STUART THOMPSON ARCHITECT
Architecture in Cape Town

Both Studios have a strong interest in integrated green design principles. We are passionate about design and sustainability and believe that buildings based in passive principles and equipped with smart, energy efficient systems will increase global sufficiency and resilience and ultimately slow our dependence on and consumption of the resources needed to run them. We believe in a site and climate responsive design solution as the foundation to our response to the clients brief. Joining forces with colleague Andre Rademeyer we co-founded Studio ST&AR, a mentor based collaborative. Our combined forces have designed hotel and retail space, commercial mixed use concepts and events based structures, which together with our passion for lifestyle residential projects forms the basis of my now almost 20 years of experience. Prac-year students can gain experience from being in the thick of things with us, from project start to finish and we welcome new applicants to our mentors program for the junior staff. Passive energy systems (standard) Orientation, natural ventilation and lighting. Energy efficient Mechanical systems Evaporative cooling & Heat recovery ventilation. In association with Andre Rademeyer Architect, Stuart is sharing studio space, support staff and services. The association of ST&AR allows for a greater work load, cross pollination of ideas and skills and collaboration with the network of professionals in the allied fields of Construction management, Quantity Surveying, Structural Engineering, Land Surveying and Sustainable Development. Stuart Thompson is a Consulting Architect, focusing on the design of contemporary homes and innovative housing solutions. Projects range from lifestyle alterations and remodeling through to new smart homes and commercial mixed-use concepts. Practicing from Kalk Bay in association with Andre Rademeyer and Matt Pretorius, Stuart is co-Founder of Studio ST&AR and Elemental Studio. Following on logically from the introduction to Sustainable Development, the module Globalization, Governance and Civil Society was equally mind blowing! Most of us have an idea of globalization, but this module really brings together the bigger picture. Globalization was an inevitability before we had even conceived of it and its reach and complexity from the global to the local is astounding. An excellent example of this is the economic collapse of 2008, when banks around the world were toppling over debt defaults originating from the burst housing bubble in the US which was triggered by a less remarkable spike in oil prices. African coffee farmers struggle and their children go malnourished because of the manipulation of stock market prices for the commodity to suite 1st world traders and consumers. As the lines of cause and effect are stretched around the world, some individuals score big while many unfortunate’s loose out and accountability is diffused by distance. Also seriously considered in this module is the social and economical implications of these innovations and how they are set to fare in South Africa.