African Design Magazine September 2015 | Page 72

MMA Design Studio is a Johannesburg-based award-winning Architecture studio founded by owner and architect Mphethi Morojele as MMA Architects in 1995. Can you give us a history of the practice? MMA Design Studio was first started as Mphethi Morojele Architects in 1995. It then became Mphethi Morojele and Associates (MMA) Architects in 1998 and was rebranded as MMA design Studio in 2014. Mphethi Morojele is founder and owner of the practice which has various associates. What do you believe differentiates your work from other practices? MMA was formed just after the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994 and was one of the practices which at the time were at the forefront of transforming our cities and public architecture away from an apartheid and segregated past. In architectural terms this required courage and innovation and going back to “firstprinciples” of design, an experience the firm uses in practice up to today as key differentiator. The practice became involved in a number of “firsts” for the new Democracy, first Embassy built overseas, first national legacy 72 africandesignmagazine.com and heritage project, first traditional healers market in Johannesburg etc. What would you rate as MMA Design Studio’s top projects to date? • SA Embassy in Berlin, Germany • SA Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia • Freedom Park Heritage site, Pretoria • Faraday intermodal and market Precinct • Ellis Park Urban regeneration project (See next spread for images) What do you have in store for the next twelve months? The next twelve months sees the roll out of an expansion beyond South Africa’s borders to countries such as Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Nigeria and possibly The Gambia and Uganda. What about African design inspires you? We are inspired by an African design that is syncretic, able to absorb many different influences yet remains of Africa, her history, peoples and landscapes.