Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa May/June 2015 | Page 77

MINIMA
Ten years ago eyebrows were raised among
architectural circles at the concept of timber
specialisation. Fortunately that didn’t deter
Jacques Cronje, a self-taught designer with a
background in building science who’s made
his mark creating beautiful timber homes
across South Africa. Having learned
the ropes from specialist design-andbuild companies in Knysna, he went
on to establish a practice, Jacques
Cronje Timber Design, in Cape Town.
Today, Jacques’s deep respect
for nature and curiosity in structure
has materialised into his latest creative
endeavour, minima; bespoke, digitallycrafted timber light shades and furniture.
With no need for glue or metal fixings due to a delicate clip-in system,
minima are elegantly simple, statement pieces that have caught the
attention of industry specialists and interior retailers locally and
abroad. And this is only the beginning. An aficionado of creating all
things timber, be it customised houses or home interiors, Jacques’s
creative future looks bright both as a designer and maker.

About minima
minima is a range of digitally-crafted timber light
shades and furniture. Made using only fine grained
cnc cut Birch plywood, the pieces clip together using
nothing but tension and compression. Influenced
by the simplicity of Scandi-design, minima adds an
under-stated elegance to any interior or corporate
space. Originally makers of stylish pendant lights,
today minima boasts a range of 17 ceiling light
styles - available in sizes between 180mm
diameter up to 1m diameter – as well as a new
furniture range that follows the same cliptogether system.
Based in West Lake, Cape Town, minima
is just three years old but has already shown
twice at the annual Design Indaba expo
and been selected by CBI, a Dutch-funded
organisation to help export South African designers
into the EU. In August 2015 minima will show in Johannesburg at 100%
Design as well as SARCDA before gearing up for the international
trade shows in 2016.

NEW BELGOTEX SHOWROOM A
FLAGSHIP FOR DESIGN
BELGOTEX FLOORS have revamped the showroom at
their Pietermaritzburg Head Office, transforming it into a
flagship of design that showcases their broad selection of
products perfectly.
A stunning display of modern open plan design, the
bright and bold interior is a visual feast of creative
“interconnectedness” perfectly aligned to BELGOTEX
FLOORS’ new brand identity.
“We wanted a light, bright and exciting space that inspires
designers and visitors to use our products in interesting
ways,” said Frank Moffat, CEO of BELGOTEX FLOORS.
In line with international trends towards more organic,
flowing interiors – or “the interconnected workplace”
as designer Tim Prins puts it - the massive expanse was
carved up using visual cues on the floor rather than
physical barriers like walls. Bright colourful accents and
various types of floors demarcate different zones, while
large double volume glass windows and doors add natural
light and height to the strong architectural elements.
Functional and fashionable tufted tiles in light and dark
grey from the versatile Mod Design collection welcome
you into the showroom, while random colour-blocks of
bright, patterned tiles