From Fact To Wonder

Learn More About Us

Our Vision

To be the preferred architectural practice in Africa, offering an inclusive design led service providing creative & viable solutions for our clients.

Lead

We empower our people across specialist fields to become industry leaders. We apply expert knowledge to lead our clients towards creative and viable solutions. We actively explore innovative technologies to change the future of how we build. 
Design-led answers.

Build

We build relationships in diverse industries to benefit our clients and unlock project opportunities. We build careers through empowerment and continuous learning. 
Sustainable solutions for generations.

Design

We streamline our business through continuous business process improvement. We offer a design process that enables effective lifecycle management. We provide focused and purposeful design solutions for every project drawing on our rich and varied knowledge base. 
From fact to wonder.

The Gibb
Relationship

To facilitate the company’s growth opportunities, SVA embarked on the search for an appropriate investment partner.   This resulted in a majority shareholding investment by GIBB, a leading South African multi-disciplinary engineering company, and the formation of SVA International (Pty) Ltd.   SVA International remains a fully independent architectural practice, enhanced with majority black ownership and a qualified B-BBEE rating.

Our long-standing alliances and relationships with clients and colleagues continue, while a more comprehensive service and permanent presences in major African centres are offered.   This strengthens the position of the practice as a leader in providing multi-disciplinary architectural services to both private and public sector development throughout the continent.

Our Approach

SUSTAINABILITY

SVA International is committed to sustainable design and construction, through an integrated approach involving the full project team.

We aim to design low-impact buildings and spaces which provide efficient and comfortable surrounds, reduced energy costs and increased health and ecological benefits.

Our staff includes several Green Building Accredited Professionals, who lead the design and construction process.

We aim to achieve tangible environmental outcomes appropriate to the context that earn Green Star ratings while also appreciating the values of property and income.

Our Approach

Transformation

SVA International is a majority black-owned company with a qualified B-BBEE rating. The company aspires to take a leadership role in the transformation of what has been a predominantly male and white dominated industry in South Africa.

This means ensuring that the company is a true reflection of the national (and regional) demographic regarding race, gender and cultural diversity.

Transformation also entails positioning the company strategically so that if legislative, demographic or policy changes occur, these will not affect company performance.

SVA has an internship and bursary programme administered in partnership with the SA Institute of Black Property Practitioners.

It also has a particular focus on identifying promising talent from previously disadvantaged groups. This is coupled with strong mentorship to provide support for development into leadership positions.

Junior managers from these groups can also participate in a special share scheme, adding further motivation to become future leaders of the company, and the industry.

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Our Approach

Heritage

SVA International has been delivering specialist urban design services to both the public and private sector since 2004. This includes development frameworks, master plans, detailed precinct plans, design codes and development guidelines. Each project is packaged into a specific set of work stages, deliverables and processes to achieve the client’s vision.

Our urban design approach aims to create people places that enrich the city. We focus on facilitating good flow and connectivity for the hierarchy of urban transit modes. To strengthen the sense of place, we integrate designs with the historic and natural landscape, while promoting mixed-use and form. With an understanding of appropriate ecological urbanism, we design adaptable, resilient environments that accommodate future change.

Using various techniques, ranging from hand-drawn vision sketches to accurate technical 3D computer models, we engage in the appropriate massing of buildings to achieve streets, squares, boulevards and parks of suitable size and proportion, resulting in enjoyable human cityscapes.

Design and control of pedestrian and vehicular flows in relation to building mass is integral. We do this considering the sensory experience of people who will be moving through planned public and semi-public urban spaces, while including the ambitions and requirements of the private end-user.

Throughout the process, adding value to the public domain in the city, while meeting time and budget requirements of our private and public clients, are essential.

Our
Associations