1. >>THE BLUEPRINT
14 LEADINGARCHITECTURE&DESIGN DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015
Nowyouseeit,
nowyoudon’t
estled in the heart of Johannesburg, forming part
of a 1000ha residential estate, the Steyn City Golf
Clubhouse has turned the idea of clubhouse design in South
Africa, on its head.
The site for the clubhouse was previously an abandoned
quarry and the brief was to have as little impact on the site
as possible.
Says project architect Jean Grobler: “Our brief was
to integrate the building with its surroundings and the
indigenous landscape, as well as to create architecture that
was responsive and sensitive while still being functional
and sustainable. Our goal as architects was to explore the
boundaries of what is currently perceived as clubhouse
architecture and to re-establish the benchmark.”
The conceptual point of departure for the Steyn City Golf
Clubhouse has its roots in nature’s potential for the abrasive
and the unrelenting: The establishment of architecture
where once there was nothing, and using the fissures in the
landscape to create life, shelter and space.
“We set out to blur the boundaries between interior
and exterior, to achieve a constant connection with
nature and to create a harmonious tension between the
manufactured and the natural,” says Jean.
In the resulting design, the Highveld grassland
sweeps right over the architecture, which in turn merges
with its surroundings by exploiting the slope of the land
to intentionally reduce its scale. The fragmentation of
the building components enhances its connection with
nature by juxtaposing the buildings’ organic shapes with
the landscape.
“We have been given the opportunity to set the
benchmark in clubhouse design, not only in the
sustainability aspects that form a key part of the design,
but also in how the design was influenced by nature. These
aspects were highlighted by the judges as a key factor in
their decision to award us top honours,” said Grobler.
The highlight of the structure is the roof garden that
allows the building to ‘melt’ into the landscape, blending
into nature on multiple levels. “This creates an almost
magical illusion of ‘now you see it, now you don’t,”
says Wessel van Dyk, the architect responsible for the
innovative design of the building.
“While most golf clubhouses do their best to stand out
in the most ostentatious way possible and dominate their
This isn’t going to be the last time we hear about Steyn City – the largest single residential
development ever undertaken in South Africa and situated north west of Sandton in
Johannesburg. Boogertman and Partners is already in the spotlight for their work there,
boasting two prestigious awards for the Steyn City Golf Clubhouse. They form part of the
collective known as Steyn City Architecture and Design (SCAD) that oversees all the
architectural work undertaken at the lifestyle resort.
Ourgoalasarchitectswastoexploretheboundariesofwhatiscurrently
perceivedasclubhousearchitectureandtore-establishthebenchmark
N
Continued next page

2. PROJECT#2 STEYN CITY CLUBHOUSE<<
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015 15
DESIGN ARCHITECT: Wessel van Dyk | PROJECT ARCHITECT: Jean Grobler | ARCHITECT: Ridhwaan Essa
SCAD TEAM

3. >>THE BLUEPRINT
16 LEADINGARCHITECTURE&DESIGN DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015
environment, the Steyn City Golf Clubhouse goes out of
its way to do the opposite. We actually adopted an almost
‘non-architectural’ approach to the design of the building,
which allowed us to reinvent clubhouse design in a fresh,
sustainable way.”
The clubhouse achieves this magic in several ways:
Great care has been given to utilise local materials
and labour, recycling of excavated material and the
implementation of water conservation to further enhance
the building’s sustainability. However, the green roof,
created primarily to conceal the building and make it as
one with the landscape, is used to reduce heat gain and
shifts heat load at night when the external loads are not
present. This allows the passive ventilation system to
function optimally and allow for the building’s heating
and cooling to be drastically reduced and evolve from
traditional HVAC systems.
Not only was the building built on green principles to
ensure the least possible impact on the environment, but
it is also built from the environment itself. Using a rather
unconventional cladding of Gabion Baskets filled with the
rocks from the excavation, the exterior of the building
mimics giant rocks pulled apart to create fissures that
reveal the functionality of the building.
With its almost ‘non-architecture’ approach, the Steyn
City Clubhouse is reinventing clubhouse design in a fresh,
sustainable way.
Emphasis was placed on the latest technologies
regarding lighting, heat reclaim and distribution, grey
water utilisation, recycling and reuse of building material,
greening of the architectural facades as well as the use of
façade shading systems and performance glazing.
The interior reflects the connection with the landscape
through its rich and natural approach of using different
layers in texture, a natural toned colour palette and use of
natural materials.
“The building is a constant reminder of the relationship
with nature. It takes the user to the edge where the
connection with nature is apparent and unavoidable,” says
architect Jean Grobler.

4. PROJECT#2 STEYN CITY CLUBHOUSE<<
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015 17
THE AWARDS
• Emirates Glass LEAF Awards: Category ‘Hospitality
Building of the Year’ is an annual international architectural prize
recognising innovative architectural design that sets the benchmark
for the international architectural community of the next generation.
The LEAF Awards programme is operated by the Leading European
Architects Forum (LEAF), founded in 2001. LEAF brings together leading
international architects and designers operating in Europe and beyond to
share knowledge, to network and to develop new partnerships.
• LOERIE Awards: Category ‘Communication Design –
Architecture’: The LOERIES is an annual recognition of the best work
produced in the brand communication industry in our region – including
the whole of Africa and the Middle East. The awards were judged by
over 140 local and international experts in their fields, including four
international jury chairmen from Hamburg, Melbourne, NYC and San
Francisco, as well as regional judges from Accra, Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam.
Size of project (m2
): 3 000 front
of house 12 000 including parking
Start and completion date: Start
December 2011, end Nov 2013