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DESIGNING FOR NATURAL, CULTURAL & HERITAGE SETTINGS

Innovation and collaboration lie at the heart of successful architectural work, particularly in sensitive contexts. At SDKS, our design process operates in synergy with our clients’ vision, ensuring that our designs seamlessly integrate with their natural, cultural and heritage settings.

SDKS Architects offers:

  • 30 years of architectural design experience in protected landscapes and urban contexts.
  • A deep understanding of the application of heritage and environmental laws and principles in an architectural context.
  • Inventive design solutions for the adaptive re-use of heritage places and buildings.
  • A 100% approval rate for all types of applications needed to comply with heritage laws.
  • Heritage and environmental consultancy services, including assessment of building plans by other architects and recommendations to meet heritage guidelines.
  • Facility management assessments with related maintenance recommendations that are heritage compliant.
  • Heritage survey work, at neighbourhood-level or larger-scale campuses, including assessment and grading of structures, and Conservation Management Plans.
  • Heritage research of all kinds.
  • Access to a network of professionals, including environmentalists, planners, archaeologists, artists, historians, and social scientists, who can be called upon to complement our in-house skills whenever needed.
  • Knowledge of specialized construction methods, including “green” construction and methods tailored for historical buildings. Our specifications are provided in a clear and simple format, easy for builders to understand and apply.

Selected Reports & Publications:

Ström, Karin. Dec 2012. “Robertson, 1853-1905: a study of the development of the town and of the architecture.” VASSA Journal (Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa). Issue No. 26: 19-47. ISSN: 1562-5257.
Link: Ström, Karin. Dec 2012. Robertson 1853-1905. VASSA (PDF)

Ström, Karin. May 2012. “The Making of the Kerkgronde of Sutherland” (the genesis of a small stone and mud-brick workers’ village at Sutherland). VASSA Journal (Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa). Issue No. 25: 35-41. ISSN: 1562-5257.
Link: Ström, Karin. May 2012. The Making of the Kerkgronde of Sutherland. VASSA (PDF)

Ström, Karin. June 2019. “McGregor Workshop: Conservation by Todeschini and Japha 1993” (a review of the effectiveness of their conservation initiatives of the 1990s). VASSA Journal (Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa). Issue No. 26: 17-27.
Link: Ström, Karin. June 2019. McGregor Workshop. VASSA (PDF)

Ström, Karin. Dec 2014-Jan 2015. “Heritage Motivation Report for HWC S34 Application: Maitland Pool Complex” (Erf 174308 – Royal Road, Maitland). Submitted to HWC (Heritage Western Cape) and the CoCT (City of Cape Town). Work revisited July-Aug 2025 for VASSA (Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa) Presentation.
Link: Ström, Karin. Dec 2014-Jan 2015. Heritage Motivation Report for HWC S34 Application: Maitland Pool Complex. HWC, CoCT (PDF)

Brief description: This motivation for the adaptive re-use of a severely run-down public facility highlighted the social-historical significance of swimming complexes, linking them to Cape Town’s history of grassroots political organising around recreational swimming.

Ström, Karin. August 2022. “Heritage Motivation Report for HWC S34 Application: Livingstone High School.” Submitted to HWC (Heritage Western Cape) and the CoCT (City of Cape Town).
Link: Ström, Karin. August 2022. Heritage Motivation Report for HWC S34 Application: Livingstone High School. HWC, CoCT (PDF)

Brief description: This motivation forms part of the reactive repair and proactive maintenance works for Livingstone High School, one of ten schools in the Western Cape Government Department of Transport and Public Works’ Education Infrastructure (DTPW-EI) Preventative Maintenance (PM) Programme, of which six are heritage schools. The work includes on-site assessments, material and specification research, preparation of as-built campus drawings, and future Stage 5 and 6 architectural inspections in support of the project manager (25 April 2021 – April 2023/2024/2025).