The latest addition to Babylonstoren’s magnificent estate is a lush hothouse designed by Malherbe Rust Architects that tells the story of the spice trade and offers guests a distinctive and intimate dining experience.

The experiential space serves to acknowledge and share the important historical role the southern tip of Africa played in the spice trade. In 1652, the Dutch East India Company founded a small settlement at Table Bay. Its gardens serviced ships travelling east with fresh produce and spices, the latter which helped, quite literally, spice up the food at a time before refrigeration.

As with all of Babylonstoren’s lush landscaping, plants in the Spice Garden are either edible or of medicinal value. The main spices that were traded on these long sea journeys are being exhibited, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, greater galangal, ginger, turmeric and black pepper.

The building’s heating, cooling and humidity controls were designed especially to cater for the plants. The simple steel-framed greenhouse features polycarbonate plastic glazing, which helps it retain heat and protects the plants from UV rays.

Sunken planting areas surround a wooden deck which sits above a heated fish pond that serves to increase the humidity levels. To lower the temperature, cold water is run over the “wet wall” – the 8 m-long 24-seater granite dining table centrepiece – with air blown onto it.

Image credit: Dook

This pond, as well as two aquariums which have been raised to stand above the deck, contain exotic fish from tropical Asia that have been carefully selected for both their ornamental value and social compatibility. Guests can spot zebrafish, the tinfoil barb, paradise fish and the bala shark, amongst others.

Follow Babylonstoren on Instagram (@babylonstoren) for updates of the estate and news of its seasonal events and offerings. 

The post Cool Spaces: Babylonstoren Spice Garden appeared first on Visi.

A total of 54 entries were received this year, and the assessment panel was encouraged by the diversity of the projects submitted. Following several assessment meetings, the panel visited a total of 24 shortlisted projects, settling on the final seven to receive awards.

Seeking to foster architectural excellence and acknowledging buildings that set architectural standards in the Western Cape, the variety evidenced in the winners was impressive. Said president of the Cape Institute for Architecture, Simmy Peerutin: “In times of recession, it is very encouraging to see such a high level of design and creativity.”

“With three education sector winners on the list this year, it is good to see emphasis placed on creating extraordinary places for learning – and a welcome contrast to the high-end residential sector submissions that have tended to dominate recent years,” Simmy went on.

An agricultural redevelopment, a tertiary education facility, two schools and three private homes, which differ greatly in scale and context – from minimalist to rural, from luxury to compact – the winning projects were:

• Springfield Pre-School Campus, Fra Angelico Art Centre and Jasper Walsh Art Gallery
  Charlotte Chamberlain & Nicola Irving Architect
• Renewal & Redevelopment for Agriculture & Tourism Babylonstoren Farm
  Malherbe Rust Architects
• House Van der Merwe & Coetzee
  Meyer & Vorster Architects, Urban Designers & Interior Designers
• Unisa Phase 2
  MSa michele sandilands architects
• New Additions at St Cyprian’s School
  Noero Wolff & Noero Architects
• De Wet 34, Bantry Bay
  SAOTA – Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects
• House at Johannesdal
  Henri Comrie Architect & Urban Designer

The CIA Award for Architecture winners will go on to compete against the winning projects from all 11 regions in the national South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) Awards next year.

www.cifa.org.za

The post And the Cape Architecture awards 2013 go to… appeared first on Visi.