Refurbishing national monument to innovative office space

LA GRATITUDE REFURBISHMENT

In the centre of the historical town, Stellenbosch, a national monument with immense value has brought many tourists to Dorp Street.

La Gratitude, one of the oldest buildings in South Africa, was the homestead of Reverend Meent Borcherds which he built in the year of 1798. The house was very well preserved over the years and in 2018, it was refurbished and converted into small offices with co-working spaces, by a well-known development group. With restrictions on changes to the structure and finishes, due to stringent heritage regulations, the developer had to innovatively create office spaces and at the same time maintain the historical value of the building. There are seven offices located in the building, including meeting rooms, communal coffee stations, informal meeting areas and large surrounding patios. In addition, the building hosts a small Italian restaurant which formed part of Phase 2 of the refurbishment.
RLB provided cost management and quantity surveying services.