A human being is rarely creative by him – or herself alone. There are almost always multiple influencers (humans, other designs, and nature), from which creatives draw their inspiration. Every artist also has mentors and teachers who make them question certain things and look deeper into others. At Veld Architects, Louis Isadore Kahn and Ludwig […]
What Veld Architects learned from Louis Kahn and Ludwig Mies? READ MORE
Biophilia, in its essence, means an affiliation with nature and the natural world. Biophilic design is therefore an approach that aims to reconnect humans with nature in the built environment, which has, in a sense, become our new “natural” habitat. The reason why biophilic design matters is because it offers incredible physiological and psychological health
Why Biophilic Design Matters in Architecture? READ MORE
Initially, working-from-home was a “temporary” arrangement. However, over the past two years, it has become the “new normal” with 50% of South Africa’s workforce doing so full-time. With yet another Covid-19 wave looming, it is clear that flexible (hybrid) working conditions within the corporate arena could be with us for far longer. It is time
Working From Home: Utilising multi-purpose spaces for long-term productivity READ MORE
“Resting on one’s laurels” is a term the team of contemporary residential architects at Veld Architects have deleted from memory. Giving your personal best every single day is a goal the firm kicked the year off with, and it has been the on-going theme ever since. “In the ever-evolving architecture industry where new design practices
Contemporary residential architects look back at 2021 READ MORE
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished,” Lao Tzu Humanity’s fascination or desire for “bigger”, “better”, “faster”, “further” and “higher” is perhaps “admirable” but is it sustainable? The fast food craze, as a simple example, created an economic boost but compromised time-honoured traditions and native food flavours. In 1989 Carlo Petrini started the Slow
Slow Architecture: Realising that “we’re part of a much larger, complex system” READ MORE
Climate change is more than just a modern-day buzzword. It is real. And it is really tragic. According to NASA, carbon dioxide levels in the air have risen by 48% in the last 171 years, global temperature has increased by 1.18 °C since 1880, and 13% of the Arctic sea ice melts every 10 years.
Sustainable Architecture: The human element READ MORE
The building industry is continuously evolving. Yet, when modernism broke out onto the scene in the 1900s, something changed. The principles of this movement proved to be so functional and beneficial to the environment and the health of humans that in modern building designs, architects cannot help but reflect back. Modern architecture is in a
The Role of Modern Architecture in South Africa READ MORE
In many early civilizations in Africa, Europe and America, women were the home builders. In fact, today the Maasai Huts in Tanzania are still built by the women of this tribe. Due to the Maasai’s nomadic lifestyle their huts are temporary, created using natural elements collected from the surrounding area (including cow dung), and
Refocus Feminine Principles in Architecture & Let’s Save the Day! READ MORE
In a riveting Dezeen article of March 2019 entitled: It’s time for architects to choose ethics over aesthetics, Christine Murray hits the nail on the head. “What is the point of firmness, commodity and delight in the face of crop failure, nothing to drink, or breathe? Forty per cent of insect species are in decline;
Moral Imagination: Rethinking the Relationship Between Aesthetics & Ethics in Architecture READ MORE
African Architecture: Vernacular vs. Spectacular Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, home to 54 countries, thousands of diverse cultures and languages, and rich in history and influences. It is only natural that all of this inspirational bounty is represented in the continent’s architecture over the ages. Why is African architecture so often overlooked?
