A time-capsule reflection from our Chairman, Derick Henstra, on the studio’s founding principles: leadership continuity, why rigour in our work is important, and why long-term views of the future guide the studio today.‍

A few years ago, I was asked ‘what’s the secret sauce behind dhk’s success?’ The question gave me a moment to look back to our early beginnings and to reflect on our path to where we are now, nearly 30 years later.

I answered the question in a short piece, set out below, which encapsulated the intention and essence behind what we were trying to build from day one.

I read it again at the start of this year, on the eve of a major shift in our studio’s development. It still resonates. It reinforces the core principles that have underpinned our progress since day one: be consistently creative, build strong relationships, have a clear vision, and, above all, commit to deliver, every time.

dhk is formed from a unique blend of design talent, commercial strategy, technical expertise and a long-range view of the future. This combination has been deliberately refined through the years as we have expanded into a leading design force in South Africa with growing influence on the global architectural stage. Our work expresses a quiet confidence in its aesthetic philosophy and quality. But it is the practice DNA that makes that result possible.

Back in 1998, Paul Krynauw, who was a Partner of KCvR Architects, approached me, with a proposal to merge KCvR with my firm, Derick Henstra Architects. At the time, DHA had a team of 40 people. KCvR had around 14. Paul’s partner, Peter Fehrsen, and my partners unanimously agreed that merging the two firms would be a very positive move for both studios. The merger was negotiated over six months, culminating in the creation of the brand that remains as solid today as it was back then: dhk Architects.

At the time the two studios had a few notches in our proverbial belts, each with some completed buildings standing proud on Cape Town’s streets. But we were ambitious, hungry, and ready to take on the city’s architectural establishment. We started with a small team, but we knew we needed to build a studio that would take the lead in the industry. We were serious about our work, meticulous in our delivery and professional in all our dealings. Today, dhk is a sound, commercially savvy business built daily by a team of skilled practitioners who are each highly competent in design and with proven execution capabilities.

From early on, we began to identify strong leaders with the talent, commitment and drive and motivation to grow the business. This is our indelible blueprint, developed and strategised over the years and embedded into our management philosophy. Peter and and I are still deeply involved in the studio’s daily design output. Our MD, Renske Haller and the other Partners – Guy Briggs, Leigh Bishop, Pierre Swanepoel, Steve Peters, Peter Stokes and Martin Lardner-Burke – collectively lead the studio across two offices. Lisa Bridgeford and Francois Steyn complete the senior leadership group as Partners of dhki, our interior design sister company. Our management team of senior associates and associates in turn lead the teams of architects, urban designers and interior designers. Our communications, graphics, BIM, 3d Visualisation and administrative teams further boost our operational capacity.

Our team is diverse. We have a strong design ethos and work ethic. We are recognised for our design expertise and for our technical implementation capabilities. This shows in our portfolio of hundreds of buildings completed over time; and we have over 150 currently underway at various stages of design development in 18 different countries in Africa and in the Middle East. We encourage our teams to stay curious, learn continually and to be inspired by design ideas in the world around them as they deliver consistently excellent work that leads to more opportunities.

Nearly 30 years on from the original merger, we have a clearly defined blueprint for success, but we’re just getting started. We’re about to take a quantum leap in our studio’s progress. Our team will be expanding in reach, portfolio and reputation. We’re looking forward to writing the next chapter in our history together, with a strong leadership team and a clear vision for our shared, prosperous, design-led future.