Atterbury’s Cape office in the winelands is getting an exciting new home this year. We hear all the details from Gerrit van den Berg, head of development of Atterbury Western Cape.
Why the decision to move the Stellenbosch office?
The decision to move was based purely on additional space required; we’ve simply outgrown the current premises. Although we love our location, and the look and feel of the office, we need more. Our current office only has one boardroom and one small bathroom. Both the bathroom and kitchen area can only be accessed through the boardroom. This has caused some huge inconvenience and laughs over the past three years! We were excited to get the opportunity to buy the La Gratitude Manor House, which is an iconic building; not only a national monument, but the second oldest building in Stellenbosch. It’s not often that you get the opportunity to own such a national treasure in the middle of Dorp Street, Stellenbosch.
Tell us more about the building’s history.
As the name suggests, it was originally built as a homestead, by a Dutch Reformed minister, the Reverend Meent Borcherds. The good dominee’s land stretched all the way down to the banks of the Eerste River and it was out of gratitude for the fertile land and its plentiful crops of wine grapes, that Borcherds named his home La Gratitude. In honour of the way the Lord looked over the Borcherds family, he had an image of the Lord’s all-seeing eye imprinted in the pilastered gable – you can still see it if you look above the front door’s intricate fanlight.
How extensive are the renovations? What exactly is being changed?
Since it’s a heritage building, very limited work can be done on the outside. The exterior facades can only be maintained and no alterations will be allowed. The building used to house a restaurant and we’re converting it into around 1 000sqm shared office spaces and a smaller, 200sqm, restaurant. Atterbury will be on the first floor, with our own kitchen and bathrooms as well as two dedicated boardrooms.
We had realised that there are a lot of smaller offices around Stellenbosch with the same needs as ours: we have only five employees and can’t justify a receptionist and a full-time cleaner. So with the new spaces the office rental will include cleaning services, a common receptionist as well as shared boardroom and breakaway areas. We have signed up tenants with three to eight people who want hassle-free access to prime office space just like we do. We’re also implementing a 20-seater open-plan shared space where someone can rent a desk on a month-to-month basis.
Who are the contractors who will be doing the work this time round?
We have appointed Dempers Master Builders. They are specialists in the field and have extensive experience in heritage buildings.
Atterbury’s Pretoria head office recently unveiled the impressive Angus Taylor “Son of the soil” statue… are you planning any new art acquisitions for Stellenbosch?
We are busy with the interior planning and have already acquired some exquisite pieces of antique furniture, some of which date back to the early 1900s. Although we will be making use of the latest technology, the building will have a manor-house theme with antique furniture.
What is the timeline for the revamp – has the work started? When will it be complete?
We’ve received approval from Heritage Western Cape for the maintenance and upgrades of the interior portion, where the offices will go. Work has commenced and first tenants will trade from 1 March 2019. The second-phase application will include the building portion of the restaurant as well as the exterior works. We are hoping to receive approval this month with completion in April 2019.
What does the team think of the plans? Did they have input into the design?
Since we’re a small team, we are designing our office component together. Everyone is very excited… especially about the new bathroom arrangements…!
