About DRAWBOX DESIGN STUDIO Architects

We value space making as an experience, a journey that draws from Place, Materiality and Form in order to uncover the mysteries of every design.

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WHO WE ARE

Drawbox Design Studio is an architectural practice located in Pretoria, South Africa. Carlu Swart established Drawbox in 2012 to become a platform onto which his passion for responsive architecture and design could be grown and expressed.

WHAT WE STAND FOR

• Architecture does not begin nor end at the periphery of the built form, it is the reorganization of an existing condition, and the significance of design is therefore far-reaching. Our legacy lies in what we leave behind, and our endeavor is to leave a place that is better.

• We aim to provide the best service to our clients and every customer becomes part of the Drawbox family.


THE TEAM

Drawbox now employs three exceptionally talented staff members.

Carlu Swart

carlu swart

Drawbox Founder – Professional Architect
(M(Prof) Arch. with distinction)
His passion for architecture lies in the process of discovering that moment when fragments of ideas and imagination fuse to form the composition of what is, the project.

Experience: 15 years.

Awards:

PIA Design Prize – Best Architecture Student, Third Year Design
Holm Jordaan Group Prize – Best Student in all modules in Third Year
SAIA Prize – Highest Average in all 700 & 800 Modules: Architecture
Corobrik Prize – First Prize: Best Final Year Average for Design and Technical documentation
PIA Design Prize – Best Student in Design: M.Arch(Prof)

Giving Back: University involvement
Wits – External examiner for second year construction
University of Pretoria – External examiner of the Masters Students [M.Arch(Prof)] for 2015 and 2016.

Mikela van Dyk

mikela van dyk

Architect

Mikela’s conviction that design encompasses all areas of our lives is what drives her to continuously pursue innovation in multiple dimensions.

Experience: 8 years.

Awards:

Received Award for Exceptional Achievement from Tshwane University of Technology for her
5th Year Dissertation on Rammed Earth as an Alternative Building Construction Material (80%)

Wickus Klopper

wickus klopper

Professional Senior Architectural Technologist (BTech – Architectural Technology)
His aim in architecture is to integrate sustainability within the design in such a way that the building becomes a holistically sustainable solution to the inhabitants.
Experience: 9 years.
Awards:TUT subject prizes (best in class) – Applied Building Science I, Building Services III, Construction Materials III, Structures IV, Contract Documentation IV.
Top 10 Finalist in Tripod Architecture Photography competition 2010.
TUT merit award for academic excellence (maintained min. average of 70% throughout duration of studies & achieved distinction in at least a third of all subjects.

Giving back: Tutoring 4th year students in Structures IV.

 

 

Happy Clients

"Working with Carlu and the rest of the Drawbox Studio team was such a breath of fresh air!" - Tim & Sheila Akinnusi, Client

"Carlu and his team were highly creative in their design suggestions to our limited brief." -Paul Stedall, Client

"Thank you for your guidance and advice throughout the whole project. We now have our dream house and enjoy living in it every day." - Bertus van ZyL, Client

"We found Carlu to be highly professional throughout the building of our home.  He proved to be reliable in every aspect and his eye for detail impressed."- Annemarie Wheeler, Client

"Carlu is the most creative mind I have come across in a long time. He has an absolute passion for what he does and live and breathe his profession." - Jacques Rabe, Client