What dhk Architects does

dhk Architects is a multidisciplinary architectural, urban design, and interior design studio established in 1998 through the merger of Derick Henstra Architects and KCvR Architects. Headquartered in Cape Town with a second studio in Johannesburg, the firm employs a team of over 140 professionals delivering full-service architectural, urban design, and interior design projects from concept through construction. Sister company dhk Interior Design (dhki), formed via a 2022 merger with Peg Design, specialises in interior architecture and FF&E detailing. The studio serves residential, hospitality, commercial office, education, retail, and mixed-use sectors, with active project delivery in South Africa, across the African continent, the Indian Ocean Islands, the UAE, and internationally.

The studio's core capabilities are anchored by dedicated in-house teams in Building Information Modelling (BIM), 3D visualisation, and computational design, supported by an internal AI Forum exploring AI applications across design workflows. A published in-house BIM handbook codifies methodology across projects. Outputs are project-based deliverables including mixed-use precincts (Longkloof Precinct, Conradie Park, Old Cape Quarter), commercial headquarters (Capitec Bank HQ), hotels and hospitality (Drostdy Hotel, Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof, Nobu at One&Only), education facilities (UWC Life Sciences, Parklands College), and high-density residential developments (The Rubik). The firm is consistently awarded across SAIA, SAPOA, CIfA, API, Architizer A+, Awwwards, and FWA programmes and is ranked 109th largest globally by World Architecture 100.

The business model is professional services fee-based, with revenue earned per project from property developers, financial institutions (Capitec Bank), government, and international hospitality operators. The firm is privately held and became part of the 10N Collective, an architecture/urbanism/design network assembled by global infrastructure group Egis, in 2025. Geographic mix spans South Africa, East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania), West Africa (Ivory Coast), Indian Ocean Islands (Mauritius, Seychelles), and the Middle East (UAE), with anchor long-term clients in real estate, banking, and hospitality.

Name

dhk Architects

Legal name

dhk Architects

Website

https://dhk.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

dhk Architects is a Cape Town-based multidisciplinary design studio of 140+ architects, urban designers, and interior designers delivering residential, hospitality, mixed-use, commercial, and education projects across South Africa, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, and the UAE, now part of the Egis-led 10N Collective.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban design services
• Interior design services
• Building information modelling
• Sustainable architecture consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional fees for architectural services from concept to construction, working directly with developers, corporations, and government clients on building projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

dhk Architects is a multidisciplinary design studio delivering full-lifecycle architectural, urban design, and interior design services for hospitality, residential, office, mixed-use, education, retail, and public sector projects. The firm provides professional services from concept design through to practical completion, supported by in-house BIM, 3D visualisation, sustainability, and computational design capabilities, with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg and project delivery across Africa and internationally.

Product overview

dhk Architects operates as a multidisciplinary architectural studio offering architecture, urban design, and interior design services through its main practice and sister company dhk Interior Design (dhki). The studio provides a comprehensive design service spanning from initial concept through to construction completion, supported by specialized capabilities in sustainability, BIM (Building Information Modelling), 3D visualization, and graphic design. The practice was established in 1998 and joined the 10N collective under Egis Group in 2024. With studios in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the firm delivers projects throughout South Africa and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design for buildings and structures, from concept through construction, serving residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, and public sector clients across South Africa and internationally.
• Urban Design Services Integrated masterplanning and urban design services that prioritise people, promote inclusive public spaces, and build vibrant, healthy communities, including precinct regeneration and public realm strategies.
• dhk Interior Design (dhki) Interior architecture and design services creating spaces with lasting value through materiality, sustainable design, and sophisticated detailing. Operates as a sister company following the 2022 merger with Peg Design and serves commercial, hospitality, and high-end residential clients.
• Sustainability Consulting Services Embedding environmental principles throughout the design process from project inception, including green building certifications (Green Star Accredited Professionals), creating outcomes that enhance health, economic, and social value.
• Graphic Design and Wayfinding Branding, environmental graphics, wayfinding, and marketing collateral design services for architectural projects, led by the in-house Head of Graphic Design.

Named customers8 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 10N Collective (Egis Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerdhk Architects joined 10N, a collective of expert practices in the fields of urbanism, architecture and design, brought together by Egis Group. This partnership expands dhk's global presence as part of a larger international collective.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Heatherwick Studio: Design-led studio with a similar human-centred philosophy and comparable scale to dhk. While more focused on UK/international cultural and hospitality commissions, it represents a conceptual peer in design approach and brand-led positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Global design-led architecture firm competing with dhk for premium African hospitality, mixed-use, and urban design commissions, but operating at much larger scale with substantially broader geographic reach.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm that competes with dhk for major commercial, mixed-use, and workplace commissions across multiple regions, but operates with a much larger headcount and broader service portfolio.
• Snøhetta: Multidisciplinary design studio combining architecture, landscape, and interiors with comparable design-led positioning to dhk but materially larger scale and global footprint.
• BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group): Global design-led architecture firm pursuing premium urban and mixed-use projects. Overlaps with dhk in the high-end design space, though at materially greater scale and with a much broader project pipeline.

Direct peers

• Noero Wolff Architects: Award-winning Cape Town architecture studio with comparable design ethos and select project scale. Overlaps with dhk in cultural, public, and residential commissions and competes for similar Cape Town-based clientele.
• SAOTA: Cape Town-based, design-led architecture studio with similar scale, premium positioning, and international footprint. Comparable services across residential, hospitality, and high-end commercial architecture, and directly competes for marquee African commissions.
• KMH Architects: South African architectural practice competing for similar commercial, hospitality, and residential commissions in the local market, with comparable service offerings and project scale.
• Paragon Architects: South African architectural practice with comparable scope across commercial, residential, mixed-use, and interior design. Direct competitor for similar property developer and corporate clients in the South African market.
• Boogertman + Partners: Major South African architecture firm covering commercial, residential, hospitality, and interior design. Directly competes with dhk for similar developer-led projects across South Africa and the continent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/dhkarchitects
• Facebookfacebook.com/dhkarchitecture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dhk-architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/dhkarchitects
• Pinterestza.pinterest.com/dhkarchitects
• Xx.com/dhkarchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about dhk Architects