ANDY HORN
Andy Horn is a qualified professional architect with over 25 years of experience with the design and construction of natural buildings. With a passion for the environment, he established his own architectural practice in 1998, called Eco Design – Architects & Consultants.
​
The practice has had a strong emphasis on the use of local natural materials, involving user participation and on-site training. Andy has often had to apply a personal hands-on approach to parts of the construction, involving physical building and training work. This continues to inform his art in the use of natural materials especially in straw bale, earth building and masonry dome construction.
Aside from practicing architecture, he has written numerous articles, published papers and photographs as well as illustrated books and pamphlets. He has also been a key note speaker and exhibited both locally and internationally. He also gives lectures on environmental design and holds natural building and participatory design workshops.
Director & Principle Architect
BAS (UCT 1990), B.Arch (UCT 1994),
Pr. Arch (SACAP), M. SAIA, M. CIfA
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
March 2005
October 2012
November 1990
June 1995
August 1995
April 1997
November 1998
March 2005
October 2007
Bachelor of Architectural Studies
(University of Cape Town)
Bachelor of Architecture
(University of Cape Town)
Permaculture Design Course
By Permaculture teacher Jeremy Burnhum
(Cape Town)
Diploma in Earth Brick Technology & Production
from CRATterre – EAG
(International Institute for Earth Construction,
University of Grenoble, France in partnership with the
Cape Peninsular Technicon)
Certificate in Eco Village Design
By GEN the Global Eco Village Network
Cape Town
Professional Accreditation,
Registered as Professional Architect
with the South African Council of the Architectural Profession
Became a member of South African Institute of Architecture
Geomancy workshop on the
"Sacred Landscape of Cape Town"
by Marco Pogacnik, Cape Town
Competent Person
Energy Usage in buildings in accordance
with SANS10400 - XA
KEY QUALIFICATIONs
Madeleine
vd berg
Architectural Technologist
Dip. (CPUT 2017)
Pr. ArchT. (SACAP)
Madeleine vd Berg is a registered Architectural Technologist and joined Eco Design - Architects & Consultants in 2016 as an intern, as part of her in-service training. Following her graduation in 2017, she became a full-time member of the team.
​
Inspired by nature and committed to living an eco-conscious lifestyle,
her mission in architecture is rooted in sustainability. She is passionate about using locally sourced, natural materials and integrating passive solar design principles with natural building technologies. Her aim is to create buildings that minimise environmental impact, reduce energy consumption, and promote the health and well-being of their occupants.
​
With Eco Design's founder Andy Horn's guidance, she helps transform his vision of concept designs to council submission and working drawing documentations, assisting with design and problem solving.
Her architectural approach is further enriched by practical, hands-on experience gained through various natural building workshops and projects. These immersive experiences have strengthened her understanding of natural building methodologies, which she integrates into her design and documentation work.
​​
Her journey includes:
-
2015: Adobe Brick Making Course – Rocklands Permaculture Training Centre, Cape Town (hosted by Andy Horn)
-
2017: Sustainable Building Course – Natural Building Collective, Delft, Cape Town
-
2019: Straw Bale Building Workshop – Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal (hosted by Andy Horn)
-
2020–2021: Voluntary participation in natural building projects across the Eastern Cape, driven by her desire for deeper knowledge and hands-on expertise in ecological building practices.
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
November 2017
January 2020
March 2022
Diploma in Architectural Technology
(Cape Peninsula University of Technology)
Professional Accreditation,
Registered as Professional Architectural Technologist
with the South African Council of the Architectural Profession
Competent Person
Energy Usage in buildings in accordance
with SANS10400 - XA
DIJAHN FENNER
Natural Builder
Dijahn Fenner is a natural builder & designer who joined Eco Design - Architects and Consultants in 2025.
​
For close on a decade, he has dedicated himself to the craft of building with earth, stone, clay, straw, and timber. Learning to read landscapes and respond to the quiet intelligence of place. His work is guided by a deep respect for the elements and for our innate ancestral wisdom, which is:
"To understand that shelter is sacred, and that the way we build reflects how we relate to the world."
​
For Dijahn natural building is more than a craft; it is a practice of remembrance, resilience, and reciprocity. It’s about creating spaces that are alive - shaped by local materials, rooted in ecological patterns, and responsive to the people who inhabit them.
​
Dijahn's knowledge is rooted in construction and building details, with a wide range of practical hands-on natural building and plastering techniques. Coupled with design sensitivity, drafting and 3D rendering abilities, as well as communication and workshop facilitation skills, he is a great asset to our team.
