About
Historically the two practices were responsible for many landmark projects within the South African context, including Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, Wembley Square and the Cape Town Stadium. The practice has undertaken many projects in Africa – Nigeria, Ghana, The DRC, Somalia, Zambia and Malawi – and its neighbours, such as the Seychelles, as well as providing outsourcing skills for many projects in the UK.
The Practice prides itself in the qualitative skills of its employees, and tries to ensure that every team member provides a unique contribution to each project.
Meet
the team
Meet the team
The day-to-day management of the practice is spearheaded by Directors Simmy Peerutin and Tarryn Cohen, who also oversee the efficient running of the projects, whether at conceptual stage or for buildings that are under construction. David Peerutin, who is Design Director, oversees the strong design ethos that the practice pursues, ensuring that the practice produces consistently well-crafted buildings. The fourth Director, Dr. Eitan Karol is responsible for business development and marketing our practice as an outsourcing resource in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
Underlying the Directorate is a small team of experienced and dedicated Associates. They apply technical and qualitative leadership to the projects, ensuring that the staff of twenty architects and technicians have focus on meeting the goals that are the cornerstone of each project.
All projects undergo regular peer review, so that team members are constantly informed of any changes, and are aware of issues that may have arisen.
Simmy Peerutin
Director – Management
He has extensive expertise in the management of large and complex commercial architecture projects, has a passion for management and programming of information, and spearheads the overall strategy of the architectural practice.
In 2010 Simmy was made Vice President of the Cape Institute for Architecture and in 2013 he served as President. He is currently the chair of the SAIA Practice Committee and a member of the JBCC Technical Committee.
David Peerutin
He has a particular interest in interiors and space planning, but has an extensive and varied design portfolio. Some of those projects include luxury houses, hotels, call centres, apartment blocks and office parks. David has designed buildings throughout Sub-Saharan Africa including Somalia, Ghana, and Nigeria. He continues to strive for excellence in design, while understanding the clients’ specific needs, the context, and the technical and practical elements of the project.
Tarryn Cohen
Director – Management
Tarryn was made Partner in 2017 and works alongside Simmy in managing the practice. Her strength is organization, management, coordination and the delivery of projects, and she also oversees hiring, resource planning, programming and compliance of projects.
Tarryn’s experience is largely commercial, and includes the Radisson Red Hotel, the Queen Victoria Hotel, a 14,000m2 call centre, and various office buildings and apartment blocks. She also leads Peerutin Karol’s outsourcing projects in the UK, and design projects in West Africa.
Dr. Eitan Karol
Having grown up in his father’s architectural studio, Louis Karol Architects, Eitan has worked in the firm’s offices in London, Tel Aviv and Johannesburg and went on to take over the reins in 2010. He was committed to corporate social responsibility and education at Louis Karol and led the practice’s various development programmes. Eitan is focused on business development for Peerutin Karol, both in South Africa and abroad.
Henning Van As
With experience ranging from large-scale urban design, sustainability, and transport infrastructure projects at ARG Design and Luyanda Mpahlwa Design Space Africa, to residential projects for private clients, Henning joined Peerutin in 2015. He has worked closely with Design Director David Peerutin on all design and concept development of projects in the office. In 2018 he was appointed as Associate, with the responsibility of ensuring the continued design excellence throughout all aspects of the office.
With a strong affinity to the technical side of design and understanding of BIM, he now leads as the Director ensuring that the design concepts are effectively translated into technical documentation and buildable solutions.
Giovanni Pivetta
After studying Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Heritage at the University of Parma, Giovanni furthered his studies with a degree in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan.
Giovanni refined his design skills by working in Italian architectural practices during and after his university years, where he immersed himself in projects spanning private and public buildings, sports facilities, and urban planning.
In 2014, Giovanni embarked on a new journey by relocating to South Africa, where he joined Peerutin Karol, working on the design of high-end single residential, estates, hotels, and commercial buildings. In 2022 he was appointed as associate responsible for the development of architectural design, competitions, and overseeing the office graphic standards.
Now, as director alongside David, Giovanni guides the studio’s design direction. His international experience and a keen eye for detail ensure innovation and high standards across all aspects of our architectural practice.
Lance Muller
Lance has an eye for detail and ensures that the construction technology aspects of all projects are coordinated and integrated within the BIM protocols of the office. This includes supporting the respective project teams and promoting BIM and technical excellence throughout the practice.
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Commercial
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The Studio
Take a look behind the scenes and meet the team of Peerutin Karol.