry and biophilia, has inspired several solutions like algaefuelled solar power generation and hemp insulation. Hemp is low-carbon, non-toxic, renewable, has impressive R-value to thickness ratios, and easily grows in a range of climates, making it an ideal crop for local sourcing, contributing to both socio-economic and environmental sustainability. Traditional materials are being revisited in innovative applications for their sustainability credentials. Rammed earth is a site-specific material, thermally efficient, and ultimately easily dematerialised. It can be built with limited skills, and is easily taught.

Unsurprisingly, buildings that use natural materials promote productivity and feelings of wellness. Timber is an obvious choice for its renewability and lower embodied carbon, and it’s not limited to small-scale cabins. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) has loosened design constraints, and larger spans and tall timber buildings are gaining traction. CLT also lends itself to factory prefabrication, which can ensure quality and faster site work. The established agroforestry industry of South Africa can easily expand to the demands of CLT, creating jobs and growing skills and artisanship. Open Buildings create flexible spaces that people can adapt as needs change, using less energy and materials, and increasing the longevity and sustainability of buildings. This approach recognises that buildings have lives beyond construction, encouraging people to be active caretakers and shapers, not passive occupants. Modularity lends itself to better planning upfront, accurate off-site production with less energy use on-site, and a more manageable waste stream.

"UNSURPRISINGLY, BUILDINGS THAT USE NATURAL MATERIALS PROMOTE PRODUCTIVITY AND FEELINGS OF WELLNESS."

AS WE FACE THE EVER-EVOLVING DIGITAL FRONTIER OF THE NEXT DECADE, WHAT ROLE WILL BIM AND AI PLAY IN DESIGNING FUTURE-FORWARD BUILDINGS?

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have instigated a paradigm shift in the construction industry – a shift that is both exciting and daunting to many professionals.

BIM is a process of incorporating information into the digital components of a construction project – often represented by an information-rich, 3D model. When managed on an online, open-cloud platform, BIM models allow for multiple consultants to collaborate on the design and management of projects in real time.

These models are increasingly being used for post-construction building management. These ‘living’ replicas of buildings, or Digital Twins, have become a highly efficient means to track a building’s material lifecycle and ‘smart’ systems management. This application of BIM is being expanded to create Digital Twins of entire city regions – tracking real-time, virtual models of urban infrastructure and resource flows. These models have been identified as a key element in improving South Africa’s metropolitan service delivery.

BIM processes will experience a major evolution with the incorporation of AI and machine-learning technologies. Certain BIM software is already using AI to detect patterns in real-time building datasets, and to then make independent decisions to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and safety in the building management. Since machine-learning models rely on ‘self-learning’ and adaptive algorithms, they will become increasingly integrated with construction processes, allowing for better forecasting of real-time construction outcomes – easing the reliance on human input for tedious tasks.

A major concern amongst many professionals in the industry is whether these technologies will be able to replace the human workforce. As with any innovative technology, certain human activities will become redundant and replaceable in order to achieve greater efficiency. It is important to remember, however, that these technologies will generate a plethora of new, currently unknown skills that will be required by the workforce of the future. Moving forward, it is important for us to understand BIM and AI technologies as ‘tools’ for designers and craftsmen to evolve with.

LIAM ULLRICH

Project Architect

Daffonchio Architects, Cape Town Office

Daffonchio Architects’ Cape Town studio focuses on sustainable contemporary and heritage architecture, with projects ranging from luxury residential to commercial, from design concept to completion.

"AS WITH ANY INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY, CERTAIN HUMAN ACTIVITIES WILL BECOME REDUNDANT AND REPLACEABLE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE GREATER EFFICIENCY."

Conceptual design by Daffonchio Architects, rendered with the assistance of machine learning technology

SCAPE 2022 FACES OF THE FUTURE

Across the country, next-generation professionals are pushing well beyond the boundaries of design and build, finding new ways to start mapping the uncharted horizon of South Africa. Highlighting these young talents and championing their creativity, innovation, and inspiration, SCAPE’s coveted Faces of the Future initiative is all about jump-starting careers, celebrating bright minds, building the industry, and designing tomorrow. Our phenomenal winners have been selected across architecture, landscape architecture, interior and product design categories, after which the prestigious grand title was appointed.

Look out for these accomplished Faces of the Future...

MARTIN TALLIE AND ZANI ALBERTS

FURNITURE AND PRODUCT DESIGNERS

Founders of deft. @deft.studios www.deftstudios.co.za

Architects and designer-maker duo Martin Tallie and Zani Alberts joined forces to establish their furniture and product design studio deft. (meaning clever or skilful) in 2020. What started out as a personal expression of creativity and exploration has since matured into a humble business that advocates for longevity through simplicity and quality craftsmanship. Embracing simple geometries and clutter-free design, every piece is locally designed and carefully crafted by a small team of passionate makers. The pair was included in Design Indaba’s Emerging Creatives 2021, and is driven by sustainability and conscious craftmanship, which can be seen throughout the business. All deft.’s solid woods are FSCcertified to ensure sustainable forestry. Their products also make use of non-toxic finishes and recyclable or reusable packaging materials. To them, it's not just about using sustainable raw materials but making a long-term investment to intentionally create furniture that will stand the test of time. The studio has also partnered with Greenpop, which means for every furniture piece sold, a tree is planted.

NICO HENDRIKSZ AND ANTON LOUW

PRODUCT DESIGNERS AND DEVELOPERS

Founders of Kino @kinofurniture www.kino.co.za

This innovative pair of product designers certainly needs no introduction. After developing a love of woodworking during their industrial design studies at CPUT, Nico and Anton established Kino in 2016 – a Cape Town-based furniture studio specialising in high-quality free-standing, solid-wood furniture items. Upon making their public debut at 100% Design South Africa in Johannesburg in 2017, the company walked away with the ‘Best of 100% Talent’ award. Serving as Kino’s motivating catalyst, the accolade encouraged them to return the following year with a new collection of freshly developed furniture items to showcase their passion for design and Kino’s exceptional production capabilities. Again, the response was beyond what they could imagine and the dynamic duo was honoured to accept the ‘Best Furniture Design’ award in 2018. With nine years of furniture design and manufacturing experience each, Nico and Anton believe that good design is the ability to combine considered shape and materials to create a product that is beautiful as well as functional, with a long lifespan. Their unique products are minimal in style, with considered detailing. Instead of being mass-produced, each item is made to order by a small team of skilled and passionate craft workers.

ASHLEE LLOYD

INDUSTRIAL LIGHTING DESIGNER

Owner, Founder, and Creative Director of Studio Lloyd @studio_lloyd www.studiolloyd.com

Ashlee Lloyd is the incredible creative force behind the international award-winning, Cape Town-based, female-owned Studio Lloyd. Boasting myriad accolades, she holds a Bachelor of 3D Product Design & Industrial Design from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (cum laude), was selected as an ‘Emerging Creative 2017’ at Design Indaba, and represented The Loeries Youth Committee (Loeries Future 15) in 2021-2022. Founded in 2016, Studio Lloyd specialises in handcrafted custom architectural lighting and outdoor furniture. In the years since, the studio has been crowned Winner of the Prestige Awards UK 20212022 for Best in Interior Design Specialist Services in Africa; shortlisted for the Bar & Design Awards for the Amoeba Light Sculpture located in the Skotnes Restaurant at the Norval Art Foundation in Cape Town; and named a finalist for their Amoeba Chandelier at the Loerie Awards 2019 (Product Design Category). Studio Lloyd has also been featured on various South African television shows, including the Expresso Breakfast Show, Win a Home (SABC3), Top Billing, and Newzroom, to name a few. The design studio’s products range from light sculpture installations to light pendants, seating, and decorative elements for international as well as local projects. The result is a culmination of functionality and true individuality. Their mission is simple: drive diversity in the industry and create local, support local, manufacture local to support our economy while exporting quality goods.

“The studio incorporates the traditional technique of crochet into modern lighting and focusses on creating organic shapes within each unique design.”

KELVIN GREEN

CANDIDATE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Yes& Studio

@yesandstudio

www.yesand.studio

Kelvin Green graduated with a Master of Architecture from the University of Cape Town after which he proceeded to kick-start his career as a candidate landscape architect at Cape-based Yes& Studio. His master’s thesis placed runner-up for the Most Innovative Final-Year Landscape Architecture Award at the 35th Corobrik Student Architecture Awards 2022. Kelvin’s project, titled ‘Overcoming the M5: An approach to reducing the inequality in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town’, endeavoured to understand the legacy of Apartheid on urban connections by proposing a well-designed connection as a starting-point solution. Cape Town’s spatial framework is cut by natural barriers, industrial belts, and largescale infrastructural developments that forcefully segregate people by race. Extending between the city’s major business district and the outer suburbs, the M5 has had a remarkable impact on the economic conditions on either side of the buffer zone. As such, Kevin’s project specifically looked at placing emphasis on the ramp’s exit/entry design and the hierarchy of the space to make users feel safe and encouraged to use the infrastructure.

KWEZI FUTSHANE

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Cunnane Stratton Reynolds @kwe.zi

www.csrlandplan.ie

Kwezi Futshane is an award-winning landscape architect from Cape Town, South Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences & Oceanography and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Cape Town. During his studies he worked as a landscape architect intern where he was exposed to socio-spatial thinking within landscape planning and design. Kwezi was also the winner of the Most Innovative Final-Year Landscape Architecture Award at the 35th Corobrik Student Architecture Awards 2022, whereby his master’s thesis won first place. His project, titled ‘How to design a landscape that celebrates Khoesān indigeneity and heritage’, sheds light on the historic sensitivities within the Two Rivers Urban Park (TRUP) in Cape Town, focussing its design strategy mainly on the contested River Club site. Since joining the Cunnane Stratton Reynolds team in Dublin, Kwezi has been exposed to various types of projects covering a wide range of scales. He regularly exercises his skills in Revit, AutoCAD, and the Adobe suite of programmes to deliver masterplans, Revit model drafts, design renders, and various supporting documents.

GIORGIO TATSAKIS

INTERIOR ARCHITECT

Founder of Atelier Giorgio Co-Owner and Co-Creative Director of Clay by MG Creative Director of the Ethos Group @giotatsakis

@ateliergiorgio.design www.ateliergiorgio.design

Renowned Joburg interior designer and founder of Atelier Giorgio, Giorgio Tatsakis is a real tour de force in the industry. With his Greek-Cypriot heritage and a short stay in Athens in the late ‘00s, Giorgio’s designs are largely inspired by his love and appreciation for Mediterranean culture, food, architecture, and design. Whilst completing a BA degree in interior design at Greenside Design Centre, he worked on a couple of hospitality and residential projects, including Ethos in Sandton and Ethos in Rosebank. Thereafter, he completed big commercial projects for BGR Rosebank (Oxford Parks), BGR Honeydew, and GRK in Rivonis, as well as two ongoing luxury residential homes in Sandton, and Kuzina restaurant in Honeydew. Giorgio is also the co-owner of a ceramics and woodware company called Clay by MG, which he owns with his sister, Mary. In 2020, his work at Ethos in Sandton won the HOSCO Style Award for its interiors, atmosphere, and ambiance at the Luxe Restaurant Awards. The next year, Ethos Rosebank won the International Restaurant of the Year Award, and its interiors were shortlisted for the 2022 International Hotel and Property Awards that took place in Capri in July 2022, placing in the top four out of thousands of global entries.

URAL CHETTY

CANDIDATE ARCHITECT

LYT Architecture @ural.__ www.lyt.co.za

Ural Chetty certainly isn’t resting on his laurels. As a candidate architect at LYT Architecture, Ural has worked on multiple projects at different stages of the design process, including research, design development, construction documentation and presentations both locally and internationally. He holds a professional Master of Architecture from the University of the Witwatersrand and was named the winner of the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) ThirdYear Construction Prize for the best use of steel in a final-year project (project titled ‘Jozi Arthouse’). He also placed runner-up in the 35th regional Corobrik Student Architecture Awards for his thesis titled ‘A Breath of Fresh Air: Dismantling Toxicity in a Post-Industrial Landscape in Durban, South Africa’. Driven by a passion for spatial reform that deals with social, cultural, and political issues across the country, Ural’s project was based on large-scale public architecture that focusses on rehabilitating residential areas which were placed near heavy industrial zones during Apartheid spatial planning. This topic inspired him to start his own research collective with friends and colleagues called STUUDIO to investigate and interrogate the urban conditions of the city to help find new ways of spatial reform that would address a wider spectrum of issues faced in the built environment.

“Ural’s project was based on large-scale public architecture that focusses on rehabilitating residential areas which were placed near heavy industrial zones during Apartheid spatial planning."

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

MAXINE LEVY

PROJECT ARCHITECT AND DESIGNER

@maxinelevy.h

TwentyEightZeroTwo Architects www.2802architects.com

Maxine Levy holds a Master of Architecture (cum laude) from the University of Pretoria and is known to spesialise in the complexity of urban-architectural systems. As a project architect and designer at TwentyEightZeroTwo Architects, one of Maxine’s flagship projects is Congo Villa – a high-end residential project situated in the heart of Lubumbashi, DRC. Working alongside a client who reveres architecture and the people who create it, the brief was to design a modern family home that caters to an at-home professional. Responsible for the project and design development, as well as the interior design, Maxine played the roles of designer, architect, interior architect, procurement specialist, project manager, logistician, business administrator, technician, and negotiator. Through the process, she learned to create innovative architecture with a truly multinational, multicultural team where language barriers are pronounced. The architecture pays tribute to the modern masters of our history, with a deep understanding of the human experience. Separated into three parts, the home consists of the office annex, the main house, and the bedroom annex. With a massive lightweight cantilevered roof floating above a double volume glass box, the main house is home to the main convivial spaces, offering clear vistas and access to the surrounding gardens and annexes. Intimate and grand in equal measure, this home will serve its inhabitants through a stunning visual and physical experience, a timeless design for a timeless ideal.

MPHO SEPHELANE

CANDIDATE ARCHITECT

Mpho Sephelane’s name is making the rounds this year, and for good reason. The candidate architect from SOATA boasts a Master of Architecture from the University of Cape Town and has received numerous accolades, including the Molly Gohl Memorial Prize for Best Female Third-Year Student in her class. Best Student Graduating in Design and Theory Studio II, placing Dean’s Merit List, and becoming a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Yet, her most prestigious title was awarded at the 35th Corobrik Student Architecture Awards where Mpho received the national grand prize for her master’s thesis, titled ‘Re[covering] Place: African ways of seeing, thinking and making as a call to rethink and remake places in cities’. Her project investigates issues of recovery and preservation of traditional African knowledge systems, and how these can be translated into making contemporary spaces. The project proposes the use of the Basotho blanket as a symbolic artefact of cultural preservation and continuum through architecture. This is explored through its connections to traditional practices such as litema mural practice, communal relatedness, and connection to nature in the creation of symbolic form and space.

“Photography and architecture go hand in hand, and it’s through the lens of the camera on the pedestrian plane that one can begin to visualise the city from the citizen’s perspective. Therein lies my greatest passion: how do we design and make cities for people?”

RESE BOSHOFF

ARCHITECT

Vivid Architects @rese_boshoff www.vividarchitects.co.za

After completing her Master of Architecture at the University of Cape Town, Rese Boshoff went on to become an architect at Vivid Architects. It was there she had the opportunity to be involved in the Bridgewater development by Rabie Property Group in Century City from design to council submission through to completion. Having gone to site four months before lockdown in 2020, the challenge of building such a complex mixed-use development on top of pandemic challenges made it an exercise of communication and collaboration in isolation. But this experience only refined her resilience. In a private capacity, Rese also has a collection of complete and ongoing small-scale publications and practices. Her zine ‘(un)familiar faces’ was a study of buildings, and of how buildings engage with people in a universal language. Her area of expertise is the built environment, with an emphasis on designing spaces that are welcoming and functional for those living in and making use of them. Rese believes architects are only one cog in the larger machine of good city planning and growth. She envisions the city’s potential to provide for its citizens, and the architect’s role in facilitating this with the help of the city municipality, spatial practitioners, activists, and developers.

Rethink. Reshape. Reimagine. Reignite.

We look forward to opening the doors to SCAPE: The Trade Show to offer our delegates a CPD accredited seminar package that will inspire you! We're also presenting some of the most exciting products on offer to the trade and launching a demo zone this year, where you can learn all the tips and tricks you need for product installations.

You'll find everything you need to navigate the show in the pages to follow, including speaker profiles and seminar topics, exhibition stands, demo times, and a floorplan of the venue. We even have a SCAPE Café Zone where you can unwind, network, and enjoy a bevvie or a light meal.

This whole event has been curated so that you can show up, shake hands, and let us take care of the rest!

*For information about parking rates, please visit the CTICC's website.

Our seminar package has been approved by SACAP and SACLAP for 1 full CPD point for the day!

S APE SPEAKERS

SPEAKERS

SCAPE: The Trade Show hosts a phenomenal CPD-accredited seminar line-up (for SACAP and SACLAP affiliated delegates) with the most thought-provoking speakers across interior design, urban planning, architecture, and landscape architecture. Our curated programme will present eight iconic and incredibly exciting sessions that will explore ideas that push the envelope. Bringing a unique set of voices – ones that are future conscious and focussed on growing out of adversity – these best-in-class speakers will help us rethink, reshape, reimagine, and reignite!

We'll engage in Q&A sessions after each seminar that will allow us to discuss and debate a range of industry-relevant topics. So, arrive early and bring your best selves!

Convention

Placemaking

TOPIC POSITIVE PLACEMAKING ‘Kissing Frogs’ – Delivering Quality Public Spaces in Challenging Urban Environments

Presented by: Guy Briggs, Partner Director, Architect, and Head of Urban Design, dhk Architects

As Head of Urban Design since 2012, Guy Briggs leads a talented dhk team focussing on the development, vision, and strategy behind master planning, public realm design, and the integration of dhk’s architectural projects into their wider urban (or rural) contexts. A central theme running through his work is urban regeneration and renewal, essentially reviving challenging, depressed, and deprived urban environments by breathing new life into their public spaces. In this thought-provoking seminar, Guy will explore the key objectives for developing quality public spaces in challenging urban environments by specifically looking at urban design strategy and visioning work done in Woodstock, Bellville, and Maitland, and the delivery of public space through masterplans and architectural projects at Conradie Park in Pinelands and Battery Park at the V&A Waterfront.

Guy’s seminar is built on the firm foundation of AfriSam – a leading supplier of superior quality construction materials that has cemented itself in the industry to build a better future for Africa. AfriSam’s cement, aggregate, and ready-mix concrete construction materials have significantly contributed to infrastructure development for more than 85 years.

TOPIC LIFE IN 3D

The world-renowned architectural firm SAOTA is known for utilising the latest and greatest computer technology in its design processes – both to understand and visualise the conceptual design in 3D and to communicate the design to clients effectively. Greg Truen and Lu Ke, who are both avid and active users of their chosen virtual reality tool LUX Walker by Tenebris Lab, will take us on a digital journey detailing everything you need to know about designing in 3D, from ‘layer cake’ to BIM modelling.

Presented by: Greg Truen, Principal and Founding Partner, and Lu Ke, Multidisicplinary Designer, SOATA

Greg and Lu’s seminar will light up the trade show with Eurolux — a lighting importer and distributor supplying over 8000 products to 2300 outlets across the continent. Offering a wide variety of halogen, HID, LED, and fluorescent light bulbs and tubes, indoor light fittings, outdoor flood and security lights, and ancillary electrical products, Eurolux's range provides a contemporary update to traditional lighting designs, merging timeless aesthetics with high-quality materials.

TOPIC REVERSING LOCAL EXTINCTION

Through Sustainable Architecture

Presented by: Marc Sherratt, Founder and Managing Director, Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects (MSSA)

Marc’s seminar is brought to you by Rentech Renewable Technologies – dedicated provider of renewable energy products and services since 2001. Rentech supplies a range of inverters, lithium batteries, lead-ac id batteries, and PV panels of the highest quality with expert advice to assist customers in choosing the best product solutions. Rentech is part of the AutoX family, standing alongside renowned battery brands, Willard Batteries and SABAT Batteries.

Scientists say we are living in the age of a sixth mass extinction event caused by humankind. This, coupled with climate change, and Africa experiencing the fastest and largest projected urban area growth in the world in the next 20 years, are arguably some of the most pressing issues of our time. Recently, scientists have highlighted regenerating natural systems as a powerful mechanism for reversing climate change. But what could this look like in the existing and new cities we will be building in Africa?

Marc Sherratt, a net-zero-accredited professional architect and one of the leaders of the green building movement in South Africa, will explore this question by sharing his insights into how nature could be our greatest ally in combating climate change.

He will be unpacking important terms such as net zero, resilience, restoration, and regeneration, showing the latest work being done under these themes across the country. Marc will also consider how these principles apply to solving difficult spatial socio-economic environments, like in informal settlements, as well what the green building industry is aiming to achieve over the next ten years, specifically in terms of strengthening the relationship between the built environment and nature.

TOPIC DECONSTRUCTING AFROCENTRIC DESIGN

Pride of Culture Through Contextual Interior Commercial Design

Presented by: Mardre Meyer, Creative Director, Source Interior Brand Architecture (Source IBA)

Founded in 2002, Source Interior Brand Architecture relishes utilising its experience in Africa to create democratic design solutions that are at once contextually relevant and internationally competitive. The result is a new approach to proudly homegrown design that showcases the depth of African legacy and the inherent sophistication of our continent. Boasting a portfolio of big brands ranging from hip urban hotels to remote resorts, the studio is behind projects the likes of The Winchester Hotel, Red Radisson Hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel, Westin Guestrooms, ELGR Restaurant, and The Rockefeller, to name a few.

Mardre's seminar will shine with Sunbrella® – a leading brand spe cialising in performance fabrics for shade structures, marine canvas, and upholstery fabric for both out door and indoor applications. Sun brella® fabrics are inspired by rich colour palettes, cultivated trend stories, and an array of textures for phenomenal finishes.

CLASSIC LOOK, MODERN

WHERE CLASSIC MEETS MODERN LED LAMPS IN CLASSIC BULB SHAPES

Available with frosted or clear full-glass bulbs,

and EDISON versions,

and halogen lamp look &

and

CLASSIC

LED CLASSIC

workmanship.

OSRAM FILAMENT has an attractive filament design and high luminous efficacy. A new, highly efficient and direct LED replacement for classic incandescent lamps. Compact, energy-saving bulb-shaped classic, OSRAM FILAMENT

Biomimicry

TOPIC BIOMIMICRY INSPIRED DESIGN

Creating Cities That Function Like Forests

Presented by: Marijke Honig, Landscape Designer, Environmentalist, and Author of ‘Indigenous Plant Palettes’

With a passion for endemic plants, from seed to those fully sprung, Marijke studied ecology and botany at the University of Cape Town before honing her skills at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. For the past 15 years she has been designing and planting indigenous landscapes, building up a project portfolio featuring the notable Biodiversity Showcase Garden in Green Point Park and The Roof Garden at Cape Town Civic Centre. Well versed in resilient landscapes and urban ecosystems, Marijke is at the forefront of researching how nature holds the answers we so desperately need in the world and within the build industry. In the words of Marijke, ‘Biomimicry is essentially innovation inspired by nature; when people use ideas from the natural world to solve problems.’ Introducing listeners to the concept of biomimicry, Marijke will explore how to design cities that function like forests.

Marijke’s seminar is powered by STIHL – South Africa’s most trusted brand of outdoor power equipment. The STIHL company was founded in Germany in the 1920s by engineer Andreas Stihl, who developed a revolutionary, engine-driven two-man saw. Today, the steel giant has developed over 1800 patents through its extensive research and development laboratories to help you motor through your landscape projects.

TOPIC BIODIVER (CITY)

Presented by: Anthony Wain, Director and Landscape Architect, Planning Partners

Anthony’s seminar is brought to you by Sika. Sika South Africa provides market-leading solutions for the concrete, waterproofing, roofing, flooring, refurbishment, sealing and bonding industry, with manufacturing sites in KwaZuluNatal and Gauteng. Their products and systems are used in almost every aspect of the built environment, from bridges, dams, roads and harbours to high-rises, and everything in between.

How can our designs allow wildlife, biodiversity, and nature to thrive in an urban setting? Anthony will tackle this topic with great finesse by exploring biodiversity and human interaction and exchange in city living. During his discussion on the role of green space in city planning and urban design, he will consider public, open-space design and walkability, plus design responses to green urban space creation and placemaking, paying specific attention to Planning Partners’ landscape design for the Chihilsitoon Garden Project by Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Kabul, Afghanistan. With 33 years of experience, Anthony has worked on many diverse projects in more than 17 countries around the world. His work has involved extensive public participation with local and regional communities, national and international clients, and NGOs.

TOPIC DESIGN DUBAI

Context-Driven Design: Exploring Culture, Climate, and Challenges in the UAE to Create Thoughtful Spaces

Presented by: Duncan Denley, Managing Director and Landscape Architect, and Garrick Nelissen, Landscape Architect, desert INK

UAE-based landscape architecture studio desert INK has created some of the most extraordinary spaces in the Middle East, pioneering a new form of resilient landscape architecture for the region. The materials, design choices, and technology at the forefront of this new direction are a marked deviation from the well-established norms of tropical planting and the associated lush green effect many have come to expect – landscaping that is in complete contrast to the natural systems and species of the region. Through flagship projects like Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion, among others, desert INK aims to expose decision makers and the general public to attractive xerophytic landscapes. From refreshing rooftops and private residences to sustainable ecohotels, desert parks, and exploratory urban plazas, the duo will present some of their key built and ongoing projects that focus on sustainability and a regionally-responsive view on contextdriven design.

Duncan and Garrick’s seminar is held up by Terraforce Retaining Walls – a brand desert INK has collaborated with on multiple occasions across the UAE. Terraforce’s wide range of retaining blocks, gabion retaining walls, and more, are fully permeable and plantable, offering a sustainable solution to anyone who needs to consider landscaping or erosion control on site.

TOPIC EDUCATION & INNOVATION

Co-Creating Architecture: A Journey from Design to Delivery Through UCT’s ‘d-school’

Jonathan and Andrew’s seminar will run smoothly through the pipes with global Geberit Group – a European leader in the field of sanitary products and bathroom ceramics. Geberit’s wide range of aesthetic yet functional sanware solutions round-off the best projects with superior finishes.

The new ‘d-school’ building on the Middle Campus of the University of Cape Town is a space for teaching and learning ‘design thinking’, and therefore required different spaces to explore these ideas than traditional lecture theatres commonly provided at universities. Exemplifying collaborative design and future-proof thinking, the two teams at KMH Architects and LEAF Structures have put their heads together to co-create an exceptional build that will evoke a sense of design inspiration in everyone who crosses its threshold. Detailing the project’s design all the way through to its delivery, and how it aims to be the first 6 Star-rated Green Star academic building in Africa; the duo will take us on a journey through the sustainable elements and engineering that went into making the Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking Afrika such a successful example of innovative architecture.

Presented by: Jonathan Ray, Partner, KMH Architects, and Andrew Spottiswoode, Managing Director, LEAF Structures

TO THE HIGH QUALITY

Meet the Exhibitors

The South African Landscapers Institute (SALI) is an association for students, individuals, and businesses operating in the landscaping industry. SALI promotes landscaping excellence through its annual awards programme and is committed to improving the image and standing of the industry by encouraging participation in training, regular meetings, conferences, workshops, and liaising with business, training, and government institutions, statutory bodies, and NGOs. www.sali.co.za

Haifa Group is a multinational corporation and global leading supplier of specialty plant nutrients, fertilisers, and potassium nitrate for the agriculture industry. Renowned for its pioneering spirit and innovative solutions, Haifa is finely attuned to market trends and customer needs. Since its establishment in 1966, the company sells a wide range of quality products in more than 100 countries through 17 subsidiaries spread throughout the world. www.haifa-group.com

Blum is a family-owned international company with its home office in Höchst, Austria. Blum South Africa supplies well-thought-out, functional furniture fittings, unique operating systems, and space optimising solutions for cabinetry. Their innovative, award-winning, and long-lasting product range includes hinge, lift, box, and runner systems for home furniture – kitchen cabinetry in particular. www.blum.com/za

JANSEN by M2G is the exclusive distributor of JANSEN’s cold rolled steel profiles for windows, doors, roof lights, and façades in South Africa. These steel profiles are manufactured in Switzerland and fabricated locally to deliver on architects' design parameters. The JANSEN steel systems for windows and doors make it easier for local metalworkers to fabricate elements that require functionality, including double-glazing, insulation, classic glazing beads, or dual gaskets for weather and air seals. www.m2gjansen.com

Easygrasse provides professional artificial lawn surfaces and products that are not only eco-friendly and low-maintenance but also the most advanced products on the market. Easygrasse lawns are versatile, durable, and comfortable, providing you with cleaner, greener lawns all year round. Their specialised services include the fitment of synthetic grass products for homes, schools, businesses, and sports clubs. Whether placed indoors or outdoors, their lawns are guaranteed to minimise the maintenance time and money spent on upkeep. www.easygrasse.co.za

Sudpave manufactures the only locally produced plastic grid permeable paver available in South Africa to meet the increasing demand for sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) paving products. Used as part of a stormwater control system, it allows rainwater to permeate at the point of source, limiting the impact of runoff on overloaded stormwater infrastructure. Sudpave is also an exclusive distributor of Sudtank –Europe's most advanced stormwater control system now available in South Africa. www.sudpave.co.za

Aluglass Bautech® locally designs, manufactures, and installs customised acoustic treatment, spesialised glass solutions, and technical sun-control products for high-end residential and commercial projects. Aluglass Bautech® was established in 1973 and has manufactured mobile acoustic partitioning systems (operable walls) since 1975 with technical cooperation agreements with Dorma Hüppe (Germany), a leading global manufacturer of mobile room partition systems. This partnership has helped the business to achieve nothing less than German engineering with a proudly South African touch. www.aluglass.co.za

OrbitX locally manufactures robust, long-lasting LED lights designed for industrial, commercial, retail, academic, and mining environments. Their products mimic South African sunlight, providing natural-feeling light that facilitates visual tasks, improves concentration, increases productivity, and boosts retail sales. www.orbitx.co.za

The South African Institute of Architects acts as the collective voice serving the interests of its members in pursuit of excellence and responsible design. It aims to uphold the dignity of the architectural profession in South Africa and contribute meaningfully to the enhancement of society and the environment. www.saia.org.za

Eva-Last is a globally reputable brand that manufactures sustainable bamboo composite materials that set the standard for the most natural-looking, eco-friendly building alternatives. By embracing low environmental impact manufacturing and cutting-edge composite technology, Eva-Last dedicates its resources to developing building products that offer low-maintenance and long-lasting solutions which contribute positively to customers’ lives. www.eva-last.com

HSN South Africa is a trusted supplier of hard landscaping and natural stone products to increase the beauty of the landscape design, minimise the environmental impact and maintenance, and reduce the production cost of projects. Their knowledge of the selected stones and understanding of the chemical and physical properties at site, allows HSN to reduce the chemical requirements to protect and seal the stones. www.hsnsouthafrica.co.za

Castaway prides itself in sourcing and manufacturing reliable, durable and on-trend bathroom accessories and mosaic décor. With an extensive range across a broad spectrum of price points, Castaway offers handpicked, best-in-class products that deliver both value and durability. Since its inception in 1998, the company has established itself as a dependable market leader in the manufacturing, importing, and distributing of both Bodie Bathroom Accessories and Earthstone Tile Décor. www.castaway.co.za

Classic Stone features a wide range of elegant planters, water features and furniture that were originally designed by Tim Lewis. He started the business 25 years ago, realising that there were few well designed, good quality planters in the marketplace. Each piece is manufactured from a reconstituted stone material and is handcrafted to achieve a high-quality finish. www.classicstone.co.za

Jax Classics provides an extensive range of wax, chalk, and ink marking products in a variety of colours to give their local and international clients endless options to find the perfect marker for their desired application. Jax Classics has been in operation since 1992; that’s 22 years of locallymade, high-quality, and easy-to-use marking products. www.jaxwax.co.za

From solid wood to laminate, luxury vinyl tiles, and more, Finfloor brings you technologically innovative flooring solutions to beautify your living spaces. With 26 years of experience importing from reputable suppliers and a 25-year warranty on their FINOAK flooring ranges, Finfloor aims to fulfil the needs of SA’s ever-changing demand in design and innovation through their superb products and services. www.finfloor.co.za

As a business with over 35 years of experience in South Africa and internationally, Robex is committed to bringing customers the very best in flooring, waterproofing, and general maintenance products. Robex has earned its reputation as a leading supplier and applicator meeting the demands of a variety of environments to add value to the end customer. www.robex.co.za

For over 30 years, Raiël has provided both trade and consumers with an extensive architectural range of exclusively imported and proudly South African products, including kitchen handles, decorative and cabinetry hardware, wooden furniture, sliding doors, and office desking. Most of Raiël’s exquisite ranges are designed ‘in house’ and manufactured to the highest quality standards at their four different factories in Malmesbury. www.raiel.com

Shadowlands is a wholesale grower of water wise and indigenous shrubs and ground covers for the landscaping industry in the Western Cape. The nursery prides itself on supplying quality plants, advice, and excellent service to their clients at all times. With twenty-six years of growing experience, Shadowlands is one of the market leaders in providing climate-appropriate plants to the green industry. www.shadowlands.co.za

Global Roofing Solutions provides innovative solutions for all your roofing, cladding, and decking requirements. With extensive design and architectural expertise, GRS assists developers, architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, and contractors in making the best possible decisions for their projects. As one of the biggest independent metal roofing suppliers in Southern Africa with exports to over 20 countries worldwide, they have established themselves as a trusted, local and global supplier. www.globalroofs.co.za

Fit was established in 2008 in Johannesburg and has quickly grown into one of the largest hardware distributors in South Africa, with branches in Roodepoort, Pretoria, Vereeniging, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Windhoek (Namibia). Fit offers a wide range of kitchen cabinetry, hinges, fittings, hardware, handles, and accessories to suit the diverse needs of your next project. www.fitsales.co.za

For over 40 years, DAB has been a main player in the sector of the technologies for the movement and management of our most precious resource, water. DAB offers technological solutions capable of ensuring reliability and efficiency, and to optimise energy consumption in residential building service, commercial building service, agricultural and irrigation applications. DAB puts people at the centre of every action, strategy and development plan. For this reason, for DAB innovation means continuously identifying simpler installation, use and maintenance solutions for its products. www.dabpumps.co.za

Eco Rubber is an established, proudly South African waterproofing manufacturer with its origins firmly rooted in the rugged Eastern Cape. After seeing how imported European products proved ineffective in harsh African conditions, the need for a product specifically developed for the rigorous local climate was identified. The Eco Rubber™ product range is designed to be durable, flexible, and eco-friendly, with advanced surface coverage and ease of application. www.ecorubber.co.za

Rentech Renewable Technologies is a dedicated provider of renewable energy products and services since 2001. The company supplies a range of inverters, lithium batteries, lead-acid batteries, and PV panels of the highest quality with expert advice to assist customers in choosing the best product solutions. Established within the AutoX battery group, Rentech has a robust track record as one of the leading suppliers of solar and backup power solutions, standing alongside renowned battery brands, Willard Batteries and SABAT Batteries. www.rentech.co.za

GLOELEC is a key provider of quality electrical products and solutions in the installation and industrial switchgear markets. GLOELEC’s key strategical alliances with suppliers that continuously improve and invest in new product development, ensures that customers benefit from the latest cutting-edge technologies and practical innovations and solutions. GLOELEC’s commitment to compliance to SANS and the South African Wiring Code are fundamental principles and are applied across the product ranges. www.gloelec.co.za

Atlantic Fiberglass Products was established in 2014, mainly to manufacture fiberglass roof units for an international air movement company for fan installations. Since then, the company has supplied to their African markets and UK exports, as well as manufacturing moulds for racing car parts on an ad hoc basis and various other products on request. This creative desire led to the birth of Mardeou Designs, starting with an exciting, modern range of upmarket garden pots/planters, water tanks, and beach/pool chairs. Mardeou is a proud provider of South African handcrafted fiberglass products for leisure, landscaping, and recreation. www.mardeou.com

STAND

STAND

With a wealth of know-how in landscaping and architectural fields, BERA develops, manufactures, and distributes green products and system solutions for the gardens, landscapes, and urban spaces of professional landscaping architects and contractors. As a green solutions company, they spesialise in stabilisation systems and prestigious outdoor living concepts, such as gravel stabilisation in driveways and parking areas, and planting water management. www.bera-bv.com

Rain Bird Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. Since their inception in 1933, Rain Bird has been awarded more than 450 patents, including the first in 1935 for the horizontal action impact drive sprinkler, and supplies a wide range of irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments, and homes in more than 130 countries around the world. www.rainbird.com

STAND

Talborne Organics is a manufacturer and distributor of innovative, organic product ranges for sustainable farmers, retail garden centres, landscape architects, contractors, turf care clients, and gardeners across Southern Africa. They offer healthy, safe, and sustainable options that perform to professional standards on all projects. www.talborne.co.za

Zimbo’s Flooring & Decking Solutions has specialised in the supply and installation of hardwood flooring, cladding, decking, and related products for over 20 years. Working with the country’s top designers and architects to design and implement their most prestigious projects, Zimbo’s offers hand-finished options in solid planks and wide board engineered flooring. They are also the national distributers for Loba German premium coatings and care products, as well as Wakol German adhesives and vapour barrier.

STAND 32

Duroplastic is a well-established South African company that was founded in 1986 to supply composite materials to trade and industry. Since its humble beginnings operating out of a garage in Muizenberg, Duroplastic has become a major supplier of a wide range of materials and products in Sub-Saharan African, with four branches nationwide in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, and George. They manufacture and stock a diverse range of products, including polycarbonate and fibreglass roofing materials, flat sheeting, multiwall glazing sheeting, composite materials, sanware, storage cabinets, awnings, and more. www.duroplastic.com

STAND 34

Weltevrede Nursery is a family-owned nursery on the outskirts of Stellenbosch that has been operating for more than 25 years. As the biggest non-specialising wholesale plant nursery in the Western Cape, they supply low-maintenance planting options to retail nurseries, garden centres, municipalities, landscapers, farmers, developers, and contractors. Nonke Plants stocks grounds covers, ornamental grasses, shrubs, standards, trees, climbers, and Atlantic fertilisers. www.nonkeplants.com

STAND 37

Cape Umbrellas has supplied leading brands across the globe with quality branded and unbranded umbrellas for more than 20 years. With vast knowledge and experience in designing and branding, Cape Umbrellas is distinguished as one of the leaders in the industry, continually pushes the boundaries to supply high quality, safe, durable, and competitively priced patio umbrellas to restaurants, hotels, and the hospitality industry, both domestically and internationally.

STAND 33

Hunter Industries is a global manufacturer of products for irrigation, outdoor lighting, dispensing technology, and custom manufacturing sectors. The family-owned company offers a full spectrum of water and energy-efficient solutions for residential, commercial, municipal, and agricultural applications. Designed with the demands of irrigation professionals in mind, the current Hunter irrigation product line includes pop-up gear-driven rotors, rotary nozzles, spray sprinklers, valves, controllers, central controllers, professional landscape drip, and weather sensors.

Lalegno is a leading wooden flooring supplier and sole distributor of Lalegno Engineered Wooden Flooring in South Africa. Investing extensively in state-of-the-art finishing line technology, Lalegno offers an all-in-one solution for the supply and installation of finished engineered wood flooring to the local market. www.lalegno.co.za

Azura Distributors Cape is a leading importer and distributor of quality flooring products to the Southern African market since 1998. They offer the widest selection of product ranges, decor designs, and hard floor coverings in the country, including laminate flooring, glue-down luxury vinyl planks, click rigid boards, engineered wood, bamboo flooring, and all accessories. Azura Distributers Cape associates itself with leading international brands that provide the best quality in domestic and commercial applications. www.azura.co.za

WanabiWood Flooring is one of South Africa’s leading flooring experts architects, contractors, and designers have come to know and trust. With over 10 years of experience sourcing, importing, and supplying only the finest vinyl flooring solutions for commercial and residential use, WanabiWood believes flooring products should be three things: eyecatching, practical, and durable. www.wanabiwood.co.za

The VELUX story began in 1941 with our founder Villum Kann Rasmussen’s simple idea of transforming unused dark attics into bright liveable spaces filled with daylight and fresh air. The distinctive name is a combination of ‘VE’, short for ventilation and ‘LUX’, Latin for light –VELUX. Available from Cape Loft Windows, key products include roof windows, flat roof skylights and sun tunnels, as well as accessories such as blinds and roller shutters, including sensor-driven, remote controlled and smart home systems. www.loftwindows.co.za

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Roco Fittings has been a market leader in the specialised business of supplying fittings to the kitchen and furniture industries for over 30 years. One of their priorities is to constantly update their extensive range of local and international products by keeping pace with the latest trends. They offer expert advice on every level and every item, from the smallest chipboard screw and knockdown fitting to state-of-the-art drawer runners, hinges, handles and knobs, and worktop legs. www.roco.co.za

The Clay Brick Association of Southern Africa (CBASA) represents clay brick and paver manufacturers in Southern Africa. By expanding awareness, knowledge, and support for clay brick masonry, the CBASA ensures property owners, developers, and builders achieve long-lasting, good value, and sustained performance brick paving. The association inspires sustainable, contemporary brick architecture and building design in all areas of the built environment: commercial, residential and landscape. www.claybrick.org

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Polymers Waterproofing Supplies is a distributor for ALCHIMICA, Saint Gobain Bituver, Terraco, and Conecto construction joints in Southern Africa. With their wide range of waterproofing and coating solutions, Polymers Waterproofing Supplies aims to provide quality service with a full range of options to architects, engineers, contractors, and building owners nationwide. They provide solutions for new builds and for maintenance purposes. www.polymerswaterproofing.co.za

Backed by more than 25 years of experience in high-end residential fenestration, Fenster Aluminium is recognised as a leading supplier of windows, doors, and ancillary products. Home to some of the leading international brands such as Schüco and Alumil, they offer Europe’s best and most sophisticated aluminium systems, and by manufacturing and supporting it locally, provide clients with technical expertise and flexible solutions that are supported in the long run. www.fenster.co.za

Igneous is a specialist manufacturer and supplier of resin-based polyconcrete in large scale, low maintenance pots and planters, furniture, bench and wall panelling, bollards, bins and various public space installations. Igneous offers custom design capabilities as well as landscaping essentials to fit to scope. www.igneous.co.za

Enbaya Prepaid Meters gives property investors, managers and developers access to innovative cloud-based utility management services, devices, and solutions for greater peace of mind. Coupled with technical support seven days a week, Enbaya Meters provides a full range of prepaid and smart meters for electricity, gas, and water. Through its portfolio of offerings, the company celebrates a growing legacy of innovation in utility sub-metering products, value-aligned services, and customised solutions, spearheading a ‘smarter, not harder’ approach to the future of utility submetering. www.prepaidmeters.co.za

STAND 48 & 50

Legrand specializes in electrical and digital infrastructures, offering a comprehensive range of products and systems used in commercial, residential and industrial buildings. Since opening its South African subsidiary in 1985 it has developed an extensive distribution network across southern Africa. The subsidiary represents the Legrand Group's business interests in South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland. www.legrand.co.za

Graytex Metals is a specialist provider of the most extensive, spesialised, and diverse range of local and imported metal finishing applications in South Africa. As the sole distributor and agent of Rimex Metal Group’s products for Sub-Saharan Africa and a wide range of local and imported products, they remain at the forefront of functional, durable, and aesthetically pleasing textured and patterned metals technology. www.graytexmetals.co.za

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Safal Steel is the sole manufacturer of aluminium-zinc-coated steel coils in Southern Africa. The coating on their steel is also the most widely used alloy worldwide to deliver extended service life and excellent thermal efficiency. Safal Steel’s manufacturing processes are amongst the greenest of any steel producers in Africa, with minimised air emissions and water usage, and up to 95% of all waste (including steel) being recycled. www.safalsteel.com

Revelstone designs develops, and manufactures an exclusive range of concrete cast stone products. By carrying out continual in-depth studies of the art of stone masonry and design, the family business is able to consistently introduce exciting products to the market. Attention to detail, subtle variations in colour, and variety of surface textures and the shape of the stone enable them to create genuine replicas indistinguishable from natural stone. www.revelstone.co.za

Hydro Floors proudly brings Parador’s award-winning floor coverings into the South African market. With more than 15 years of experience in the retail sector, they aim to offer high-quality products for premium finishes. Parador is a leader in designer products with the highest standards of design and quality for more than 40 years. The range includes parquet, laminate, and design floors, which are manufactured at their German headquarters in Coesfeld and at the Austrian production site in Güssing. www.hydrofloors.co.za

Growing from strength-to-strength since 2012, Tilt’s custom laser-cut panels, innovative screens, designer partitions, cladding, and façades will transform your space and add one-of-a-kind contemporary perforated metal solutions to your project. The functional and beautiful patterns of their façades, cladding, and decorative screens are designed to marry emotion as well as offer optimal practicality, helping architects, interior designers, landscapers, property developers, and discerning property owners transform their spaces through engineered aesthetics. www.tiltscreens.co.za

GRASS ZA is positioned as the premium provider of high-quality movement systems to the kitchen and furniture-making industry. The company delivers a comprehensive range of hinge and drawer sliding systems, as well as lift-up mechanisms from its parent manufacturing facilities in Germany and Austria. It also distributes several other complementary products from various other quality manufacturers. GRASS ZA is a proud supplier of AMBOS, BMB Beschlaege GmbH, ELCO Kunstoffe GmbH, NINKAPLAST GmbH, PELLY Components AB, SIGE, and VOLPATO Industrie SPA product ranges. www.grass.co.za

Seamless Flooring Systems is the proud manufacturer and supplier of Quartz Carpet and PlaySafe, offering South Africans the highest quality durable flooring systems since 2003. As a pioneer and market leader in the industry, Seamless Flooring Systems' high-quality flooring ranges are continuously pushing the envelope of sustainable and functional innovation, inspiring Africa’s leading architects and designers with its natural and timeless sophistication and seamless aesthetic appeal. www.seamlessflooring.co.za

The Institute for Landscape Architecture in South Africa (ILASA) is a voluntary organisation registered with the South African Council for the Landscape Architectural Profession. ILASA has three regional bodies –ILASA Cape, ILASA KZN, and ILASA Gauteng – that represent members from diverse professions countrywide who share a joint interest in the South African landscape. www.ilasa.co.za

DEMO ZONE

Expect to learn more about the installation of some of these exciting products at our dedicated Demo Zone, and enter into draws for some exciting giveaways at the registration desk on your way into SCAPE: The Trade Show! See you there!

FLOORING FOCUS:

QUARTZ CARPET’S URBAN COLLECTION

For almost two decades the Quartz Carpet brand has inspired Africa’s leading architects and designers with its natural and timeless sophistication and seamless aesthetic appeal, making this flooring solution the professional’s first choice where luxury and style are paramount. As a pioneer and market leader in the industry, Seamless Flooring Systems' high-quality Quartz Carpet flooring ranges are continuously pushing the envelope of sustainable and functional innovation – and their new outdoor range is no different. QUARTZ CARPET URBAN allows water to permeate back into the water table without having to install or use stormwater drainage, which is extremely environmentally friendly. This is the way of the future, as water is being regarded as the new gold!

Seamless Flooring Systems has always been committed to providing the industry with the highest quality, worldleading seamless stone flooring products combined with its famed customer service, technical support, and after-care service. The strength and success of the Quartz Carpet URBAN system is in the resin technology and the specific type of fully imported aggregate used. By combining the superior clear polyurethane resins and premium quality natural aggregate, the highest quality resin bound paving is offered that is permeable, durable, smooth and accessible, easy to maintain, and SUDS compliant. URBAN is an environmentally friendly alternative to asphalt, gravel, concrete, decking, and paving stones.

Accessible application

The URBAN Collection is applied on driveways, car parks, cycle and foot pathways, accessibility ramps, roof terraces, swimming pool surrounds, patios and entertainment areas, bus lanes and road junctions, and in residential and commercial landscaping. Quartz Carpet URBAN is installed by licenced installers throughout South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as worldwide in 60 countries. The Quartz Carpet application teams are dedicated to quick, neat, and problem-free installations and are accustomed to construction site conditions. The installed price comes in from R1,150.00 to R1,450.00 per m² including VAT at 20 mm thickness (Ts & Cs apply).

Sustainable urban drainage

This innovative flooring product is used worldwide as a SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) compliant system where, if installed directly over compacted crushed stone, water will permeate through it at 800 Lt/m² per minute. URBAN is sustainable, environmentally friendly, and only uses solvent-free and zero-VOC resins. Moreover, the stones are sorted in an ISO: 9001 and ISO: 14001 certified plant.

Technicolour dream carpet

The URBAN range consists of nine imported natural colours, two locally sourced natural colours, and 12 PU coloured blends, making it the world's largest SUDS colour collection. All colours can be further blended to create your own masterful palette! Plus, design elements such as borders, logos, numbers, or patterns can stylishly be incorporated into the area by using contrasting or similar colours.

Seamless, simple, superb

The Quartz Carpet URBAN collection has been specifically developed to be UV stable if required and will not yellow through exposure to the sun. Very little maintenance is required besides a hosing every now and again. The stones are naturally tumbled and rounded, and have no sharp edges, chips, or fissures as a result of this natural process, meaning when you walk on Quartz Carpet, it is smooth underfoot.

As durable as diamonds

The strength of the URBAN stone measures eight on the MOH (measurement of hardness) scale, whereas a diamond is ten!

Seamless Flooring Systems is the proud manufacturer and supplier of Quartz Carpet and PlaySafe, offering South Africans the highest quality durable flooring systems since 2003. www.seamlessflooring.co.za

THE RISE OF RUBBER:

PLAYSAFE SAFETY RUBBER FLOORING

As the only safety playground flooring system in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa that has instant legal critical fall height (CFH) compliance as per SANS 51177:2010, PlaySafe’s interlocking rubber DIY tile system is the leader in surface solutions. Safety rubber flooring is ideal to use in places frequented by children, including playgrounds, sports pitches, public parks, schools, creches, athletic tracks, water theme parks, open-air gyms, public parks, and shopping centres. The rubber feels smooth and soft underfoot, cushioning the body joints while also being incredibly durable, UV stable, and long-lasting.

The SpectraPlay wet pour rubber system is made from a wide range of bright precoloured SBR rubber granules. This product is a designer’s dream, as it seamlessly accommodates corporate logos and colour combinations, keeping the floors looking vibrant. It can be used both internally and externally and is stain resistant, making it very easy to clean.

Superior drainage

PlaySafe interlocking tiles use dimple technology underneath the tile, which provides superb drainage. Both the PlaySafe and SpectraPlay systems are fully permeable which allows water to drain through the system.

Safety first

By law, every playground where a child can fall from more than 60 cm above ground has to conform to the SANS national standard to meet or exceed CFH compliance. Each PlaySafe interlocking tile is pre-certified, carries a production code stamp of compliance, and is tested to the EN 1177:2018 and ASTM F 1292:2009 standards in Germany, which have been adopted in South Africa to conform to SANS 51177: 2010.

Easy installation

PlaySafe interlocking rubber tiles can be installed as a DIY option or by playground installation specialists. SpectraPlay wet pour rubber floors should be installed by SASPI accredited wet pour specialist companies.

Price on request

The critical fall height of playground equipment will determine the thickness of playground safety flooring required, as well as the necessary placement of the safety flooring. The cost is determined by the thickness of system installed, the rubber type, and type of polyurethane used.

UTILITIES SPOTLIGHT:

Enbaya gives property investors, managers and developers access to innovative cloud-based utility management services, devices, and solutions for greater peace of mind. Coupled with technical support seven days a week, Enbaya Meters offers a full range of prepaid and smart meters for electricity, gas, and water. Enbaya started out as landlords looking for a solution to utility management nightmares and today, through its portfolio of offerings, the company celebrates a growing legacy of innovation in utility sub-metering products, valuealigned services, and customised solutions. They share more about smart metering and their ‘smarter, not harder’ approach to the future of utility sub-metering...

Smarter, not harder Enbaya Meters offers a full range of prepaid and smart meters for electricity, gas, and water. Enbaya Meters offers both AMI Smart Meters and the more commonly used STS Meters. Automatic Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a newer technology where the meters communicate bi-directionally to a data concentrator and servers. The terminology refers to the use of tele and data communication technologies that are layered on top of metering equipment. This solution architecture differs from a slightly older version known as Automated Meter Reading (AMR).

The primary difference is that where AMR defines a one-way communication and data channel from the metering equipment to a centralised server, AMI defines a bi-directional communication and data channel where it is not just possible to fetch information from the fringe meter equipment, but also to send instructions to the equipment, usually automatically triggered based on predetermined requirements. For example, AMI technology further enables post-payment as well as prepayment, immediate tamper alerts, load management, ToU (Time of Use) tariffs, and much more. When considering AMI meters, we encourage technical consultation with our support desk to make sure that the technology is actually the best fit for the user. We've done the hard work so our users can make smart choices.

Superior sub-metering

Sub-metering is the term used when private metering equipment is installed downline from a utility provider’s own main or bulk supply meter. The main purpose is to enable individual consumers to take responsibility and pay for their own consumption. However, the need for sub-metering is typically greatest when having to provide accurate billing for multiple dwellings that collectively contribute to the main utility provider’s bill. Correctly implemented, sub-metering should balance the consumption equation and ensure revenue collection from individual dwelling units so that the main utility bill can be paid. Through Enbaya’s cloud-based utility management, sub-metering makes remote access and management possible, saving not only money but time, human resources, and the cost of inaccuracies and inefficiencies.

Sustainability

The driver of sustainability and smart technology is responsible and appropriate use. Our users can make responsible, informed decisions through best-fit metering equipment, services, and support that gives them

accurate measurement, monitoring, billing, and surety in a wide variety of residential and commercial submetering situations. Knowledge is power and modern technology closes the gap between the consumer and responsible action through interactive, remote, real-time display devices like the Smart Meter. On-demand access to metering information helps consumers understand how much of a given utility they are consuming. Empowered with this information, a consumer can then take action to reduce energy use and address energy inefficiencies in an appropriate way.

Sure-fire services

Enbaya Meters leverages decades of experience, expertise, and system technologies to deliver a sustainable, cost-effective, and reliable solution that can be applied a myriad ways by those managing multiple properties. For example, there are many phases in property development, not least of all the handover of property management to the body corporate. Enbaya offers property developers assistance and support with metering installation and management of meters throughout the development phases.

For property managers, the compliance-driven functionality of our utility management platform gives our clients dual tamper detection with management alerts, simplified financial tracking and reporting based on utility accounting policies and tariff structures, as well as centralised account management with role-based access for task management across different team members. Our cloud-based utility management platform gives our clients the freedom of managing utilities remotely, across properties with consistency of payments and knowing the funds are accurately paid, safe, and secure. Our technical assistance for tenants and maintenance plans gives our clients additional peace of mind.

Shared value

In 2003, we were landlords who experienced first-hand the end-user frustrations that come with the complicated world of utility management. To make our lives easier we needed to make our tenants’ lives easier. We could all do with fewer disputes and more transparency. It is this deep understanding of these interconnections that drives what we do and will continue to do. It’s why our help centre is available seven days a week. It’s why we offer late-night assistance. We owe more than twenty years of successful service to our commitment to sharing value with all stakeholders across the utility management space, in a connected way. Our future is connected, and our value is shared.

WRITTEN BY DILSHAAN DUEARTE

Enbaya Prepaid Meters

www.prepaidmeters.co.za

@enbaya_prepaid_meters

Driven by an inquisitive nature and a design philosophy that connects function and form, the internationally soughtafter architecture studio SAOTA is certainly no stranger to to delivering exceptional projects to diverse markets. This October, SCAPE had the privilege of interviewing Stefan Antoni, Founding Director, and Greg Truen, Founding Partner, from SAOTA to discover more about this well-known brand.

O ONE ON ONE

Q: Give us a run-down of what sparked the inception of SAOTA and what drove you to spearhead such a signature style of sophisticated, futuristic architectural design?

Stefan: I worked for different architectural practices during my student years, often for free or very little money. I was just keen to be involved and to be able to learn. After one year of working after my graduation, the economy slumped. I decided to complete a few private projects and then reassess what to do with my life… But then work started flowing in again and soon I found that I needed to employ people to meet deadlines. The company was started in 1986. It was known as Stefan Antoni Architects at the time, and in 2008 we officially rebranded to SAOTA.

In the beginning, people came to us with their ideas and we needed to gently persuade them to go in a different direction. Over time, clients brought us images of our own work and would say that is what they love, so now, clients often leave it up to us to interpret what is appropriate for the site and their requirements and lifestyle. Today, work is more considered and thorough. New ideas are constantly being introduced and existing ideas challenged.

Greg: I completed my Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Natal and joined Stefan Antoni Architects as a project architect in 1995. In 1998, I was made a partner and worked on an extensive range of residential, retail, commercial, and educational projects.

We try to create buildings that integrate space – internally and externally – in a way that maximises the connection with the landscape, creating spaces that are easy and empowering to live in. Our buildings draw on a rich tradition of regional modernism; the architecture of Oscar Niemeyer in Brazil and Gawie Fagan in South Africa are good examples of where architects draw on the clues from their sites, the culture of building, and the people of the places of their buildings to inform their designs.

Q: SAOTA has been working on projects in 86 countries spanning six continents! How have you managed to scale the firm’s international project scope and specialisation from commercial mixed-use, to hospitality and jaw-dropping luxury residential projects in various parts of the world?

Stefan: Over the years we have become a meaningful player in the world. We were ranked #80 in the World Architecture Top 100 companies in 2022. SAOTA competes against some of the most well-known names out there, but we wouldn’t be able to do this without our team structure. We have seven principals, five of which are each responsible for a different region. The studio is usually involved on 30-40 active projects at any given time, and hundreds of projects that are at various stages of delivery, whether it’s planning or finance.

Greg: SAOTA is well known for residential work, but we will take on almost any project. We’re doing more high-rise commercial and residential work, and a lot of hospitality work with many of the world’s top hotel brands at the moment. We’ve also completed several schools and university projects and are currently busy with a really exciting school project in the Caribbean.

With staff working remotely, the practices and technology around remote working have completely transformed the way we work internationally. We’re proud of our resilience as an organisation – we emerged from the pandemic 30%-40% larger than when it all started.

STEFAN ANTONI

Founding Director and Principal SAOTA

GREG TRUEN

Founding Partner and Principal SAOTA

"THAT’S WHY WE EXPLORE OPTIONS THAT WOULD BRING DELIGHT AND MAKE IT A MEMORABLE LIVING EXPERIENCE."

Q: What is your personal design philosophy, and how does it align with SAOTA’s ethos? Do you have a specific approach or process when interpreting your client’s brief?

Stefan: The philosophy of our practice is embodied in the spirit of enquiry and the desire to seek solutions within the challenges of new projects that are not only unique, but sustainable and timeless. The quality of

Located on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, Arizona, Starlight is inspired by its mountainous desert context.

lifestyle in a home is crucial. Whether it’s Cape Town or Geneva, an architect needs to understand how a client and their family can live in their home in the best possible way. That’s why we explore options that would bring delight and make it a memorable living experience. Of course, one also needs to take into account the weather, climate, sun, neighbouring buildings, as well as the traditions and customs informing how different generations of the family interact – the sense of togetherness and privacy.

Greg: We always try to design buildings that have a powerful connection to the landscape they sit in. We also try not to use cellular space whenever possible, but rather to use level changes (in floors or ceilings) to articulate space. This allows for individual spaces to feel larger than they otherwise would. Of course, we always want to maximise the amount of natural light that enters an area; this is very important for human life.

Q: How do you navigate South Africa’s architectural context while still pushing the boundaries of experimentation and innovation?

Stefan: South Africa enjoys climate and surroundings that are conducive to an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Our homes, therefore, facilitate interaction and flow between the two. Integration of outside space is always important. Every SAOTA design responds at a visceral level to its context, whether that setting is a South African cliff edge, Swiss lake shore, Russian steppe, Middle Eastern oasis, or an iconic urban location.

Greg: South Africans love to live in houses that allow you to connect with the outside, so this is something we always try to incorporate into our designs. People often compliment our work as being very South African. By that they mean the designs are confident and strong without being alienating; that they connect indoor and outdoor spaces seamlessly; and capture light to make the interior spaces glow. We continually strive to create work that is fuss-free with a certain magic and mystery to it.

Q: Are there any aspects of South Africa’s urban design sector that excites you, or that you think hold promise?

Stefan: Unfortunately, people have moved out of the cities, creating urban sprawl and an endless suburbia. There has been a bit of a return to city living recently, which should be encouraged. However, for this to materialise fully, improved facilities and security need to be provided.

Greg: I wish that urban design was more integrated in the way we build human settlements in South Africa. Lots of room for improvement there. Cape Town is quite interesting in this regard, with the city centre still integral to the city.

Q: Name two buildings, anywhere in the world, that have inspired or evoked an emotional response within you. Why do you appreciate this specific body of work?

Stefan: For me, Ronchamp Chapel (Notre-Dame du Haut) in France by Le Corbusier remains the most powerful building I have experienced. It is such a remarkable piece of architectural poetry and stands totally timeless in architectural history. Peter Zumthor’s Bruder Klaus Field Chapel in Germany is another powerful work of incredible simplicity and magic. It captures how space can be designed to have a spiritual quality.

Greg: I must agree with Stefan about Ronchamp – it truly is extraordinary. Oscar Niemeyer’s Cathedral of Brasilia in Brazil is another masterpiece.

Kloof 145, Cape Town

Q: Which of your projects is your favourite to date? Why does it hold a special spot in your heart?

Stefan and Greg: It’s difficult to say because, as an architect, your next project should always be your best project. One does not set out to create a more special building than a previous one. Various circumstances often lead to a project being more successful. So, it is unfair to choose one child over another. However, we do enjoy the ones that break new ground, but as this is a constant process of evolution, we are just appreciative of the support and new projects we are commissioned to carry out.

Currently, there are some exciting projects, such as an amazing Hollywood Hills-inspired residential development in China and an incredible house in Arizona. We’ve worked on many phenomenal projects locally and internationally ranging from residential to commercial and hospitality. Internationally, we’re working in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Australia, Switzerland, France and Greece, to name a few.

Q: After the LIGHT SPACE LIFE exhibition at the Miami Center for Architecture & Design, we wait with bated breath to see what’s next for SAOTA… Can you share what’s up your sleeve in terms of upcoming projects, and perhaps another exhibition?

Stefan: We are planning our next exhibition in New York early next year at the Porcelanosa Showroom on Fifth Avenue. It will continue the LIGHT SPACE LIFE series and will be our fourth exhibition. Our first exhibition was hosted at the Cape Town Institute for Architecture (CIfA) in Cape Town at the end of 2017. We also launched our first monograph book this year, titled ‘LIGHT SPACE LIFE Houses by SAOTA’, and all our exhibitions go hand in hand with the projects featured in the book.

"WE’VE WORKED ON MANY PHENOMENAL PROJECTS LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY RANGING FROM RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL AND HOSPITALITY."

Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, Germany, Peter Zumthor

Ronchamp Chapel, France, Le Corbusier

THE TALK OF CAPE TOWN

Size: 16,000 m2

Completed: 2021

Location: 12 Christiaan Barnard St, Foreshore, Cape Town

Situated in the heart of Cape Town’s Foreshore Precinct at Harbour Place, The Rockefeller is the embodiment of sophisticated, vibrant urban luxury. Making your way to the multi-faceted restaurant and suites designed by the talented Source Interior Brand Architecture is tantamount to entering an eclectic cultural hub, replete with curvaceous and provocative finer details that ooze with urban charm.

The team at SCAPE was curious as to how such iconic interiors were designed and executed. So, we asked the people behind the poster child project, Jeremy Stewart (Executive Director) and Mardre Meyer (Creative Director) from Source IBA, to share their experience working on the Best High-Rise Development in South Africa (2021-22 African Property Awards).

Every storey tells a story

The brief from the client was fairly straightforward: create an exciting and dynamic interior that would speak to a younger, savvy audience that knows what they want. Contrary to what the name suggests, the aesthetic was not in reference to the Rockefeller Center in New York, but rather a nod to the concept of Cape Town’s bustling inner-city living. As The Rockefeller is one of the first of many new planned developments in the Foreshore, there is currently no real ‘neighbourhood’ to speak of. Therefore, we set out to create a neighbourhood of our own within the constraints of The Rockefeller site. This was done through creating typical neighbourhood pockets by basing specific interior elements on neighbourhood areas.

For example, the lounge area of The Rockefeller Hotel’s lobby with its large planters was dubbed the ‘Parklet’ due to its more relaxed seating arrangement and softer styling, while the seating area within the restaurant was dubbed the ‘Bus Stop’ for its fast pace and energy. The ‘Bus Stop’ was suitably decorated with expressive wallpaper and neon lighting, mimicking layers of old posters found on lampposts and bus stops around the city.

SOURCE IBA Jeremy Stewart Executive Director Mardre Meyer Creative Director

Source IBA always aims to use local craftsmen and designers where possible.

SUPPLIERS

Tiling

Wallpaper

Pre-cast

Engineered

Bespoke

Bespoke seating

MEET THE TEAM

Client: Ryan Joffe Properties, Narrative, The Rockefeller Hotel

MLB Architects

Interior designer: Source Interior Brand Architecture

Sean Gibson Photography

Civil, structural, electrical, electronic, and façade engineers: Sutherland Engineers

Quantity surveyor: JMHT Quantity Surveyors

Contractor: WBHO

The Rockefeller is the embodiment of sophisticated, modern sleek luxury.

Concrete finishes offset against polished stone and golden tiles create a beautiful contrast between grit and glamour.

Serving stylish looks

The brief and choice of colour palette, materials, textures, fabrics, and graphic motifs for the design concept of the restaurant were developed based on the following key principles:

The city as muse:

Business vs pleasure, grit vs glamour, structure vs organic, crowded vs isolated, and day vs night.

The layout as a neighbourhood:

Logical flow, self-sustainable, urban oasis, long stay vs short stay, and business vs pleasure.

The people as energy:

Creating a space for the mavericks, the travellers, the businessmen, and the free spirits.

Infrastructure as surface treatment inspiration: Concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and reflection, street art and graffiti, plants, and growth.

Source IBA is passionate about local-inspired interior commercial design that grounds itself in the African narrative by spotlighting the intricacies and sophistication of our continent.

One of the considerations we needed to be mindful of, was that the restaurant needed to be fully functional throughout the day. Therefore, the spaces had to be inviting across the various stages of food service. We aimed at breaking the restaurant area up into smaller, more intimate pockets to avoid the feeling of sitting in large open spaces. These smaller spaces allowed us to play with various levels of expression to differentiate between them, whilst still remaining part of the bigger aesthetic. Elements such as the neon lighting and graphic motifs were used to define spaces and create those Instagram-worthy moments.

Rockin’ all over the world

As with most hospitality projects, there were a fair number of obstacles and challenges to overcome. With The Rockefeller specifically, the main challenge was to utilise the relatively small public zones in such a manner that they would not only be functional throughout the day for various needs but also provide an exciting and memorable experience for visitors.

As with most developments these days, spaces need to work really hard to be cost effective, and in order to achieve this, it needs to be both practical and interesting. Another obstacle was that the surrounding area was not fully developed yet by the time The Rockefeller would be complete; therefore, the hotel needed to be able to function as a standalone urban oasis of sorts that remains intriguing and lively for people throughout the day, and not just for a specific period of time.

The finishing touches

As with most of our projects, we always aim to use local craftsmen and designers where possible as it stipulates and expands the local design narrative. Finishes were chosen that could best convey the desired urban edge aesthetic to reflect the inner city. Finishes such as concrete and graffiti-inspired wallpaper were offset against polished stone and golden tiles to create a beautiful contrast between grit and glamour.

African authenticity

Globally, inspiring and trending design concepts and interests revolve around layered storytelling, thoughtful exploration, collected history, and grounded authenticity. This creates a perfect sentiment within which to present our ongoing obsession in future commercial interior projects: proudly homegrown design that showcases the depth of African legacy and the inherent sophistication of our continent.

OLD CAPE QUARTER

The Contemporary-Classic Feather in Cape Town’s Cap

Size: 12 390 m²

Cost: R240 million

Completed: September 2021 (2.5 years)

Location: De Waterkant, Cape Town, Western Cape

Straddling the cobblestone streets and chic urban landscape of the trendy De Waterkant suburb, the 4-Star Green Star Old Cape Quarter refurbishment secures its place as the grande dame of Cape Town. Designed by the award-winning multidisciplinary studio, dhk Architects, the Old Cape Quarter has been built to holistically integrate into its larger urban context, forming a connection between the experiential qualities of the inside and outside spaces.

Building brief

The brief was to transform and maximise the bulk of the existing Cape Quarter Centre in Cape Town’s historic De Waterkant area into a vibrant mixed-use development while creating a balance between new contemporary elements and staying respectful of the surrounding heritage context. The zoning parameters allowed the addition of four residential levels onto the reconfigured existing parking, retail, and office levels. Moreover, activation of the street and courtyard frontages on multiple levels was also a priority.

Site background

Prior to the new incarnation of the existing Old Cape Quarter, the retail/office building had become increasingly disused as a result of the opening of the larger Cape Quarter Lifestyle Centre some years ago, and was in need of an extensive upgrade. The design concept allowed for an honest dialogue between heritage and contemporary elements, forming a hybrid of architecture that politely enhances the building’s street presence on Hudson, De Waterkant, and Dixon Streets.

The new interpretation, as a true mixed-use development with retail, office, and residential components surrounding a publicly-accessible courtyard, allows the surrounding community to positively interact as tenants or patrons, facilitating the meeting of like-minded people. The site area is 3 475 m² and the building area is 12 390 m² over eight levels, including three basement parking levels, retail spaces on the ground floor, offices on the first floor, and four apartment levels, a swimming pool, and two penthouses.

Unpacking the design

Rather than demolish and rebuild an entirely new building on the site of the original buildings, it was decided to retain the existing structure, street façades, and parking below by building on top of it. The design aimed to respectfully contrast the heritage buildings on Waterkant and Hudson Street with new architectural interventions (all in white and set back from the multicoloured street frontages that are typical of the De Waterkant area), while still carefully incorporating the existing façades on Hudson, Waterkant, and Dixon Street into the design.

A complex structural intervention was required to carry the load of the four additional floors being added to the existing structure. Therefore, a number of foundations together with temporary steel structures needed to be rebuilt to facilitate this. Plus, the strengthening and/or replacement of columns and slabs. Reconfiguring the existing internal layouts and courtyard footprint, as well as adding four levels to the existing structure, led to a unique intervention in the form of an innovative, layered hybrid development.

The smaller scale and fragmented character of the historic De Waterkant context was referenced throughout the design, rather than merely mimicked as a pastiche. This was achieved by fragmenting the building mass into smaller distinct plastered masonry forms, respectfully set back from the existing street frontages. In contrast to the expressed slab edges and maximised glazing seen in most high-end residential schemes in Cape Town, the Old Cape Quarter utilises punctured window apertures, which vary in size, alignment, and depth, offering a dynamic and contemporary addition to the existing buildings.

Larch timber façade screens and plentiful planting on the rooftop and ter races serve to enhance the welcoming oasis-like effect of Old Cape Quarter.

SUPPLIERS

Concrete

Lighting

Paving

Signage

Tiling

Flooring

An additional four storeys were added to the Cape Town heritage building while still preserving its historic outer walls.

The building is designed around a central courtyard with flanking and cascading planted terraces. The biophilic oasis-like effect created in the courtyard and across the exterior façades of the building was achieved through the extensive use of larch timber – which lines the balconies and makes up the courtyard façade screens – coupled with significant planting in the courtyard and on the first, second, and fifth-floor terraces. These features created a softer residential character in a very dense built environment. Extensive timber screening, pergolas, and cladding in the courtyard and external façades also helped to ease and situate the architecture within its urban context.

The courtyard is open to the eastern common boundary edge from the first floor upwards towards the neighbouring office building. This design detail intends to minimise the impact of the development on its neighbour in terms of light and views, and also helps to form a perimeter block with very positive interaction between both sites while minimising the impact of the additional four floors flanking the courtyard.

Overcoming obstacles

A complex structural intervention was needed in order to carry the load of the four additional floors being added onto the existing structure. This required rebuilding a number of foundations together with strengthening and/ or rebuilding columns. The complex adaption of structure and bespoke details throughout the project, as well as the heritage considerations of the development in a suburb known for its historical houses, necessitated close consultation with De Waterkant Civic (an official commenting body) and Heritage Western Cape, leading to a successful outcome.

Closing remarks

Old Cape Quarter is an exclusive and sophisticated residential development that will feature clean contemporary lines, floor-to-ceiling windows, bedrooms with shutters, and Rheinzink cladding on the penthouse level, all set within the existing multi-coloured fabric of the De Waterkant precinct, resulting in a well-proportioned and elegant architectural solution.

MEET THE TEAM

Client: Tower Property Fund

Architect: dhk Architects

Project manager: Igual Project Managers

Quantity surveyor: Smith & Co Quantity Surveyors

Structural designer: Sutherland Engineers

Principal contractor: GVK-Siya Zama Building Contractors

Specialist sub-contractors: VSL Construction Solutions, Franki Africa, and Siyazama Steel

Photographer: Sean Gibson Photography

Design lead: Pierre Swanepoel, Partner of dhk Architects

"THIS DESIGN DETAIL INTENDS TO MINIMISE THE IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT ON ITS NEIGHBOUR IN TERMS OF LIGHT AND VIEWS."

GEBERIT AQUACLEAN

SHOWER TOILETS HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS SMART AND STATE-OF-THE-ART

Beautiful to look at, a pleasure to use Geberit’s ‘Design Meets Function’ philosophy is once again embodied in our award-winning AquaClean shower toilets. Elegantly designed with Geberit’s renowned and uncompromising quality, our shower toilets offer innovative and convenient solutions. There are three wall-hung models to suit any bathroom space and need, so that you can enjoy that clean just-out-of-the-shower feeling. Plus, knowing AquaClean was sustainably designed will give you peace of mind and a clean conscience too.

Elevate your bathroom and take hygiene to the next level

Love your bathroom space with AquaClean shower toilets as you enjoy comfort, cleanliness, and convenience all at the touch of a button. Geberit has been carrying out intensive research and development at its RapperswilJona site in Switzerland for decades. This has resulted in outstanding design along with a host of revolutionary patented comfort technologies, including the patented WhirlSpray shower technology for cleaning intimate areas, and an intuitive remote control.

Pick your perfection

There are three Geberit AquaClean shower toilet models to choose from. Geberit AquaClean Mera offers the most complete comfort and convenience options by meeting the highest design and function demands. It includes features like:

• A proximity sensor that triggers the automatic opening of the lid. Closing requires no effort either – unless you want to start the procedure with a light touch. This function ensures that the WC is always closed after use.

• The Turboflush has an asymmetrical inner geometry of the ceramic appliance, meaning it can be flushed thoroughly and quietly. A single lateral flush opening is sufficient for the flush water inlet. Inaccessible areas have been greatly reduced; there are no edges or corners whatsoever, which helps with cleaning.

• With the DuoFresh, unpleasant odours are detected immediately in the ceramic appliance and are neutralised by an integrated long-lasting ceramic honeycomb filter. The two-minute run-on of the odour extraction unit renders subsequent ventilation unnecessary.

• A discreet orientation light at the base creates ambience and helps you orientate yourself at night. The atmospheric light beam is activated by the proximity sensor and lights up in one of seven colours, which can be set individually.

Geberit AquaClean Sela features a timeless, purist design and is characterised by a clear expression of form, high-quality materials and functions that are extremely simple and intuitive to use. Like the Mera, the Sela also has a lady shower nozzle and orientation light.

Geberit AquaClean Tuma is a compact all-rounder which offers versatile possibilities for every bathroom. AquaClean Tuma is also available as a WC enhancement solution for retrofitting, as an alternative to a WC complete solution.

The Geberit AquaClean range is easy to install and designed to enhance your lifestyle. Whether you require a consultation or have questions about your Geberit AquaClean shower toilet, we offer the complete service.

SUSTAINABLE SYMPHONY

Size:

Duration: October 2021

Dubai, United Arab

Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion opened to the public in 2021 as one of the top three attractions at Expo 2020 Dubai. Through innovative design and environmentally-conscious materials and landscaping, desert INK sought to illuminate the ingenuity and possibility of architecture as society looks to intelligent strategies for future sustainable living.

Setting the stage in the UAE

The theme for Expo 2020 Dubai was ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ through sustainability, mobility, and opportunity. These three sub-themes were used to inform the main trio of thematic pavilions, of which desert INK designed the landscape of the flagship sustainability pavilion. The three thematic pavilions appear as ‘petals’ around the Al Wasl Plaza at the centre of the ‘flower’.

Terra’s landscape embraces the forms of the predominant natural habitat of the UAE – the dunes, wadis, and the mountains – to inform the design. At the same time, it focusses on celebrating the water wise native flora that thrives in the harshest of conditions. This, coupled with locally sourced materials, is a huge leap forward in establishing a new, sustainable form of landscape architecture in the Middle East. The design serves multiple purposes: it tests and showcases sustainable technology and innovation; acts as an immersive exhibition entry experience; and serves as an educational facility that demonstrates the practical application of new landscape ideas and materials.

Journey through the landscape

The pavilion landscape is composed of a number of different zones, each delivering a particular aesthetic and message. The urban xeriscape zone combines native plants with adaptive plants from other regions sharing similar climatic conditions to create a wonderful collage of textures and colours. Meanwhile, the productive gardens offer a chance to explore many of the plants that can be cultivated to produce food, medicine, or building materials in the UAE. The Arabian desert zone features rolling dunes and groves of the UAE’s beloved Ghaf tree. Each zone gradually merges with smaller tributaries leading towards a main wadi path, descending towards the sunken entrance of the building. With a number of walls featuring perforated motifs of local flora and fauna accentuating the undulating pathways, visitors can enjoy exploring spaces that are concealed, then revealed in a sequence.

Urban xeriscape

The urban xeriscape explores the theme of water by utilising native plants in combination with plants from different arid zones of the world to reduce the overall irrigation demand. This eclectic mix of species has created a wonderfully rich and eye-catching spectacle of sustainability, contrasting the many weird and wonderful forms of global drought-tolerant species.

Wetland

Sewage from the pavilion and surrounding buildings is treated through a reedbed filtration system. The treated, clean water is then fed into the irrigation system and re-used for the project’s vegetation. At once functional, beautiful, and educational, this installation guides visitors across a series of boardwalks before announcing they had just traversed a waste treatment facility! This post-realisation is set to dispel the myth that such systems are odorous and unpleasant, in the hope that others will follow suit and introduce passive and beautiful systems into their own developments. Floating just above the planting level, the boardwalks are fabricated from MOSO bamboo decking – renewable bamboo composite as an alternative to hardwood that is able to withstand high traffic and the harsh climate and humidity of the region.

Arabian wadi plateau

The wadi descends, leading visitors to the main exhibit through a series of winding paths featuring exposed strata on the sides coupled with patterns on the paving that mimic the rivulets of a wadi riverbed. The high walls of the wadi serve to provide shading to those queuing below, while the towering Grimshaw-designed E-Trees provide additional shading and solar energy from their photovoltaic canopy. The pavilion has achieved an annual

Native and adaptive plants sweep between the pathways of Terra, with local stone aggregates and boulders providing further visual contrast and reducing the irrigated area.

Developed by desert INK alongside local concrete specialists, the glasscrete paving material ebbs and flows through the undulating landscape.

The project has brought more than 100 native and adaptive species into cultivation, which are now being utilised by local municipalities and landscape architects with enthusiasm.

MEET THE TEAM

Client: Expo 2020 Dubai Architect: Grimshaw

Landscape architect: desert INK Engineer: Buro Happold

Landscape contractor: Proscape

Irrigation designer: Outline Design

Horticulture consultant: Eden Project International

Photography: desert INK

net-zero energy rating – no easy task, given the size of the pavilion and the heavy air conditioning load required in this famously harsh climate.

Gabion baskets filled with locally-sourced stone form a retaining wall, eliminating the need for carbon-heavy and permanent concrete walls. The gabions, which can be disassembled and relocated to reduce construction waste, and weathered steel walls create terraces planted with native species growing in the UAE mountains and wadis.

Innovative crops

With the growing salinity levels in the soil, there is an urgent need to investigate salt tolerant crops and vegetation. The jewel garden showcases many such salt tolerant species including Simondsia chinensis and Chenopodium quinoa. The productive landscape showcases herbs, spices, and crops that can be grown in the UAE climate.

The last rainforest

A shaded, sheltered niche at the foot of the wadi houses a fascinating collection of the trees, palms, and plants found in the few remaining rainforests of the Arabian Peninsula. Characterised by the majestic Phoenix reclinata, this wonderful collection highlights the rich biodiversity found in these dwindling ecosystems and draws attention to their destruction.

Low walls are created by woven recycled reinforcement bars to retain edible plants, including wheat, lemon grass, cucumber, tomatoes, banana, pomegranate, and others. Such local cultivation offers great potential to reduce the carbon contribution caused by imported foods.

Arabian desert community

The community zone highlights a grove of mature Ghaf trees threatened by the development. Root pruned and boxed in situ over a series of months, these majestic trees were saved from destruction to serve a vital function of providing shade. This area's enclosed space becomes a communal meeting zone where people gather to relax and soak in the landscape. Nestled between the dappled shade and towering E-Trees, rubber-coated dunes provide ideal resting and gathering moments for larger groups. Drawing inspiration from the local red mineral sand dunes, this calm, naturalistic area has become a thriving ecosystem for local plants, insects, and birds. Moreover, the combination of sweeping glasscrete, rubber surfacing, and fractured Omani Beige limestone tiles reinforces the flowing water narrative, leaving behind patterns of cracked earth as the land bakes in the sun.

Perennial grassland

The rooftop houses a terraced café complete with planters rich with herbs and spices. Surrounded by native grasses, this ephemeral landscape narrates the lost grasslands of Arabia. Featuring ample space to sit and take in the elevated view, or venture onto the roof landscape to more closely inspect the plants, the perennial grasslands have created a rich patchwork of textures and moments. Constructed using void formers to reduce loading on the roof, the very shallow soil depths of the rooftop are perfectly suited to native grasses, which thrive in the exposed conditions and insulate the building from solar gain, reducing the urban heat island effect.

Glasscrete seating

The flowing riparian forms of the glasscrete footpaths take inspiration from the regional wadis, which periodically flood during the wet season. On occasion, these flowing forms diverge vertically to create informal amphitheatre seating benches where visitors can gather as Expo hosts explain the surroundings.

Developed by desert INK alongside local concrete specialists, the distinctive glasscrete paving material ebbs and flows through the undulating landscape, eventually converging at the exhibition entrance. Incorporating both recycled glass and a waste material from the metal smelting industry, the glasscrete marks a departure from the carbon-heavy concrete pavers and imported stone from overseas that have dominated the hardscape materials of choice in the region until this point. The resulting paving finish is visually striking, yet also highly sustainable.

Sustainable efficiency

Without question, Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion has one of the most sustainably constructed landscapes in the region. Irrigation water is harvested from the building’s captured AC condensate and the treated sewage effluent. The use of resilient, low-maintenance native and adaptive plant species ensures that the design requires a fraction of the irrigation required by conventional landscapes.

Additionally, highly efficient sub-surface irrigation for trees and palms provide water at the roots rather than at the surface, which also saves water usage. The landscape likewise uses locally sourced aggregates, stones, and other materials carrying a much lower environmental cost than those typically imported for such a project. The landscape design brought into cultivation more than 100 native and adaptive plant species, many of which were grown from seed collected from the UAE’s wadis, deserts, and mountains, and are now being utilised by local municipalities and landscape architects with enthusiasm. Terra has effectively broken the cycle of nurseries growing only what is specified and designers only specifying what is grown. Since many of the plants specified have never been cultivated, the ongoing observation and recording of necessary maintenance practices is building a body of knowledge that will be invaluable in the ongoing move towards native plants.

Looking ahead

As the Expo pavilion will be repurposed as a sustainability museum, the building, its systems, and the data gathered will become an integral part of the museum’s message and exhibits. Therefore, a major part of desert INK’s landscape design strategy and spatial layout was informed by the knowledge of the development’s future use. The landscape design features countless innovations and trials of new materials with the hope that future designed landscapes will adopt and build upon these precedents.