For thirty five years, Peter Rich Architects have been rigorously engaged in four key areas of architectural practice. As researcher, Peter Rich pioneered the documentation of African settlements so others can learn from them. As an activist, he brought what he has learned to a wider audience. As a teacher, he developed an architectural vocabulary that builds on tradition and has empowered successive generations of young architects. As a practicing architect in his wide variety of work, he has given structure to his discoveries, creating Architecture that is deeply embedded in its time and place.
Peter Rich Architects is one of the leading proponents of a contemporary African Architecture, a fusion of modernism and tradition born from a deep understanding of African iconography and vernacular.
Peter Rich Architects promotes a truly sustainable African architecture, enthusiastically engaging in often long and complex political and consultative processes to ensure that the legacies of the projects last way beyond the buildings completion.
Peter Rich Architects has been acknowledged by a local and international audience as being one of the most important architectural firms currently practicing in Africa. Recent works have been recognized as some of the most accomplished and finest buildings built in the last 15 years and have been published widely both in South Africa and internationally. The practice has re-ceived numerous Awards of Merit (7) from the South African Institute of Architects and has been recognized with several International awards. The majority of the practices’ built projects have been extensively publicised in the South African professional journals.
Peter Rich Architects effectively balances practice with research and education, producing a wide variety and scales of work, from Urban Planning to private houses. Taking inspiration from teaching and research, drawing from often Modernist precedents, socio-cultural environments and natural landscapes the practice extensivly uses sketching and measured drawings as the me¬dium to understanding context, a fundamental springboard for design that is both universal and rooted in its physical and cultural setting.
Peter Rich Architects’ office is a creative environment where each project is seen as an opportu¬nity to effectively translate research into practice, creating buildings of great quality. The office benefits from a team of strong designers and architects with a wealth of experience of imple¬menting projects in both the South African and international context.
