Thoughtful architecture shaped by context.
Joubert Malherbe Architects was borne from the calling to create spaces for living. We design buildings that respond to site, climate, history and the individuality of their occupants.
We believe that architecture should feel inevitable in its setting and natural to inhabit.
Founded in 2022 by Ceoné Joubert and Gideon Malherbe, the practice brings together their shared interest in architecture shaped by place, everyday life and careful making.
Every project begins with a close reading of place — its landscape, climate, history and character — and an understanding of the people who will occupy it. Through careful observation and collaboration, we develop buildings that respond to both.
Light, materiality, proportion and the relationship between rooms and landscape shape how a building is experienced and remembered. These elements are considered together to create spaces that support everyday life, feel grounded in their context and grow richer through use.
The relationship between built and natural environments remains central to our work, informing how buildings are placed, opened, shaded and made.
Our experience spans new homes, renovations, additions, heritage projects, residential developments, landscape and garden design, and selected commercial work. Across different scales and programmes, we are drawn to projects with a strong connection between people and place.
Approach
Three principles shape every project.
- 01
Place
Architecture informed by landscape, climate, heritage and local character.
- 02
People
Spaces designed around the rituals, aspirations and daily lives of those who inhabit them.
- 03
Craft
Careful consideration of materiality, detail and construction from concept through to completion.
The Architects
Ceoné Joubert
Ceoné Joubert is a Professional Architect. Her approach is rooted in the natural world and in the experience of inhabiting space. Light, material texture, framed views and connections between indoors and outdoors are used to create architecture that feels grounded in its setting and closely attuned to everyday life.
Working in practice since 2019, Ceoné gained experience at Cape Town practices focused on developer-led commercial and residential projects. Her work has also included private homes, hospitality buildings and landscape design.
She takes particular interest in understanding each client’s routines, needs and aspirations, using this knowledge to create spaces that simplify living and support meaningful daily rituals. Ceoné completed her Master of Architecture at the University of Cape Town, where her research focused on sustainable and ethical architecture within sensitive natural environments.
Gideon Malherbe
Gideon Malherbe is a Professional Architect. Having grown up in a Cape vernacular farmhouse near the Langeberg, his approach has been shaped by rural landscapes, vernacular buildings and an understanding of local construction traditions.
Working in practice since 2018, Gideon spent his formative years at a prominent Paarl architecture practice. His experience includes bespoke residential projects, the restoration and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, and contemporary commercial work within historic settings.
His work brings together material understanding, construction logic and a particular interest in structural and interior detailing. He values close collaboration with clients, builders and consultants, maintaining coherence between the larger architectural idea and the smallest constructed element. Gideon completed his Master of Architecture at the University of Cape Town, where his research explored contemporary rural vernacular building practice.