For architectural firms in any sector, success hinges on a deep understanding of client needs, exceptional design, and forward-thinking innovation. This success is embedded in the DNA of firms that stand out above the rest, and that’s exactly what the jurors saw in you when they shortlisted your firm. You and your team exude excellence in every avenue of your practice and have rightfully earned your place on this prestigious list! These are the top performing South African Architecture Firms. So, without further ado, and in no particular order, we proudly stand in partnership Infinity Surfaces and alongside Oggie to present to you The Architecture Firm of the Year Shortlist…
Local Studio: Local Studio arose from an urge to form an egalitarian collective of spatial agents, imbedded in the socio-economic mass of Johannesburg. The firm rapidly gained a reputation as a resilient force in architecture and urban design, operating out of a self-built mixed-use hub in Brixton. Between 2012 and 2018, the firm became synonymous with significant yet risky public projects in Johannesburg. These include the Outreach Foundation, a steel and polycarbonate community centre perched on an elevated site in the Hillbrow. In their formative years the team, almost entirely under 30, reflected a young, hopeful democracy with ‘world-class African’ Johannesburg at its centre. Today, Local Studio remains a collective of voices, able to expand, contract, and respond to a volatile world.
Rebel Base Collective: Rebel Base Collective is focussed on designing change through creative collaboration on real solutions tailored to the human experience. This has created a type of practice that is context driven and a body of work that is not dictated by systems or generic solutions, but rather original designs that thoughtfully address each brief in a way that is elegantly composed, cost-effective, and of their own characters. The firm endeavours to make great design and architecture accessible. Their Johannesburg based studio started in 2017 and has grown into a locally and internationally lauded and awarded firm, having received recognition for both their research and built work.
Kate Otten Architects: The Johannesburg-based practice Kate Otten Architects are architects of place, rooted in the context of South Africa, its landscape, materiality, culture, and politics. Formed at the close of the apartheid era, when space started opening up for women to practice successfully, the work has consistently sought to define what it means to be a (South) African practice. Through collaboration, experimentation, hands-on enquiry, and our people (predominantly women architects), Kate Otten Architects have produced work of a different sensibility, recognised through wide publication and awards received over the thirty-plus years of the practice’s life.
Bomax Architects: Bomax is an award-winning practice of dedicated and experienced architects pursuing a unique contemporary style of sustainable, minimalist architecture. The practice was founded in 2000 by Dion Max Walters, who directs the studio with partner Josh Brodie. A consistent portfolio of local and international design projects continues, including commercial buildings, upmarket residential homes, retail interiors, and spatial urban designs. Bomax are creative agents executing the art of architecture with passion and flair. Dion and Josh have shaped the practice into a revered name in the industry by sticking to their mission — balancing excellence in creativity with sustainable awareness.
Paragon Architects: Guided by a generalist approach, Paragon Architects’ strategy focusses on delivering transformative architectural solutions to cities around the world. Paragon Architects prides itself on its commitment to developing robust knowledge systems that support its role as an internationally active design business. By leveraging its extensive expertise, Paragon Architects ensures that every project meets the highest standards of design excellence and functionality. Their work is characterised by a hands-on engagement with the myriad opportunities presented in the modern building industry. This practical approach is driven by a genuine passion for architecture as a craft, a quality that permeates every project undertaken by the firm
Two Five Five Architects: Two Five Five Architects is a commercial architectural practice and consultancy founded by Theo Kruger and André Krige with the intention of creating spatial and structural solutions that are powerful in both purpose and poetry – designs that challenge convention, inspire curiosity and instigate change, while remaining buildable and within budget. With offices spanning Johannesburg, Cape Town & Pretoria, Two Five Five Architects strive towards imbuing every project with local, site-specific relevance, no matter its national or international location.
Lisa Rorich Architects: Based in Durban, Lisa Rorich Architects has worked extensively throughout Africa and Southern Africa, specialising in bespoke, sustainable design within the leisure and residential industries. Projects range from luxury safari lodges to contemporary beachfront homes, all with a focus on innovative design practice. Lisa Rorich Architects is committed to creating unique and timeless spaces that harmonise with their natural surroundings and masterfully accommodate the end-user.
Drew Architects: Established in 2008 by Andrew Payne and Dale Steele, Drew Architects is renowned for innovative and award-winning solutions. Blending traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology, the firm values personal client relationships and strives for excellence and integrity in every design. Drew Architects is dedicated to creating timeless, impactful designs while delivering unparalleled value through thoughtful, people-centred design.
dhk Architects: When dhk Architects was formed from the merger of Derick Henstra Architects and KCvR Architects in 1998, the founding partners knew they were starting a journey that would lead them far into the future. With over 130 skilled professionals, dhk excels in various sectors, including commercial, residential, hospitality, retail, healthcare, and education. The firm’s DNA integrates exceptional design talent, technical expertise, and strategic insight, driving its evolution and influence both locally and globally. dhk’s work is characterised by its elegant, considered approach and quiet confidence in aesthetic quality. Emphasising a blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology, the studio fosters a collaborative environment where innovation thrives.
Office 24-7 Architecture: Nabeel Essa founded the design and research practice Office 24-7 Architecture in 2002. The practice critically and spatially re-imagines museum, exhibition, cultural, education and heritage projects. The nature of the practice reflects an alternative viewpoint, one of embodied experience, of difference and otherness that is framed from the vantage of the margin. It is a space where ideas are explored and executed. The focus of Office 24-7 Architecture is on unique curatorial and design methodologies of combining spatial understanding with innovative ways of re-interpreting education and cultural space. The conceptual idea acts as a driving force that continues to inform the project from the scale of urban and cultural frameworks to the design at its most detailed level.
