Alan Walt qualified in 1977, and began working as an architect in Cape Town, honing his craft and putting his stamp on buildings across the city. His mother was a respected interior designer in her own right and had always been a great inspiration. Alan was lucky enough to have her join him in his business for 15 years, and he learnt a great deal from her. Her talents as an interior designer, and Alan’s skills as an architect, made them a formidable team. Together, they tackled home design projects with skill and creativity. An approach that Alan lives by still.

Over the years, Alan Walt’s portfolio has grown to include everything from luxurious homes on the Atlantic Seaboard, to government buildings, the refurbishment of medium commercial buildings in the CBD, and student housing. He enjoys a challenge, and his powerful creative process is well-suited to solving engineering dilemmas, building houses on steep inclines and creating flexible spaces that suit their context.

A Unique Perspective On The Home Design Process

Having worked for local and international clients, Alan Walt is a Cape Town architect that’s well versed in designing homes that meet a range of needs. He believes that every home design should be both aesthetically pleasing and functional, and that the architectural process is a journey.

This journey is one he shares with his clients and is something he’s compared to being the conductor of an orchestra. Alan brings together different elements and backgrounds to create a design that’s a visual symphony.

He views every building that he designs as a backdrop for creating memories, and whether it’s an historical building or a brand-new home, he brings personality to the fore.

Ideas, Inspiration, and A Focus On Going Green

Citing Louis Kahn as his biggest influence, Alan is also greatly inspired by the homogeneous architectural ensemble in the city of Sanaʽa, in Yemen. He adores architecture that breaks the mould and that gets people talking.

He has a preference for designing buildings with curves and loves exploring new ways of putting walls together. His keen interest in technology and the advancement of building materials also makes him ideal for eco-friendly or sustainable design projects. He’s worked on projects that have included sustainable elements, including solar heating and double glazing, and is looking forward to branching out in this sector as it grows.

Alan Walt is always keen to break new ground and to think out the box.

He considers the context of every building, the cultural elements, and the social fabric of every house design or building project that he’s involved in. He doesn’t believe in shortcuts and prefers a straight-shooting attitude. Architecture should never take short cuts, and Alan embraces the complex route, as design shouldn’t be a purely linear exercise.

As a Cape Town architect, he’s had to adopt a diverse approach to accommodate the various elements of the Mother City, from the weather to the varying lifestyles. Plus, he always considers the ecological aspects of a building and the concept of biomimicry –

“the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modelled on biological entities and processes”

While his work will always stand out as being exceptional, it will fit in perfectly too.

A top architect in Cape Town, Alan Walt is excited about future projects and the expertise and passion for design that he can bring to the table.