The "Tree House" has been voted the best building in South Africa in the first nationwide architectural survey.

The Tree House, in Higgovale Cape Town, was designed by husband-and-wife architectural team Macio Maszewski and Anya van der Merwe Maszewski. The construction attracted 22 percent of the national votes and 48 percent of the votes from Cape Town.

On national level, the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg ranked second, followed by the Boschendal wine estate.

Macio Miszewski of the Tree House said: "We were commissioned to design a house on the slopes of Table Mountain which had a canopy of magnificent spreading umbrella pines. These trees, majestic and sculptural, provided the primary reference and ultimately the structural concept for the house. Five tree-like structures anchor the roof to the ground..."

"These trees are surrounded by an entirely separate lightweight transparent steel-and-glass surrounding envelope supported on a stone base."

Trish Emmett, president of the Institute of Architects, said: "South African architects have so much talent - they need the latitude to explore their roots. Leave Tuscany to the Tuscans!"

A total of 2 500 South Africans were asked by the South African Institute of Architects and Visi magazine to cast their votes for their favourite building. The results were made public on International Architecture Day.

(Source: Star, October 2005)

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