CASE STUDIES

The Cradle Boutique Hotel is a popular ecotourism destination providing a scenic gateway into an ancient landscape renowned for its Paleoanthropological significance. As the largest privately owned nature reserve situated within the Greater ‘Cradle of Humankind’ outside Johannesburg, the 9 000-hectare reserve was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site following the discovery of early hominid and animal fossils thought to reveal the origins of man – including the famous ‘Homo Naledi’.

When family-run real estate developers Exemplar outgrew their founder’s humble small holding on the outskirts of the country’s capital, the need to establish a new home for their ever-expanding operation became inevitable.

Yum!’s new flagship KFC store at The Wedge in Rivonia, South Africa, was updated to showcase the franchisor’s new streamlined digital ordering process while complying with the brand’s refreshed, international corporate brand identity. Featuring recognizable key brand signage and the preferred Eva-Last composites for an improved, more natural aesthetic, the structure and flow of the building had to advance to facilitate fast, efficient delivery, reflecting the shift away from traditional Point-of-Sale purchase towards more online, indirect orders.

This eye-catching 12 000m² complex constitutes an 11-storey base including two retail levels on the ground and first floors, seven storeys of corporate office space and nine luxurious apartment levels with state-of-the-art finishes. The challenge was to invigorate the inner-city surroundings, consolidating two adjacent erven and expanding the existing building’s capacity using modern design and materials, whilst preserving the site’s historic edifice – a requirement by the city’s Heritage Council. Simultaneously, the building was not to contribute to the concrete jungle with yet another overbearing, dominant hunk of concrete and steel…a tall order!

The Kateka Safari and Wellness Experience is a 5-star resort nestled in the wilderness of the Klaserie Private National Park in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. The Klasserie park spans an extensive 60 000 hectares and boarders both the Kruger National Park and the Timbavati Game Reserves. Following a change in ownership, the lodge underwent a transformative journey as the new owner opted to redesign it entirely, dismantling almost all existing infrastructure and crafting a beautiful bush sanctuary from scratch.