Architecture firm SAOTA shortlisted for World Architecture Festival 2024

Pioneering Cape Town-based architecture firm SAOTA has three projects shortlisted for the prestigious World Architecture Festival 2024, taking place in Singapore from November 6-8: Upper Albert, a family home in Cape Town's city bowl; Kalahari Dunes, an off-grid, self-sufficient wildlife sanctuary and guest lodge in the Kalahari Desert; and Meru, a luxury homestead in Mombasa, Kenya. While SAOTA’s work is celebrated globally, its architectural philosophy remains deeply influenced by an SA way of living, with a strong commitment to innovation and sustainability.

As one of the most esteemed architectural competitions in the world, the annual World Architecture Festival, first held in Barcelona in 2008, is dedicated to celebrating architectural excellence. Shortlisted projects, like those of SAOTA, are peer-reviewed and judged live in front of an expert panel and audience.

This year the festival will be hosted at Singapore’s landmark Marina Bay Sands, providing an international platform for cutting-edge designs to be showcased and for the global architectural community to connect and exchange ideas. “It is gratifying to be recognised for contributing to the ongoing architectural discourse and pushing the boundaries through design. The festival is also a celebration of architectural design’s meaningful contribution in shaping the world and our environment,” said principal architect Stefan Antoni. 

Each of SAOTA’s shortlisted projects represents the firm’s commitment to creating unique, context-responsive designs that result in memorable living experiences. Their approach balances the challenges and opportunities of each site, considering factors such as weather, climate, neighbouring buildings, and local culture. Whether it’s a family residence or an expansive guest lodge, their designs reflect how different generations of a family or community will interact with the spaces, balancing togetherness with privacy. 

Upper Albert, led by Philip Olmesdahl, is shortlisted in the Completed Buildings: Housing category. This striking family home, located at the foot of Table Mountain, integrates urban living with natural surroundings, blending brutalist architecture with local heritage. The exterior features pigmented cast concrete screens for shading and privacy, complemented by lush, indigenous landscaping. The property’s bold aesthetic has earned it accolades, including a CIfA Commendation for Architecture and a nomination for ArchDaily’s Building of the Year Awards 2024. “Compositionally, it is a powerful piece of functional and sculptural architecture that contributes to the urban environment and the need for densification,” said Olmesdahl. “Its use of materials is inspired by the previous house on the site and the surrounding location.”

Meru, designed under the leadership of Phillippe Fouché and Philip Bartman, is shortlisted in the Future Project: House category. The project draws heavily from the traditional architecture of Swahili homesteads, blending culture with modern luxury. “Key features like courtyards and arches were reimagined in our contemporary approach,” said Fouché. “The circular geometry of a traditional homestead informed the creation of a cylindrical courtyard, offering both shelter and enhanced natural light and ventilation.” In this project, the use of locally sourced materials like clay emphasises SAOTA’s dedication to environmentally conscious designs that resonate with the cultural context.

Kalahari Dunes, led by Stefan Antoni and shortlisted in the Future Project: Leisure Led Development category, is a testament to the firm’s design adaptability. Designed to blend into the rugged Kalahari Desert, the structure uses minimalist, durable materials like sand-finished walls and rusted steel roof fascias. “The building needed to be dynamic and yet timeless, as if it had always just been there,” said Antoni. Off-grid and solar-powered, it reflects SAOTA’s commitment to sustainability offering guests an immersive desert experience. The harsh climate, with temperatures ranging from 50ºC in summer to -5ºC in winter, also shaped the design. “Shaded and protected areas allow one to experience the building seamlessly from the interior to the exterior,” Antoni said. Large water aquifers beneath the site further influenced the building’s form and function.

A recurring theme in SAOTA’s shortlisted projects for WAF is sustainability. From solar energy use in Kalahari Dunes to locally sourced materials in Meru, the firm emphasises eco-friendly design strategies across all their work. Expanding on this approach, Antoni said, “We focus on passive design strategies. The overarching principle is to create site-specific architectural solutions that respond to the context and climate through their form, materiality, and technology.”

In Meru, for instance, the team prioritised reducing the project’s carbon footprint by using on-site materials. “Excavated soil was repurposed to create adobe bricks for the infill structure, with natural oxides in the clay providing pigmentation that enhances the building's authentic character,” Fouché noted. This approach not only minimises waste but also reinforces the connection between the structure and its surroundings. By embracing the natural ageing process of the materials, over time, the building is designed to evolve, blending even more harmoniously with its environment. This commitment to sustainability ensures that natural materials respond to light, air and temperature in ways that enhance both the aesthetic and environmental impact of the design. 

Moreover, both Kalahari Dunes and Upper Albert are collaborations between SAOTA and acclaimed interior design studio ARRCC, blending architectural innovation with interior design excellence. Reflecting on this long-standing partnership, Antoni said,“We strive to create complete living experiences, blurring the lines between architecture, interior design, and décor. The conceptual idea must continue through all aspects of the design experience — from defining the space to selecting materials and detailing. We share ideas, challenge each other, and push the design to achieve something better.”

SAOTA’s shortlisted projects for the World Architecture Festival 2024 exemplify the firm’s mastery of blending contemporary design with comfort and usability. Their architecture is not only visually striking but also deeply tactile and functional, creating spaces that are liveable and enduring. By focusing on how a building is experienced through meticulous attention to detail and materials, SAOTA continues to push the boundaries of modern architecture while remaining grounded in sustainability and context.