Stephen Pikus Design Makes
Waves with Unique Lighting
Since Architect and Builder first featured Stephen Pikus Design in 2015, the company has come a long
way. Transforming recyled materials such as glass and air filters into stunning lighting designs with the
help of a talented group of staff (many previously without work) that Stephen has trained himself,
Stephen is going places. We caught up with Stephen to find out what he’s been up to.
S
ays Stephen, “The first time you published us
seems like a lifetime ago, when in fact it was just
a few years as so much has happened. Initially
this all started when I moved back to Joburg from
volunteering at an NGO in Limpopo for many
years, and I made the initial fixtures in a friend’s
garage. I then employed our first team member when it got too
much for me to do on my own. I have always wanted to give
people opportunity as all of our products are handmade, and with
a little thought and planning it is possible. We worked for a year
with an NGO based in Boksburg trying to help young people with
addiction problems by getting them involved in the manufacturing
process. Initially we shared a space with a friend who had a
factory in Sebenza, Joburg. We then moved to a self-storage unit
just off London Road in Alexandra, which became two units, then
four and eventually 8. After a hijacking incident, the team that
now consisted of twelve, decided to move out of the area and
after sharing again in Boksburg for a year, we finally moved into
our own awesome studio and workshop in Modderfontein. We
have just taken on thirty young learners for a year with a company
called UnlockD (www.unlockd.co.za) as part of a program to give
young people work experience for a year, after which some will
remain in full time employment with us, while others will have
had hands-on work experience for a year, a reference for their
CV’s and have earned some money while doing it.
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International Exposure
In the past few years we have exhibited many times at design
related trade shows, including once in Melbourne and Zurich and
twice in New York. Over the next year we are planning to add to
that number of international exhibitions and begin to grow our
online business as well.
High Profile Clients
Mainly due to us exhibiting at trade shows, we have met and
worked with many of SA’s top interior designers and architects
on some incredible residential as well as commercial projects,
some of those including two huge projects at AB InBev (former
SAB), Bridgestone, Nike, Tsogo Sun, Investec and Consol
Glass. We have contributed to some incredible restaurants
such as Fortis Bar and Grill at the new Sun International Menlyn
Maine complex as well as some really cool installations in
the Barnyard Theatres at Gold Reef City, Emperors Palace,
Silverstar and Sun Coast casino. In addition we also supplied
huge lighting components on two incredible Spa revamps – one
at the iconic Saxon Hotel, Villa and Spa and the other a beautiful
refurbishment for the new owners of the Santé Wellness Retreat
in Franschhoek.
One of the most exciting recent commercial projects was
working on property developers Legaro Properties’s new head
office at 78 Corlett Drive – the first building in Africa to receive a
Stephen Pikus