Michael Dall Architects was formed in 1989 and in 2003 it became a company. Michael Dall graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1980. In 1981 he entered into a partnership with Angela Smitheman. In 1984 this partnership was amalgamated with Margie Walsh forming Margie Walsh, Smitheman and Dall.
The partnership was dissolved in 1989 and
the current practice was formed.
The majority of our work has been domestic, covering housing schemes of 600 houses to more up-market individual houses and smaller domestic alterations and additions. Our clients have ranged from developers and contractors, to individuals. We have several small developments in the planning phase.
Our non-domestic work has included a range of farm buildings, including staff housing, offices, workshops, stables, crèches, community kitchens and wineries.
We have designed several entire housing villages for farms, the biggest of which included 23 houses and a community hall and crèche. We have been extensively involved in retirement villages, most notably Helderberg Village and Knysna Lifestyle Estate.
Wineries have included Morgenhof, Neil Ellis Winery, Constantia Glen Winery and Martin Meinert Winery. Several projects have entailed working with national monuments, including Nooitgedacht at Graaff-Reinet, and Rhebokskloof in Paarl. On several projects, existing buildings have been recycled for different uses.
We have at all times been involved in a few commercial projects including factories, service stations, workshops and a gym. We have designed several offices, the most prestigious being Mark Shuttleworth’s South African Headquarters. Other commercial projects include restaurants (Constantia Uitsig, La Colombe, Constantia Uitsig Country Hotel, Café Verdi and Morgenhof), small hotels and lodges, such as La Residence in Franschoek, Birkenhead House in Hermanus, and Tanda Tula bush camp in the Northern Province.
Buildings of a more specific nature include churches, schools, a children’s psychiatric hospital, small clinics with theatre facilities, and a dental laboratory.
We have always believed that we need to give time to the community and have thus been involved in several pro Deo projects including a pre-school in Strandfontein, Khayamandi Boys Home in Langa, and Mkhwezo Junior Secondary School in the Transkei.
Our current workload consists of housing developments, including a retirement village, extensions to a winery, restoration of three Provincial Heritage sites, several large houses, and several domestic alterations (one to a building older than 100 years).
