CATEGORIES

Work Surfaces — An International Case Study

Nestled in the foothills of North Tustin, California, is the beautiful home of a well known interior designer, Hilary Hale. Amongst the well-appointed and stylish rooms, the kitchen received a visually striking counter-island to serve as the centrepiece.

Opinion: Tech Can Boost Infrastructure Recovery

As COVID-19 and financial constraints hinder South Africa’s plans for infrastructure development, there is likely to be greater reliance on applying innovative technologies. TO BUILD invited Consulting Partner and Principal Engineering Technologist for SRK, Steve Bartels, to share his views.

Engineering Project Provides Traffic Flow Relief

Finally handed back to the City of Cape Town by the contractors mid-last year, the Kommetjie Road upgrade in the city’s far southern suburbs took four years to complete.

Key ‘People In Construction' Issues

Key ‘people in construction’ issues The Conseil International du Bâtiment (CIB), which is known as the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction, is a worldwide network of more than 3 000 experts from 300 member organisations focused on all aspects of research and innovation in building and construction. CIB members are institutes, companies, and other types of organisations involved in research, or in the transfer or application of research results. Member organisations appoint experts to participate in CIB working commissions (WCs) and task groups (TGs).

Future Of Home Design Post-Pandemic

We present an opinion by the principal architect of an established New-Delhi firm of architects, which points to the direction that residential design could take post-pandemic.

Container Village Provides A Safe Haven For Impoverished Kids

The Jabulani Feeding Scheme, in Parkwood Estate, Cape Town, sits in an official Zone of Poverty declared by the Department of Social Development. The centre is built on reclaimed land that used to be a dumpsite, so any structure erected must be removable.

Office space: a view of the future

TO BUILD asked partners of a large South African architectural firm what their views were on the future of office space and whether the concept of dedicated office parks could survive in the next decade, especially in a post-pandemic world.

Country chic – stylish and sustainable

Our much loved South African country areas do not have to stand back for the city places when it comes to decor and refurbishment. Proof of this comes by way of an amazing refurbishment done at the Sanddrif holiday resort and working farm. Situated in the central Cederberg area of the Western Cape, the farm is a comfortable 4 hours’ drive from Cape Town, during which time you climb to 1 036 metres above sea level.

Unlawful occupation of property and the stay of eviction proceedings

Implications for property owners and developers: the unlawful occupation of property.

An architect's view

According to historians, New Year’s Day has been celebrated for over four millennia. But this time, we had to dig really deep to find the good that came from 2020. On the other hand, we could talk for hours about what went wrong. However, to have this conversation is senseless; because it is clear that nobody was left unaffected by the absolute devastation that 2020 brought to this planet. Like a tsunami, the COVID-19 virus hit every shore, on every continent, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

Opulence With Utility Cost Reduction

With the price of electricity in South African homes continuing to get more expensive due to the country’s worst energy crisis in history, consumers are struggling to keep up with the increase in tariffs. A major air-conditioning system supplier shares a recent case history with TO BUILD readers.

Iconic Sandton Building Given New Facade

Since 2016, the City of Johannesburg has embarked on an ambitious programme to renovate those iconic but dilapidated buildings throughout its suburbs. The 3 Alice Lane building is a case in point. While this building was renovated by its owner, it also supports the trend of restoring older buildings in the city.

Your Space - A Roundup Of Home Projects

To celebrate its new format, TO BUILD has taken a deliberate decision to feature projects of small and medium size practices. “We often feature the large or corporate companies, yet the smaller practices are doing great work and contributing fantastic designs, especially within the residential space,” says Gareth Griffiths, editor of TO BUILD.

Engineered Timber For Increased Durability In Doors And Windows

Compared to ordinary solid timber, engineered wood boasts better strength, energy efficiency and durability, say the experts.

Project Profile: Cape On Porterfield & Cape Dahlia

Cape on Porterfield and Cape Dahlia are two developments completed by Jan-Hendrik Conradie, the director for 22 Cape Road Investments Pty Ltd, a local developer specialising in property development on the Blouberg beachfront. Their business model is to find investment opportunities for a variety of local investors.

Getting Back To Basics: Safety On The Building Site

Where does the responsibility lie for the safety of everyone on site, be it at a large construction site or a home, from both a physical and legal point of view? So asks TO BUILD’s legal eagle in his latest piece on the law as if affects the built environment.

Colour Psychology Explained

People instinctively know what colours resonate with them, what 'feels right', but not everyone knows why this is the case. The reasons have more to do with science than sentiment, and choosing an appropriate colour for an architectural or interior design project can be determined rationally, rather than by personal preference alone.

Bespoke Pieces For Breathtaking Locality

South Villa is a new five-floor penthouse in Clifton Terraces, offering panoramic views of Table Mountain, Camps Bay and Clifton beaches.

Responding to the investment paradigm shift?

A Cape developer claims it has scoped the urban property developer’s answer to a shift in the investment paradigm. They say that buyers are increasingly prioritising their lifestyles. Hence, they are seeing a move towards blended unit typologies co-existing in one project, as investors and residents seek a more agile product that responds to market movements.

RED gets its GREEN

An interesting and vastly different type of hotel has recently been awarded its Five Green Star ‘As Built’ rating, in addition to its 5-Star Green Custom Hotel Design.

Advocating For The Growth Of Wind Energy In SA

Ntombifuthi (Ntombi) Ntuli is the energetic CEO of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA). TO BUILD is proud to feature her as our Woman Achiever of the edition, as August is Women’s Month in South Africa.

Westend Building Achieves Design 4-Star Green Star Rating

Westend Building C, part of the modern Westend office development in Centurion, received its 4-Star Green Star SA Design certification from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) at a historic moment in time, just weeks before South Africa went into lockdown.

The Hidden Costs Of A Kitchen Revamp

At the KSA (Kitchen Specialists Association) we are always being told tales of woe about how a kitchen renovation came in over budget due to unforeseen expenses.

Conradie Park – Creating A Community, Fostering Opportunity

Conradie Park is a new mixed-income, mixed-use housing development in Cape Town. The R3 billion, 22-hectare development – a partnership between developers Concor and the Western Cape Government – comprises more than 3 500 homes. It’s located near main arterial routes and the Mutual and Thornton railway stations in Pinelands, a Cape Town suburb best known for Mutual Park, the enormous local headquarters of Old Mutual.

Respiratory Protection: Fighting For Air

In this edition of TO BUILD, we are fortunate to be able to bring the experienced advice of construction health and safety practitioner, Dr Claire Deacon, who covers a very important subject, pertinent to the re-opening of the construction industry after lockdown.

First Enviro Brick Unit Launched

As part of its campaign to minimise its carbon footprint, a local luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring supplier has joined forces with Recycle 4 Africa Waste Management (R4AWM) to recycle offcuts and uplifts by incorporating them into bricks, pavers and potentially other re-usable products in the future.

Responding To The Covid-19 Challenge

Historically, the South African construction industry has focused on the ‘safety’ component of health and safety (H&S) as opposed to the ‘health’ component, despite the ‘health’ issues being more pronounced and more serious in nature, depending on the occupational disease (OD).

Demolition – Debunking The Myths

A specialised and award-winning demolition company offers a view some of the common misconceptions surrounding this highly specialised niche sector of the construction industry.

LEADING URBAN DESIGN ARCHITECT ON INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT

TO BUILD spoke to Guy Briggs, Partner and Head of Urban Design at dhk Architects, about a new project in the integrated/mixed-use space.

FIRST COMMERCIAL ECOBRICK USAGE IN LARGE BUILDING

TO BUILD was present at the first ecobrick ‘pour’ at The Ridge, a commercial building with significant sustainability features under construction in the Portswood District of the V&A Waterfront.