Our History

// Founder of SVA International, Hellmut Stauch, emigrated from Germany
to South Africa in 1935. Stauch opened his own practice
in Pretoria in 1943. He had a major influence in bringing modern
movement principles to South African architecture.

// Robin Vorster and Brian Prisgrove join and are central to SVA’s growth and success.
//A Johannesburg office was established, to service two new commissions,
the Netherlands Bank & President Hotel.

// The practice was commissioned to design the major
Green Acres retail project and the Port Elizabeth office was established.
//Construction began on the President (now Protea) Hotel in Sea Point
and the Cape Town office was set up

//Expansion into Africa provided valuable experience with projects
across the continent and in Mauritius.

//A strategic decision was taken to amalgamate all the SVA entities
into a single international company.