Rawson has, however, responded by saying that his two trips this year to the UK have convinced him that this is definitely the case — particularly in the residential sector.
“It may be that in the corporate mega-blocks world, South African architects sometimes operating on more limited budgets, are not able to compete with some of the more spectacular UK central city complexes which I saw on my trips. However, when I look at the homes that the Rawson Property Group is now marketing in such affluent areas as Sandton, Umhlanga, Constantia, Fresnaye and Camps Bay, I am again and again amazed at their innate quality and style, the sheer boldness and inventiveness of many of today’s designs.”
Asked why, in his view, South African architects have been able to “forge ahead” of their UK colleagues, Rawson said that UK architects are constrained by two strong factors.
The first, he said, is that often they have to design for precincts that are already dominated by older buildings.
“This presents any enterprising architect with a real challenge because it would be wholly inappropriate to introduce the sort of avant-garde homes that we have on the affluent Atlantic Seaboard into a street in which the other homes are large Victorian or Edwardian buildings. While it has to be admitted that UK architects have proved adept at upgrading the interiors of these, for aesthetic reasons they are prevented from making any major changes to the façades and exteriors.”
The second factor limiting creativity among UK architects, said Rawson, is the simple obligation to ensure that the home has to be “a fortress” against what are often severe winter conditions — a primary requirement has to be to keep the interiors warm and comfortable even when temperatures go close to or below zero. This inevitably reduces the designer’s chances of creating a light filled, modern interior.
“These two serious constraints,” said Rawson, “are seldom limiting factors in South Arica. Our architects are, in my experience, very good at “playing with the sunlight” and their challenge is often to combat excessive heat loads and glare rather than penetration by cold.”
“As a result, full length glazing, not just on areas leading to patios and balconies, but also across whole walls is now regularly found on South African buildings — often with breath-taking results.”
Most of the best new South African home designs, says Rawson, have free flowing internal layouts with minimal barriers between the indoor and outdoor space. This not only gives an openness and freedom to the design but it also facilitates outdoor dining and entertaining — “something for which European and British people envy us”.
Other features which, says Rawson, tend to add value for many modern SA homes are the extensive use of wooden decks and wood panelling, natural stone and exposed structural steel, with steel taking the place of the usual concrete or brick components. Mono-pitched, multi-gabled and V-shaped roofs are also growing in popularity.
