SCAPE AWARDS USHERS IN A NEW INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT THE 2024
INAUGURAL SCAPE AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE!
Oh, what a night!
The SCAPE Awards of Excellence has officially set a bold new standard for South Africa’s architecture and design industry, redefining what excellence means for the South African industry. As an exciting next step for the established SCAPE Magazine, the Awards of Excellence is a movement in spotlighting greatness unlike anything South Africa has seen before!
On Friday, 4th October, SCAPE left ordinary at the door as the Awards of Excellence crescendoed with a dazzling gala event set against the backdrop of the Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town. The who’s who of design and architecture arrived dressed to the nines, ready to ring in a new era of excellence.
To present an awards of this calibre, a star-studded Jury of international industry icons was essential. From over 15 countries, more than 50 of the most esteemed professionals joined this initiative to assess the best projects and firms across South Africa (and Africa):
Marcial Jesús, Founder & CEO of 100architects
Kofi Bio, CEO of Adjaye Associates Accra Studio
Renzo B. Larriviere & Zara Pasfield, Founders of Atelier Sisu
Andrew Maynard, Founder of Austin Maynard Architects
David Godshall, Founder of TERREMOTO
Alberto Eltini & Marina Marín, Founders of El Departamento
Natali Canas del Pozo, Co-founder of El Equipo Creativo
Janaya Hart, Senior Associate at Elkus Manfredi Architects
Gemma Kim, Partner at RAMSA
Héctor Esrawe, Founder of Esrawe Studio
Peter Veenstra, Co-founder of LOLA Landscape Architects
Antonius Richard, Founder of RAD+ar
Coetzee Steyn, Founder of Steyn Studio
Alireza Razavi, Founder of Studio Razavi + Partners
Thomas Pheasant
Qianyi Lin, Co-founder of Various Associates
Dongzi Yang, Co-founder of Various Associates
Anamaria Pircu, Founding Partner of Vatraa Architecture
Rodolfo Reis & João Caria Lopes, Founders of Volume Architecture
Artem Zverev & Artur Sharf, Founders of YODEZEEN
Melodie Leung, Assocaite Director at Zaha Hadid Architects
Fereshteh Assadzadeh, Founder of ZAV Architects
Mohamadreza Ghodousi, Principal Architect at ZAV Architects
Shabnam Gupta, Founder of The Orange Lane
Vinu Daniel, Founder of Wallmakers
Isabelle Sun & Tim Kwan, Co-founders of Office AIO
Claudia Afshar, Principal & Founder of Claudia Afshar Design
Ive Haugeland, Principal at Shades of Green
Sanjay Puri, Founder of Sanjay Puri Architects
Aarushi Kalra, Founder of I’m D’Sign
Shushana Khachatrian, Founder of STUDIO SHOO
Pablo Pérez Palacios, Founder of PPAA Architects
Iván Bravo, Founder of Iván Bravo Architects
Julian Kosloff, Co-founder of Kosloff Architecture
David Taylor
Alexander Webb, Founder of Three One Four Studio
Yoko Choy, China Editor of Wallpaper* Magazine
Anna Trefely, Founder of Esoteriko Interior Architecture
Julia Peres & Victoria Braga, Founders of RUÍNA Arquitetura
Tim Cousin, Co-founder of Roofscapes
Matteo Poli, Co-founder of AOUMM
Hugh McCarthy
Julien De Smedt, Founder and Director of JDS Architects
Pashmin Shah & Satyajeet Patwardhan, Founders of Amoeba Design
Murray Penroe & George King, Founders of Penroe and King
Daniel Joseph Chenin, Founder of Daniel Joseph Chenin, Ltd
Heather Dubbeldam, Founder & Principal at Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
Aaron Peters, Co-founder & Director of Vokes and Peters
Jordan Cluroe & Russell Whitehead, Co-founders of 2LG Studio
Cyrus Patell & Eliza Higgins, Co-founders of CollectiveProject
Geoffrey von Oeyen, Founder of Geoffrey von Oeyen Design
Ben Warwas, Founder, ByBen
Daniel Germani, Founder of Daniel Germani Designs
An awards close to their hearts, and a dream for their industry, SCAPE pulled out all the stops, standing alongside their partnership brand Infinity Surfaces who collaborated to push play on this incredible initiative, alongside their impact partner, Oggie.
“Our dream was to create something memorable, magical, and enchanting — to raise the bar for what championing and celebrating our industry looks like. We wanted to move beyond the borders of South Africa, and even Africa, to involve the most influential peers from abroad as a star-studded cast of Jurors to weigh in on hundreds of submissions, giving rise to a global spectacle! We are so humbled to be at the fore of a powerful movement which should echo through our industry as a reminder that we are not just keeping up, we are leading the way,” said Director of SCAPE, Chanel Besson. “We’re a future-focussed brand and we’re excited to move into a space that opens doors for the profession and an Awards of Excellence that for years to come exceeds expectations and gives our community a voice that places us alongside international awards.”
The gala evening was presented by Ryle de Morny, with beats by Digital Sangoma, and was a show of stellar proportions! The creation of the S tag in a massive candle was created by OKRA Candle to shine a light on our industry icons and add to this unique spectacle. To make sure the guests arrived in a style befitting of the term ‘excellence’, SCAPE also partnered with Laude Classic Cars as the elegant chauffeurs for the evening.
The evening was a journey through the highest performing homes, commercial spaces, hospitality builds, educational builds, refurbishments and community builds, African builds, sustainable spaces, landscapes, and design products from SA’s top makers. To top it off, stunning trophies crafted by Continua, a member of The Excellence Group, were the prized possessions taken home by the winners, featuring Infinity Surfaces and Oggie in their fabrication. As guests celebrated the industry, glasses filled with wine, crafted by and courtesy of the luxury wine brand Terre Paisible, clinked in jubilation. When it came to embodying excellence in every area of the night, no detail was missed!
Of course, a gala evening wouldn’t be complete without gorgeous gowns and sterling tuxes, so a Best Dressed Award was also in order. Architect Julia Rutherfoord claimed the title and the accompanying prize — a sleek, handcrafted Oyster Grey Gin Trunk courtesy of Fieldbar.
Raising a glass to excellence, alongside our partnership brand Infinity Surfaces and impact partner Oggie, ladies and gentlemen, here are the 2024 winning projects and firms:
Landscape Design Project of the Year
Winner: DDS Projects, for Banhoek Farm Gardens
Runner-up: Josephine Noyce Landscape Design, for House Andrew
Landscape Design Firm of the Year
Winner: DDS Projects
Tied Runner-up: Margot van der Westhuizen Landscape Design
Tied Runner-up: Contours Design Studio
Landscape Architecture Project of the Year
Winner: AT Landscape Architects, for Penny Lane Park
Runner-up: TERRA+ Landscape Architects, for Bonteheuwel Town Centre Upgrade
Landscape Architecture Firm of the Year
Winner: Square One Landscape Architects
Runner-up: CNDV Landscape Architects
Emerging Design Firm of the Year
Winner: Sketch Interior Architects
Runner-up: Morris & Co
Commercial Build of the Year
Winner: Gabriël Fagan Architects, for The Barracks
Runner-up: Paragon Architects, for 15 Fredman Drive
Hospitality Build of the Year
Winner: Luxury Frontiers, for Madwaleni River Lodge
Runner-up: Source IBA, for Vrymansfontein
Commercial / Hospitality Refurb of the Year
Winner: Two Five Five Architects, for Uxolo Apartments
Runner-up: Peerutin Karol, for Budism Couture
Educational / Institutional Build of the Year
Winner: Local Studio, for Lapalala Wilderness School
Runner-up: MMA Design Studio, for New Faculty Administration Building for the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, WITS
Residence of the Year
Winner: Chris van Niekerk, for Mountain House
Runner-up: SAOTA, for Upper Albert
Residential Block of the Year
Winner: Hours Clear Architects, for Clarens
Runner-up: VDMMA, for 29 Queens Road
Residential Interior of the Year
Winner: Clinton Savage Interiors & Architecture, for Schrywershoek Cottage
Runner-up: ATTIK Design, for Sunset House
Residential Refurb of the Year
Winner: ARRCC, for Glen Villa
Tied Runner-up: Studio BHD, for Woodsprings House
Tied Runner-up: ATTIK Design, for Sunset House
Community Build of the Year
Winner: Local Studio, for Lantern House
Runner-up: The MAAK, for New Rest Valley Crèche
Collab of the Year
Winner: Kate Otten Architects with Lesley Lokko, featuring Frances vH Mohair, The Herd Designs, Vriah Design and XLAM, for ‘threads’
Runner-up: Tétris Design x Build with Hoven Design Architects, featuring Ananta Design Studio, Patrick Bongoy and Wiid Design, for Upcycle
Sustainable Build of the Year
Winner: Local Studio, Lapalala Wilderness School
Runner-up: Noero Architects, for New Eco Lab, Wynberg Girls’ High School
African Build of the Year
Winner: Architectural Pioneering Consultants, for Simba Vision Montessori
Runner-up: Ochre Office, for Emantini Botanical Gardens, Medicinal Garden
Maker of the Year
Winner: TheUrbanative
Runner-up: Frances vH Mohair
Interior Design Firm of the Year
Winner: Clinton Savage Interiors & Architecture
Runner-up: ARRCC
Developer of the Year
Winner: Blok
Runner-up: Moolman Group
Architecture Firm of the Year
Winner: Paragon Architects
Runner-up: Bomax Architects
The 2024 SCAPE Awards of Excellence marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the industry. With plans already underway for the 2025 edition, SCAPE is set to become a cornerstone in recognising and elevating architectural and design excellence. This is just the start of an extraordinary journey.
