About us |

TwoFiveFive Architects is a commercial architectural practice and consultancy founded by principal architects Theo Kruger and André Krige with the intention of creating spatial and structural solutions that are powerful in both purpose and poetry – designs that challenge convention, inspire curiosity and instigate change, while remaining buildable and within budget.

With offices spanning Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, we strive towards imbuing every project with local, site-specific relevance, no matter its national or international location. We work in consideration of the client’s vision and budget, in sympathy with the site’s context and community, and in advancement of our environmental agenda. Our creative mandate is to design environments that extend beyond form and function, to arrive at solutions that are as innovate as they are enduring. With the understanding that what we create will far outlive us, our studio aims to translate every design opportunity into an iconic architectural asset with inherent, inter-generational value.

Working in absence of any singular aesthetic, our output is first and foremost grounded in ingenuity and experience – where materials and processes are interrogated, adapted and refined to arrive at a compelling, considered design language that elevates each site and the way in which it engages its users. In doing so, we aim for our work to continually intrigue the mind and inspire the soul. Irrespective of the sector or scale of application, our commitment to this philosophy remains consistent – whether designing gender inclusive bathrooms for an educational institution, transforming a 100 m2 inner city stand into a mixed-use multi-storey development, or custom-engineering towel rails for a private residence.

Be it cultural, civic, corporate, commercial or residential in nature, we understand that regulatory, budgetary and scheduling complexities are inherent in any architectural design process – and that the strategic navigation of these factors is critical to a project’s relative success and return on investment. Central to this is exhaustive planning, global benchmarking, calculated partnerships as well as the ability to negotiate a common vision that serves sometimes divergent stakeholder interests. Importantly, we regard our clients as integral to our process, and choose to engage with them as collaborators rather than as patrons.

As a studio, we are often asked to operate at the intersection of preserving our cities’ architectural heritage and answering the changing socio-economic demands of our urban centres and the needs of their inhabitants. Achieving this balance requires insight into the complexities of the real world, and innovation to improve upon them. We believe that architectural design is the only means to demonstrate respect for our past, sensitivity for the challenges of the present day, and a responsibility towards a shared and sustainable future.

| About our architecture

Our architecture emerges from an in-depth site and context analysis combined with careful investigation of how contemporary life constantly changes and adapts within these surrounds. Resulting in what we believe is architecture, not for surviving, but for living. We believe that in order to deal with today’s challenges, architecture can profitably move into a field that has been largely unexplored. For too long architects have been creating single purpose buildings, our intention is to create architecture that not only survives the curse of time aesthetically, but also programmatically, a future ready architecture. An architecture that serves the now and the then. Nestled between pragmatic and utopian. Creating buildings that embrace future possibilities not yet considered. As such we are constantly seeking new ways of mixing the traditional ‘building blocks’ of contemporary society and only keeping what we believe resonates with the core of: Living, leisure, working, parking, shopping. A form of architectural alchemy.

We see architecture as the art and science of making sure our cities and buildings adapt to our constantly changing way of living. Through the vigilant assessment of various constraints, everything from statutory requirements, local culture and climate, ever-changing patterns of contemporary life, to the ups and downs of the global economy, we believe that understanding these parameters to the extent that they may be manipulated is the strength behind all our designs. Our studio is fueled by talented designers, thinkers and architects that are trained in collaborative working methods to adhere to today’s global market, where the ability to form effective, rapid and productive collaborations has become a crucial element in attaining a cohesive project vision. As such, we aim at rethinking established ideas to focus on the world as it evolves today. We look at the past and the present to allow for the future. Our projects are tomorrows standards in the making.

Why work with us? |

The considerations that inform the appointment of an architectural partner are numerous and often nuanced. Understanding the sensitivities and gravitas of such a decision, TwoFiveFive Architects strive to design high-performance buildings that fulfill the demands of strategy, compliance and commercial viability, while delivering on a creative vision in a class of its own.

The relationship between architect and patron is a particularly sacred aspect of the TwoFiveFive process, and one that is governed by the imperative to realise, and exceed, our clients’ expectations, as a foremost priority. Simultaneously, our emphasis on due diligence dictates that we will pursue outcomes in a manner that best addresses any factors that may impact on the holistic success of the project, such as conservation, community, council regulation and environmental concerns

Innovative

In honouring our clients’ decision to commission TwoFiveFive Architects, the studio also stringently adheres to the principle of presenting an original design programme in response to every individual brief. While we strive to detail every project in a way that is never derivative of previous work, we rigorously and continually incorporate prior learning with respect to materials and methodologies into the lifecycle of each new project, so as to consistently deliver buildings that are best-in-class.

While always respecting our clients’ briefs and budgets, we operate within a framework of innovation, never afraid to pursue the leading edge of design through research and development. Incorporating experimentation into our working process has afforded us the unusual position of never having had to supplement our portfolio with work that bows to convention for the sake of commercial gain. In so doing, we leave a living architectural legacy in which we take immense pride.

By way of developing a completely bespoke solution to every design brief, we are empowered to follow a highly collaborative approach, both within the studio environment, as well as with our client and project partners and stakeholders. Our design process is premised on a “flat hierarchy” model, meaning that all designers contribute equally, and without fear, in order to arrive at the best possible outcome.

Collaborative

We believe that our patrons make an invaluable contribution to the final solution, given their often intimate understanding of the site and the specific criteria for success. Similarly, we regularly engage with specialists such as engineers, landscape architects, interior designers and manufacturers, who complement and support our output by leveraging critical insight and niche expertise.

Led with purpose, driven by imagination and ever-conscious of keeping our patrons central to every solution, TwoFiveFive Architects offers an inspired perspective on contemporary architecture – committed not only to sustainability in design, but also in the relationships with those involved in realising such a vision.