Photo Credit: Dave Southwood

South Africa, Western Cape, Breedekloof, BOSJES Farm, Thursday, 8 July 2021 ARCHITIZER, the world’s largest awards programme, focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture and products, has announced that the recently opened BOSJES Farm Spens Garden Café and Winkel gift shop has won the A+ Popular Award and Jury vote in the category Hospitality (Restaurants L>1,000 sq ft).  Both buildings were designed by the London-based, South African born architect Coetzee Steyn of Steyn Studio.  This is the same prestigious accolade that was awarded to the firm in 2019 for the BOSJES Kapel that was also selected that year as a Special Honouree from all projects submitted to Architizer.

Said Coetzee Steyn, “We are truly honoured to receive this recognition for our work, especially given this years’ awards theme.  Where given the opportunity we look for the connections between man and nature, not just how to bring man closer to nature, but also at how nature can inspire our architecture – to recognise and be sympathetic to place, and to delight the eye. This award is also testament to the importance of patronage; as projects of the standard and vision submitted for the A+ Awards would not exist if not for clients like BOSJES who demand it, and we are grateful for that.”  

Photo Credit: DOOK

The Architizer A+ Popular Choice Winners were selected by the online voting public after a two week campaign that garnered over 400,000 independent votes. With entries from over 100 countries, the work selected truly represents the best of architecture worldwide. The 2021 winners include innovative built and conceptual projects by established and emerging firms alike. This years theme was ‘Architecture for a Changing World’, championing architects and designers whose work strives to create a more resilient built environment for the years to come, and celebrates the products that bring these great buildings to life.

BOSJES Spens and BOSJES Winkel, the two newest visitor offerings at the Breede Valley farm fit Architizer’s focus perfectly.  They blend effortlessly into the landscape and environment, complementing the existing architectural features on the property and harmoniously connecting with nature and the region.  The innovative design of the burrowed buildings also speaks to the area’s rich cultural history, drawing inspiration from the grass mat huts of the San, a meshing of timber slats bent to form dome-like lattice structures. This type of intricate trelliswork which in time will be overgrown, invites people into corral-type forecourts before twisting to form the enclosures of the café and the shop. The functional back-of-house spaces are all hidden underground that also naturally insulates them, with the celebrated front-of-house spaces partly sunken which emphasises the magnificent views of the surrounding mountains.

Photo Credit: DOOK

The A+ Awards is now in its 9th consecutive year and attracts a high standard of submissions from all over the world that are subject to a Public Vote as well as a vote by an esteemed Jury panel. Competition in the category was fierce with submissions by known practices including Heatherwick Studio, Tadao Ando, Zaha Hadid, Studio Gang and MAD Architects. Winning both the Popular and Jury vote is an especially coveted accolade that marks another brilliant achievement for the architect Coetzee Steyn of Steyn Studio and his associates on the project, Meyer & Associates, Square One Landscape Architects and Liam Mooney Studio. The A+Award also identifies the recipients as industry leaders for architecture and design worldwide and validates their superior work.

BOSJES is currently open to visitors during Lockdown Level 4 from Wednesday to Sunday, 08h30 to 17h00. The Spens is open for takeaways that can be enjoyed in the gardens, and the BOSJES Kapel will also be open to view.

For information about experiences and offerings on BOSJES Farm, for day-visitors, overnight guests and special events gatherings including weddings and banquets visit www.bosjes.co.za or email hello@bosjes.co.za. Follow @bosjes_farm on Instagram and “Like” them on Facebook to stay abreast of latest promotions.

Architect Coetzee Steyn. Photo Credit: Adam Letch 

For press assistance contact Ian Manley of ManleySocial on 082 826 0456, or email to ian@publicity.co.za or visit ManleySocial at www.manleysocial.com

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