With our managing director being a member of the Chicago basedCongress for New Urbanism MBH Architects embrace the urban design philosophies of “a growing movement to replace charmless suburban sprawl with civilised, familiar places that people love”.

We advocate the principles of the return to pre-modernist interrelated communities, curbing the creeping deterioration, the increasing alienation of large segments of society and widespread environmental degradation associated with suburban sprawl.

Based on new urbanism formulation, we support the concept of a return to  a socially whole, pedestrian and transit orientated, all land use integrated urban development model, where community orientated neighbourhoods follow town like principles, housing a diverse population and full mix of uses, walkable streets, positive public spaces, integrated civic and commercial centres, transfer orientation and accessible open spaces.

We strive towards the creation of Transit Orientated Developments (TOD) with a balanced mix of activities - dwelling, shopping, working, schooling, health care, worshipping and recreation - all within a walkable configuration, where many clusters of neighbourhoods, interlinked with parks and walkways and metro rails, form suburbs that decreases the private stresses of time in traffic and minimises the public born expenses of road construction and atmospheric pollution.

We support the neighbourhoods of mixed uses and activities which include a range of housing types for a variety of incomes, from the wealthy business owner to the schoolteacher and the gardener, offering a variety of affordable housing choices such as the garage apartment in conjunction with single family houses, apartments above shops and apartment buildings adjacent to shopping centres and workplaces, all within a transit orientated model which reduces the need for multiple automobile ownership and a congested suburban roads infrastructure, where our children may once more cycle and our joggers may once again jog within a landscaped neighbourhood.

Having decided on the exterior architecture, it virtually became a fore drawn conclusion, that the interior architecture, although a semi-sterile environment in the clinic scenario, should follow suit in its portrayal of a contemporary Africa.

Although having to strictly adhere to the R158, being the country’s regulatory manuscript pertaining to governing patient facilities,MBH felt compelled, if not in fact tasked, to introduce a strong African component to the interior finishes, hence the rich timber, granite (Rustenburg Black) and stainless fittings.

The interiors of their retail and clinic projects, varied from a celebration of the richness and diversity of traditional African colourfulness encountered in the Ndebele cultures and in unison with the exteriors, to a more appropriately tranquil, yet pleasant colour scheme.

The use of the standard JBCC Electronic format documentation have implemented and integrated into their practice, affording the accurate control of financial and contractual matters on all their projects.

All variations on any project are carefully monitored and recorded during weekly site meetings and brought into account under an adjusted contract value on a monthly basis, by means of monthly project financial meetings. This has the added advantage that any project's final account, is virtually prepared and completed at the stage of reaching practical completion

Through a mindset of continued learning and in accordance with requirements from SACAP, their directors and staff are sent on at least 5 refresher and/or advanced learning seminars and courses per individual per year.

These seminars range from JBCC day courses to Health and Safety presentations.

With the MD being an aviation fanatic and flying being one of his passions, we have also incorporated the use of their own aircrafts into Contract Administration, this mainly to reach remote sites for their nation wide clientele, from the sites not so distant such as Rustenburg to further a field such as Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.

In the health care applications, accurate supervision of medical gases installations such as Nitrous Oxide, Entenox, Medical air, Oxygen and suction is extremely necessary, due to the human life factor.

Extra care must be taken when co-ordinating the installation of Hepa-filters, scavenging units, Isoloc alarm panels, Gasbank panels and Autoclave sterilizing equipment in operating theatres.

In so far as specialised installations are concerned in a high security cash management facility, one has to pay special attention to time delay access through specifically engineered “man traps” and “vehicle traps” with consideration to low, moderate and high risk flows within these facilities.

In addition, one has to oversee hi-tech seismic and tremor detection equipment placed at crucial locations within the facility, as well as emergency ventilation and cash monitoring equipment such as cctv installations between receiving areas and the actual cash handling and dispatch areas deep in the heart of the operation, where no natural ventilation or lighting may be installed.

In house Quantity Surveying is offered by MBH as a process of reducing delays in the interacting process between the Architectural and QS fields, as well as affording a more direct financial control over variations and site instructions.