November is the month for celebrating and showcasing every firm and project that was victorious at the inaugural SCAPE Award of Excellence. These names are raising the bar for excellence in the local architecture and design industry, standing on a stage set for international acclaim. In partnership with Infinity Surfaces and alongside our Impact Partner Oggie, we present the top firms and portfolios in the country for 2024. Introducing the Winner of Landscape Design Firm & Project of the Year: DDS Projects
Founded in 2011 by Danie Steenkamp and based in the Cape Winelands, DDS Projects is a landscape design and buildfirm that believes in a nuanced and gentle approach to celebrating and strengthening sense of place in every project.With an inherent admiration for nature, the firm aims to use their landscape work to weave the built environmentinto the natural world with sensitivity and awareness of context.
Knowledge, nuances and understanding
Joined by Anke Dunaiski in 2012, DDS Projects developed a focus on and realisation of the urgency of sustainable practices that led to a keen interest in local flora. Over the past 11 years, they’ve planted many gardens with only endemic species. Their goal is to design and implement gardens which are appropriate to their unique contexts, and they rely heavily on planting to achieve this. In their practice, plant knowledge and the subtle nuances which can be achieved by understanding plants and plant communities is paramount.
An endemic endeavour
The sourcing of plants is critical, but is becoming increasingly difficult. Often growers, to be commercially viable, must focus on growing plantsthat sell well in retail nurseries. Danie and Anke’s focus, however, lieswith endemic plants and a wider variety of plants than is commerciallyavailable. So, over time, they established relationships with a special network of smaller nurseries from Noordhoek to Prince Albert, almostexclusively run by dedicated plant-focussed professionals. This endemicendeavour has also led to having plants grown for specific projects.
Clients are key
Beyond their own expertise, DDS Projects recognises that their clientsare the key to gardens that become long term success stories. At theheart of the most successful projects are clients that are truly interestedin their gardens and understand the importance of maintenance. Once implemented, a garden is not a static product but rather the start of aprocess that requires constant change, tweaking, and renewal
“DDS Projects takes a refined, place-sensi-tive approach, focussing on sustainability and endemic plant species. With a passion for local flora and small-scale nurseries, projects like their Groot Drakenstein studio garden showcase a deep understanding of plant communities and sustainable design.”- Tobias Geisler, Co-founder of VAVE
This article is an extract from our November issue. Read the full issue here.
