Team

André Eksteen

André, multi-award winning co-director and resident office ‘father’, started the practice with Braam de Villiers in October 2000, following on a successful career both academically and in practice. When he is not travelling up a mountain or biking down a pass, André spends his time suffering from severe OCD when it comes to ensuring that the full potential of every design is achieved and developed to the finest and best possible level of detail – continuously guaranteeing this through his signature hands-on approach. He is constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be imagined, built and made and always makes sure his employees are well fed.

Braam de Villiers

Braam, with his extensive and multi-award winning experience across many fields of architecture, both academically and in practice, is co-director at Earthworld since October 2000, when he started the practice with André Eksteen. Being well travelled and always engaging with people and place, Braam is also the boss when it comes to culture, music and food, the latter usually fresh from his prized vegetable garden. Environmental sustainability is core to his architectural belief system and he keeps us all at Earthworld sharp in terms of our ecological responsibility, historical knowledge and practical know-how.

Madelaine Haycock

Madelaine, a University of Technology Graduate, has been with the Earthworld team for 8 years and has an extensive repertoire of projects behind her name. Hard working, strong willed and diligent, she has mastered the difficult art of dealing with council and regulatory issues and has run a wide range of aspects within the practice with great fastidiousness.

Cynthia Nkosi

Cynthia, born and raised in Mamelodi and a former Tshwane University of Technology student, has been with the Earthworld team for 8 years, and has brought a great number of exciting architectural projects to life. She is also known as the resident software and tech wizard and if there’s something you don’t know how to draw, model or illustrate on any given platform, you can bet Cynthia does.

Laurika Brümmer

From her sensitive approach to heritage to a playful sense of fashion – Laurika loves all things vintage and retro. Completing her undergraduate studies in 2010 and receiving cum laude her Master’s degree in Interior Architecture in 2016; she believes in the interior as the heart of a building and the most important aspect of architecture – clearly manifesting in her incredible sense for design and technical resolve.

ARNé GUNTER

Arné, originally from Richards Bay and a Tshwane University of Technology graduate has built up an impressive architectural portfolio since joining Earthworld in 2012. He is a software dynamo able to bring the most wildly imaginative concepts into reality with his computing skills. Add this to his passion for photography and craft and you’ve got a winning combination. 

Petri van Wyk

An artist who spends his mornings sculpting with brick & concrete, & his evenings painting abstract acrylic portraits, Petri is the quintessential Architect Artist. Having escaped Middelburg to complete his Masters in Architecture at the University of Pretoria, Petri enjoys certain symptoms from a constant bout of Wanderlust, a strong desire to live & experience everything this world has to offer, which he brings through in the architecture he creates.

Jan-Adriaan van Rooyen

Our in-house rockstar, Jan-Adriaan is the gin to our tonic. Somehow managing to keep a seemingly infinite number of balls in the air at the same time, Jan-Adriaan is constantly looking for order in chaos, & from that, he draws beauty from anything he engages with. With a Honours degree in Architecture from the University of Pretoria, Jan-Adriaan finds his muse somewhere between the lines of his sketches, & the strings of his guitar.

Mieke van Rooyen

For many interior designers & architects, design isn't left behind an office desk, its rather something to be carefully nurtured every hour of the day, affecting every aspect of our lives. For Mieke, the crafting of interior design has been at the very center of her character, even before completing her undergraduate degree in Interior Architecture at the University of Pretoria. With a strong focus in the people at the core of her designs, Mieke enjoys the crafting of spaces & objects, bespoked to the needs of every client.

Adri Smith

A calm head while the rest of the office is somewhere up in the clouds, Adri keeps our feet planted firmly on the ground, which in itself, is quite an achievement. Expect to find Adri running around the office, making sure everything runs like a well-oiled machine, even when some of us attempt to throw a spanner into the works.

Titus Sekoati

Creativity doesn't manifest in the same way from one person to the next for many. for Titus, thinking about design is directly linked to it's immediate making, which is no where more true than in the awe-inspiring sketches Titus creates. With a background in product design & an undergraduate degree in Interior Design from Tshwane University of Technology, Titus has a flare for bringing thoughts to life.

Lianelle Janse van Vuuren

After getting her bachelor’s degree in Architecture at the University of the Free State, Lianelle came back to Pretoria to share her new-found knowledge with the capital; this newest member of the team tackles every challenge with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. 

GIA VENTOURIS 

The newest member to the team, Gia – a passionate BA Interior Design Graduate and a proud South African Greek; Gia uses her true appreciation for local raw materials and craftsmanship to design and transform interior spaces and enhance daily life. Her attention to detail, computer modeling skills and love for traveling to experience her architectural, natural and cultural surroundings fuels her timeless sense of design and imaginative spirit.

“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” - Aristotle.

André Uys

This fresh graduate from the University of Pretoria joined our office with a persisting passion for architecture. A complete perfectionist and always dressed to impress, but make no mistake, Andre’s love for nature and hands on mentality on the construction site helps get things done - even when it means getting a little dirt under the nails. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it - Be bold and Dream Big.

Chris de Bruin

One of our newest interns, Chris joined our team in 2019 after graduating at the University of Pretoria and has since shown an infectious passion for the architectural discourse. Constantly sketching, modeling on the computer or on the cutting mat; he’s able to rapidly generate and develop ideas with rigor - always with context in mind.

Lizzy Skosana

The glue that holds the office together, if it weren’t for Lizzy the office would be in a perpetual state of comatose. They say behind every great man is a woman doing the real work, well in Lizzy’s case that saying rings true for an entire office.