CSC new call centre


The sixth floor of the Humanities building was refurbished to accommodate the Call Centre of the Client Services Centre.

Yolanda van der Vyver

Yolanda van der Vyver demonstrated academic promise from a young age when she matriculated in 1985 with cum laude. She received the Standard Bank Merit Award in 1987, studied with a University of Pretoria Bursary during 1987, 1996 and 1998 and was awarded a bursary from the HRSC in 1998 and 1999. She acquired her bachelors degree in architecture in 1995 and completed her BA Hons (French) in 1996. Her Masters in Architecture in 2002 was also completed at the University of Pretoria wherein she researched the curriculum of South African History in Architecture. Throughout her career as architect, she continuously remained in contact with the University of Pretoria on a part-time basis. During the years 1999 through 2003 she presented a course in the History of the Environment to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th year students and was invited to act as external examiner for this subject in 2002 and 2003.

From 1997 till 2002 she was involved with various projects at SV Architects in Pretoria – a firm that mainly specialises in healthcare design. In 2002 she was commissioned to work at HLM Architects in London on the design of the New Derby Hospital in the United Kingdom and in 2005 she worked at HLM in Glasgow, Scotland on the design of the new ACAD hospital, Glasgow.

Apart from her academic activities she penned a number of publications in leading architectural magazines in South Africa. She was approached by Beeld to contribute to a regular feature in Beeld Plus and her first article appeared in July 2005 wherein the debate on indigenous architecture was investigated. Engineering News also published an article on African architecture where she contributed, together with Alan Lipman and Trish Emmett, in a critique of South Africans who follow imported styles in stead of exploring context sensitive designs.

Yolanda registered as an architect in 1998, but has had her own practice since 1996. Her company has been involved in a number of projects including health care facilities, numerous residential projects and group housing schemes and estates. She teamed up with Karlien Thomashoff, an award winning architect, to form Y+K Architects in 2005.

Karlien Thomashoff

Karlien Thomashoff qualified with distinction as an architect in 1992 at the University of Pretoria, RSA.

She completed post-graduate in-service training in the employment of an architecture studio specialising in the corporate sector in Düsseldorf, Germany. This was followed by a short spell locally in the public sector, employment with a large firm specialising in health care design, and a small studio specialising in educational and institutional design.

She registered as a professional architect in 1998 and opened her own studio in 1999. She acts as design specialist in projects ranging in scale from product design to master planning, refurbishments, furniture design, retail interiors, fabric design, space planning and road infrastructure design.

In 1996 she was chosen as a finalist for the bi-annual “SA Rome Scholarship in Architecture” for further studies at the British School of Architecture in Rome. She has been a key member on project teams chosen as finalists in several significant local design competitions, such as the “New Legislature Buildings” in Kimberley, North-Cape, RSA, and the “Transformation of Red Location” in Port-Elizabeth, Eastern-Cape, RSA.

In 2005, in association with MAAA, they were awarded a South African Institute of Architecture National Award of Merit for the design of Diamond Hill Toll Plaza. The project was also selected as the 2005 Over-all Winner of the South African Institute of Steel Construction Steel Awards.

She was the first South African member of DOCOMOMO, and is involved in furthering public awareness of protection of the historic built environment. In 1999 she was instrumental in compiling a publication and exhibition of local buildings of architectural merit.

In 2003 and 2007 she was appointed as adjudicator by the regional institute of architects for the bi-annual Regional Awards of Merit and acted as chairperson of the panel of adjudicators for the Murray and Roberts Des Baker Architectural Student Competition 2006.

Karlien often lectures part-time and frequently acts as examiner to design studios at the University of Pretoria, the Tshwane Unversity of Technology, and the Technical University of the Witwatersrand.
She has authored several articles in mainly trade publications on varied subjects such as historic preservation, technical innovation, and design critique.

Humanities foyer, UP


The Humanities Building of the University of Pretoria is one of the most prominent buildings on campus. A new information desk for the entrance foyer was required to improve the image of the Faculty. Y+K Architects was approached by the dean to tackle the task.

Nerina Ladies' Residence









Y+K Architects won a design competion for additions and alterations to the existing, historical Nerina Residence, for the University of Pretoria. Phase A included adding a new kitchen and laundry and renovating the existing multi-purpose hall and internal courtyard. Phase B comprises of the construction of 192 rooms and a house for the head of residence. Construction will be completed at the end of 2007, to be used in 2008. Nerina also prides itself on a disabled unit that will be the benchmark for future similar developments.

Giant Stadium Soshanguve

(perspective by Reghardt Bruwer)




(model by Jerry dos Santos)








(model by Yolande Gouws & Neil Meyer)




(perspective by Reghardt Bruwer)




(perspective by Reghardt Bruwer)

Y+K Architects won a tender from the City of Tshwane to design the Giant Stadium Soshanguve, which has been earmarked as a practice facility for the FIFA World Cup in 2010.