About Nico van der Meulen Architects
Nico van der Meulen Architects which is situated in Johannesburg, South Africa was established in 1984 by Nico van der Meulen and his wife Santa.
The architectural practice focuses on designing innovative, luxurious homes, both contemporary and traditional, tailored to the tastes and needs of their clients. The company remains at the forefront of design by exploring new forms, pushing the boundaries, and evolving with technology without compromising on the authenticity of the design, aesthetics, materials, and originality.
Nico van der Meulen Architects has designed more than 4000 buildings during the past 40 years, many of which have received international acclaim, some as far afield as the United States of America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Portugal, Australia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, and many African countries. The firm is known for designing many of South Africa’s most beautiful homes.
Values and Philosophy
“In architecture, functionality should always be given higher priority than the form. Considering we spend our entire lives inhabiting the structures we’ve designed rather than admiring their external appearances. Functionalism is our design philosophy and while our facades could have any form and be associated with any style, our buildings will always remain functional.” Nico van der Meulen
It’s carefully considered approach to design and commitment to meeting the requirements of individual clients has led to the practice gaining a reputation for creating luxurious designs from the ground up, or transforming existing residences into innovative and extraordinary homes, tailored to the tastes and needs of its clients.
The company lives and breathes the conviction of a total design philosophy, creating a seamless transition between the exterior and the interior, reducing the scale to finer detail.
This resulted in M Square Lifestyle Design and M Square Lifestyle Necessities being established in association with Nico van der Meulen Architects.
M Square Lifestyle Design is an interior design practice creating bold design solutions while M Square Lifestyle Necessities is an upmarket furniture and décor service with a selection of the finest imported furniture from design studios around the world.
The combination of all three companies’ expertise inspires the architecture of living spaces.
As architects and interior designers the firm specialize in designing up-market residential and exclusive commercial developments for private individuals and companies.
Together with a team of talented and enthusiastic architects, interior designers and experienced support staff, the family-run business has grown into an internationally recognized quality brand. While creating unique homes for unique tastes, the firm strives to capture every client’s vision and express it through breathtaking bespoke designs.
About the Family
The architectural practice was established in 1984 by the owner and founder Nico van der Meulen and his wife Santa. Nico grew up on a farm near the border between South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, He initially studied civil engineering, explored project management, and finally registered as a professional Architect. Nico also received a SAPSA Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Architecture.
Under Nico’s guidance and with his two sons following in his footsteps and joining him, the firm has grown into a family legacy. Each member of the family has established their own reputations within the design industry for their talents in architecture, interior design, decor and art.
Whilst the architectural and interior design projects are managed by Nico, Werner and Margot, Santa together with Rudolph started M Square Lifestyle Necessities, a décor and design showroom specializing in international brands including DOCA, Porro, Alivar, Desalto, Gloster, Lema, Limited Edition, Living Divani, Pallucco, Roda, Viccarbe, Zanotta, and ZeusNoto. Santa, an artist in her own right, is behind most of the captivating paintings featured in the luxury residences designed by Nico van der Meulen Architects.
Together with a team of talented and enthusiastic associates, architects, designers and experienced support staff, the family run business has grown into an internationally recognized quality brand. While creating unique homes for unique tastes, the firm strives to capture every client’s vision and express it through breathtaking bespoke designs.
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