Bert Pepler Architects

Bert Pepler Architects is a boutique architecture and interior design studio in Kenilworth, Cape Town, known for carefully crafted homes and refined spaces that respond to their setting. Working across Cape Town, the Western Cape, and selected locations beyond, the practice has built a reputation for thoughtful design that balances contemporary living with enduring architectural character. From riverfront retreats in St Francis Bay to coastal holiday homes in Camps Bay, Bert Pepler Architects focuses on residential projects that feel both grounded in their landscape and comfortable to inhabit every day. The studio partners with homeowners, holiday home investors, and families based in South Africa and abroad, guiding them from early concept to completed building, with an emphasis on clarity, collaboration, and detail. Rooted in Kenilworth, the practice draws on the rich architectural heritage of Cape Town and the Cape vernacular, while interpreting it in a modern way. The result is work that feels timeless rather than trend driven, with strong forms, layered textures, and a constant awareness of climate, light, and views.

Services & Specialties

As an architecture and interior design practice in Kenilworth, Bert Pepler Architects offers a full spectrum of services tailored predominantly to residential clients. This includes concept design, spatial planning, architectural detailing, and interior design integration, ensuring that the exterior architecture and interior spaces work in harmony from the outset. Whether the brief is a new build, a substantial alteration, or a sensitive remodelling of an existing home, the team approaches each commission with the same level of rigour and care. The studio is particularly experienced in holiday homes, coastal houses, and riverfront properties, where orientation, wind, sun, and views must be carefully balanced. Projects such as river houses in St Francis Bay and a reimagined coastal home in Camps Bay illustrate a signature approach: courtyard-driven layouts, sheltered outdoor living areas, and generous glazing that allow interiors to open fully to the landscape when conditions are ideal, while still providing refuge and privacy when needed. Materiality is another hallmark of Bert Pepler Architects in Cape Town. The firm often works with white bagged brickwork, timber pergolas, broad timber decks, and finely detailed joinery, combining tactile surfaces with crisp lines to create spaces that feel both robust and refined. This attention to texture, light, and proportion is carried into the interiors, where finishes, colours, and built-in elements are considered as part of a unified architectural language.

Why Choose Bert Pepler Architects

• - Integrated architecture and interior design: Exterior form, interior layout, finishes, and details are developed together, resulting in cohesive homes rather than disconnected parts.
• Proven residential and holiday home expertise: Strong portfolio of riverfront and coastal houses, including remodels and new builds tailored to both local and international clients.
• Climate and site responsive design: Careful consideration of wind, orientation, and views, with courtyards, pergolas, and sliding glazed openings that maximise comfort and outdoor living.
• Timeless, context-aware aesthetic: Contemporary interpretation of Cape vernacular elements, using familiar forms and materials in a way that feels modern yet enduring.
• Collaborative project approach: Regular coordination with engineers, landscape architects, quantity surveyors, and contractors to support a smooth journey from concept to completion.
• Cape Town based, regionally experienced: A Kenilworth studio with experience across Cape Town and the Western Cape, with the capacity to manage projects for both local and overseas owners.

Location & Accessibility

Bert Pepler Architects is located in Kenilworth, Cape Town, a well-connected southern suburb that sits between the city’s mountain slopes and the broader Southern Suburbs corridor. The studio is conveniently positioned for clients from surrounding neighbourhoods such as Claremont, Wynberg, and Newlands, as well as those travelling from central Cape Town or other parts of the Western Cape. With its accessible suburban setting and proximity to major routes, meeting at the Kenilworth office is straightforward whether you are a local homeowner or visiting from out of town.

Get in Touch

If you are planning a new home, a coastal or riverfront retreat, or a carefully considered remodelling of an existing property, Bert Pepler Architects in Kenilworth, Cape Town is available to explore your brief and discuss next steps. Visit their studio or reach out via their online contact channels to start a conversation about turning your site and ideas into a tailored architectural project.