(Graphic: John McCann/M&G)
Ever wondered why the queue to the women’s public toilets is forever stretching around the block while men roll in and out of their facilities with ease? A new line of men begins to form as they wait for their wives, daughters and girlfriends to leave the women’s toilets.
I pondered the question of potty parity in real estate while I was quite literally standing in the restroom queue. It is true that women typically take longer in a bathroom setting than men, but this does not alter the question.
It comes down to design bias. Most of these public spaces, where this issue of long wait times for women is encountered, were designed by men. Men who decided that an equal toilet ratio would be suitable for both genders to make use of. It’s safe to say that female architects were significantly underrepresented when most of these buildings were designed and built.
The American Institute of Architects has published mountains of demographic data about the architecture industry. I read that in 1970, roughly 1% of registered architects in the United States were women. By 1980, this number grew slightly to about 4%. Many of the buildings and their toilet facilities I referred to above were built during this period.
In terms of the architectural sector in South Africa, a 2019 article states that, according to the South African Institute of Architects in the Eastern Cape, only 21% of registered architectural professionals in the country are women.
This is still extremely low.
Without the female perspective in spatial planning, it’s no wonder we are stuck with long restroom queues.
Flash forward to today and I am pleased to see women in all aspects of real estate taking their place at the table and sharing their valuable expertise. There are now more female architects, property developers, brokers, chief executives, and chief financial officers of publicly listed real estate investment trusts, as well as owners of real estate-related service companies, than at any other time in history.
The Leonardo skyscraper, located at 75 Maude Street in Sandton, Johannesburg, is the tallest building in South Africa and the fourth-tallest building in Africa. The building spans 55 floors and is 234m high. It has 232 apartments, nine conference venues, 1 251 parking bays and eight penthouse suites. Some three-storey penthouses have been listed online for sale for a staggering R250 million.
Did you know that a predominantly female team designed the tallest building in South Africa? Nine out of the 11 architects were women. They include Catharine Atkins, Malika Walele, Salome Daley, Janel Venter, Megan Holman, Angela Barnard, Keitsitse Losaba, Antonella Giuricich and Rachel Zwane.
The main contractor for this development was Aveng Grinaker-LTA and the architects were Co-Arc International Architects. They broke ground on 17 November 2015, and the development was completed in 2019.
Amenities inside this mixed-use tower include restaurants, bars, a spa and a gym, a Montessori crèche and a swimming deck.
Alto234 is a bar at the top of the Leonardo offering sensational 360-degree views of Johannesburg (especially beautiful when the jacarandas are in bloom and the landscape is a sea of purple). This is the highest bar in Africa.
Among the residential apartments, retail and office space is the Legacy Hotels & Resorts 240-room hotel.
The art collection displayed throughout the building is impressive. More than 100 contemporary African artists were asked to create unique works specifically for this building. There are close to 1 500 unique artworks displayed on the interior walls.
A notable piece is the entrance area’s chandelier with more than 80 000 squares of hand-assembled metal. The artwork is titled The Ancestor, which was curated, commissioned and directed by The Trinity Session. Half a tonne of copper, stainless steel and brass was used to create this stand-out piece. These materials were inspired by Johannesburg, the City of Gold.
Another notable artwork is the tall, colourful artwork by Mbongeni Buthelezi. This artist heated plastic to create an oil-painting effect.
Another notable building whose design team was woman-led is the Mall of Africa. Completed in 2016, this shopping mall is famous for its size — 131 038m2 — and being the largest single-phase mall developed in South Africa.
Tia Kanakakis was the principal designer at MDS Architecture. The mall’s design reflects Africa’s unique geological characteristics and landscapes.
It includes different sections, such as the Oleum Court, which represents the oil-rich regions of West Africa; the Great Lakes Court, symbolising East Africa; the Crystal Court, showcasing Southern Africa’s mineral resources; and the Sand Court, which captures the essence of the desert dunes found in North Africa.
The mall is home to more than 300 shops and 6 500 parking bays and has won multiple awards for its design.
Last, I want to praise Ashleigh Killa, the co-founder of The MAAK, an architectural studio based in Cape Town. They were responsible for designing a TB testing lab for the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in Masiphumelele, Cape Town. I wrote about this lab a few years ago because I was (and still am) a huge fan of the bold design.
Thanks to this lab, the foundation can advance its research on this illness while also providing support to the local community.
The building was built in 2019 and spans 500m2.
Cheers to Ashleigh and her team for being trailblazers in aesthetically pleasing design for public infrastructure that serves the communities most in need. I wish more designers of public infrastructure would be inspired by her approach when it comes to the design of a site like this. Just because it’s public infrastructure does not mean we need to put up some depressing, brutalist blob.
In a field long dominated by men, the women I’ve highlighted stand as powerful reminders that architectural brilliance knows no gender.
Their work, rooted in innovation and social awareness, is not only shaping the skylines of South Africa but also transforming the way we inhabit our spaces. These women architects are designing more than buildings; they are building futures that are inclusive, sustainable and undeniably bold. As their effect ripples through communities and across generations, one thing becomes clear: the future of South African architecture is not only female, it’s visionary.
Ask Ash examines South Africa’s property, architecture and living spaces. Continue the conversation with her on email ([email protected]) and X (@askashbroker).