COMPANY PROFILE
KM2K Architecture and Interior Design*, based in Cape Town, South Africa, offers architecture and interior design focused on the hospitality and high end residential industries. With a talented team of architects and interior designers, they are adept at managing every aspect of the project from master planning, to the interior accessories.
They have designed projects in 20 countries throughout Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, USA and the Middle East, and for leaders in the hospitality field including The One & Only, Kerzner International, Kempinski, Rosewood, Tsogo Sun, The Address, Hilton, Intercontinental, Sun Resorts and Fairmont. They are recognized as one of the best in the industry, and are sought after for their innovation and attention to detail, having won numerous international design awards for their hospitality work.
The discipline of creating spaces that transcend the concept of mere building is one that requires inspiration, insight, integrity and an intense desire to exceed expectations. It is this discipline that lies at the heart of their business and that pulses through everything they do, whether it is designing a five-star hotel, luxurious home, devising a space-saving solution, or selecting the finest finishes, furniture and fabrics to create a space that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also exceptionally functional in its design.
A holistic design approach is advocated where the architecture informs the interior design and vice versa, ensuring that each completed project has a consistent conceptual approach, apparent from the master planning level to the last detail. They strive to contribute to the greater design team effort, and the fact that their company has a multi- disciplinary structure of both architects and interior designers, means that they offer a cohesive service incorporating conceptual thinking and resolution of technical details.
The team of diverse individuals draws on each other’s experiences to create concepts that are unquestionably unique and undeniably exclusive. You can rest assured that your project will be managed in a seamless, professional manner, creating a space that epitomizes the most elusive of creative ambitions – complete harmony between architecture and interior design.
Their portfolio of projects reflects their dedication to detail and their commitment to do “not what we want to, but what needs to be done”, instilling a sense of distinctiveness in everything they create. From finalising a concise brief, through the development of the design, to optimizing the technical and functional aspects of the project, KM2K stays involved every step of the way. *
* Keith Design (Pty) Ltd T/A

DIRECTORS AND ASSOCIATES
KEITH MEHNER
MANAGING DIRECTOR
After moving to South Africa 30 years ago, Keith assembled a team of architects and designers that have the ability to create world class design, coupled with the technical ability to follow it through. Drawing on his experience, together with a keen mind for concept design and an eye for detail, Keith leads the design team on works ranging from architectural master plans to interior details, remaining involved from concept design, to project completion.

KEITH MEHNER
MANAGING DIRECTOR
MIAS CLAASSENS
DIRECTOR | ARCHITECTURE
Demonstrating a strong interest and commitment to sustainable architecture, suited to its particular environment, with a focus on both artistic expression and functionality, Mias brings a unique combination of creative and analytic skill, talent and experience to the table.
His keen appreciation for the built environment coupled with a strategic business-minded approach makes him ideally placed to lead our progressive team of architects in delivering outstanding work for our valued clients.

MIAS CLAASSENS
DIRECTOR | ARCHITECTURE
BELINDA KNOWLES
DIRECTOR / CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
At the same time she balances the office management, providing the staff with the tools and technologies they need to operate creatively and efficiently in an ever-evolving workspace. With these responsibilities, she is an invaluable part of the design team, for both the client and the studio.

BELINDA KNOWLES
DIRECTOR / CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
ANDRE UYS
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGIST
With KM2K, his experience is further enriched by having worked closely with many of the specialists on local projects including The Oyster Box Hotel, Durban and The Strand Hotel Swakopmund in Namibia, gaining valuable knowledge of real world materials and details that inform his designs and documentation.

ANDRE UYS
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGIST
KATHRYN STAUDACHER
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | INTERIOR DESIGN
With the KM2K team, Kathryn has been involved with the Shamwari Private Game Reserve, as well as multiple 5 star hospitality projects including the acclaimed Long Beach Hotel in Mauritius, from the beginning to completion of the hotel. Kathryn’s strengths lie within the FF&E component of projects, ensuring the selection and subsequent specification of furniture and fabrics that complement the interior design.

KATHRYN STAUDACHER
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | INTERIOR DESIGN
MEGAN CUPIDO
ASSOCIATE | INTERIOR DESIGN

MEGAN CUPIDO
ASSOCIATE | INTERIOR DESIGN
AWARDS
THE SPA AT THE 12 APOSTLES HOTEL
Awards
Organisation: The Spa Traveller Awards
Award: Best International Spa
Year: 2011
Award: Best Spa with a View (Runner-up)
THE SPA AT BUSHMANS KLOOF
Awards
Organisation: World Luxury Spa Awards
Award: Voted Best Luxury Wellness Spa in South Africa
Year: 2016
Organisation: Professional Beauty Award
Award: Best Hotel/ Resort Spa of the year
Year: 2015
Organisation: Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Spa Awards
Award: Winner Unique Spa
Year: 2011
Organisation: Conde Nast Traveller
Award: Hot Destination Spa
Year: 2009
Organisation: Spa Magazine Silver Sage Readers’ Choice Awards
Award: Favourite Resort/Hotel Spa in Africa and the Middle East
THE OYSTER BOX
Awards
Organisation: TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards
Award: Voted No. 1 Top 25 Hotels in South Africa
Year: 2016
Organisation: World Spa Awards
Award: South Africa's Best Hotel Spa
Year: 2015
Organisation: Lilizela Awards National & Provincial
Award: Voted No. 22 Top 25 Hotels for Romance in South Africa
Year: 2014
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards
Award: Voted No. 4 Top 25 Hotels in Africa
Year: 2013
Organisation: Diners Club Wine List Awards
Award: Voted No. 7 Top 25 for Best Service in South Africa
Year: 2012
Organisation: World Luxury Hotel Awards
Award: Voted No. 9 Top 25 Luxury Hotels in South Africa
Year: 2011
Organisation: PMR Diamond Arrow
Award: Voted No. 19 Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Africa
Year: '-
Organisation: PMR Golden Arrow
Award: Best Investor in People
Organisation: World Spa & Wellness Awards
Award: Best Visitor Experience / Lap of Luxury
Organisation: TripAdvisor
Award: Best 5-star Hotel
Organisation: World Luxury Spa Awards
Award: Voted No. 2 in the Top 25 Hotels in Africa
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller (USA)
Award: Top Wine list in KwaZulu-Natal
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller (USA) Readers’ Travel Awards
Award: Platinum Certification
Organisation: Les Nouvelles Esthetiques South Africa Spa Awards
Award: Country Winner in the Luxury Family Hotel category
Organisation: TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards
Award: Executive Lifestyles for Executive Hotels and Executive Spas
Organisation: Top 100 SA Wine List Awards Challenge
Award: Winner, Executive Lifestyles for Wedding Venues
Organisation: SpaFinder Wellness Readers’ Choice Crystal Awards
Award: Best Hotel Spa in Africa
Organisation: Conde Nast Traveller (UK) Readers Awards
Award: Certificate of Excellence (Hall of Fame)
Organisation: South African Wine List Awards
Award: Voted No. 3 Best Hotel in South Africa
Organisation: PMR Africa Diamond Arrow Award
Award: Voted No. 6 Best Hotel in Africa
Organisation: PMR Africa Golden Arrow Award
Award: Voted No. 13 Luxury Hotel in South Africa
Organisation: PMR Africa
Award: Voted No. 14 Best Service in South Africa
Organisation: '-
Award: Voted Best Luxury Hotel Spa in South Africa
Award: Voted No. 7 Best Hotel in South Africa
Award: Voted No. 18 Best Hotel in Africa
Award: Gold List, The World's Best Places to Stay South Africa (Score: 93.3)
Award: Voted Best Luxury Hotel Spa in Africa
Award: Voted Best Luxury Boutique Spa in South Africa
Award: Top 15 in Africa
Award: Winner Resort/Hotel Spa Category
Award: Certificate of Excellence
Award: Best Luxury Hotel Spa in Africa
Award: Best Luxury Destination Spa in South Africa
Award: Top 25 Hotels in Africa (Rank 19), Top 25 Hotels in South Africa (Rank 4), Top 25 Luxury Hotels in South Africa (Rank 20)
Award: Winner
Award: Voted Favourite Spa in Africa
Award: Top 20 Leisure Hotels in Africa, Middle East, and Indian Ocean
Award: Best Long Wine List, Best Wine by the Glass, and graded Three Flutes
Award: Best Luxury Hotel Spa in South Africa
Award: Best Luxury Wellness Spa in South Africa
Award: Grill Room placed 1st - Executive Restaurants
Award: Executive Hotels
Award: Diamond Certification
Award: Best Luxury Hotel in South Africa
Award: Diamond Arrow Award
Award: Member of The Leading Hotels of the World
Award: Member of Leading Spas of the World (Accredited by The Leading Hotels of the World)
SHAMWARI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Awards
Organisation: International Property Awards
Award: Best Hotel Interior: Africa
Year: 2020-2021
Organisation: African Property Awards
Award: Best Hotel Interior: South Africa
PEZULA PRIVATE CASTLE ON NOETZIE BEACH
Awards
Organisation: CNBC International Property Awards
Award: Best Property in the World
Year: 2008
Organisation: Elite Traveller
Award: One of the Top 101 Suites in the World
Year: '-
O ON KLOOF
Awards
Organisation: Tatler Magazine
Award: Top 101 Hotels in the world
Year: 2008
NYUNGWE FOREST LODGE
Awards
Organisation: African Hotel Awards in Association with Bloomberg Television
Award: Best New Small Hotel Construction & Design
Year: 2011
Organisation: International Hotel Awards in Association with Bloomberg Television
Award: Best International Small Hotel Construction & Design
LONG BEACH HOTEL
Awards
Organisation: Hotel & Lodge Magazine (French magazine)
Award: Best Resort
Year: 2011
Organisation: The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
Award: 100 Best Hotels in the world
Organisation: Harper’s Bazaar UK, Bazaar Lux Island Resorts
Award: Best for Family-friendly Luxury Resort
INTERCONTINENTAL FUJAIRAH
Awards
Organisation: Arabian Property Awards - Architecture
Award: Hotel Architecture
Year: 2018-2019
DJIBOUTI PALACE KEMPINSKI
Awards
Organisation: World Travel Awards
Award: Africa's Leading Conference Hotel
Year: 2009
Organisation: Seven Stars and Stripes
Award: Africa’s Leading Conference Hotel
Year: 2012
Award: 5 Stars & 5 Stripes Extraordinary Award
Year: '-
CONRAD PEZULA RESORT HOTEL & SPA
Awards
Organisation: African Hotel Awards in Association with Bloomberg Television
Award: Best Hotel in South Africa
Year: 2011
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller
Award: Best Resort Hotel in South Africa
Year: 2010
Organisation: Condé Nast Readers' Travel Awards
Award: Best Spa Hotel in South Africa
Year: 2009
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Spa Awards
Award: Best Hotel in Africa
Year: 2008
Organisation: World Travel Awards
Award: Best Spa Hotel in Africa
Year: 2007
Organisation: Amarula Best Retreats in Africa Awards
Award: Gold List
Year: 2006
Organisation: Travel + Leisure
Award: One of the top three Best Overseas Hotel Spas
Year: 2005
Organisation: AA Travel Guides and American Express® Accommodation Awards
Award: Top 10 Spas in the World / 2nd Best Spa in Africa, Middle East, and Indian Ocean
Organisation: Welcome Awards
Award: Africa’s Leading Spa Resort, South Africa's Leading Spa Resort
Organisation: SpaFinder Readers' Choice Award
Award: All Round Excellence Award
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards
Award: One of The World’s Greatest Hotels, Resorts & Spas
Organisation: World Luxury Hotel Awards
Award: Gold Achiever
Organisation: Robb Report Luxury Resorts
Award: Chrystal Award: Favourite Spa in Africa
Organisation: AA Travel Guides and American Express® Accommodation Awards Programme
Award: Best Overseas Hotel Spa / 46th overall in the World Top 100 List
Organisation: American Academy of Hospitality Sciences
Award: Africa’s Leading Spa Resort
Organisation: Gayot.com – The Guide to the Good Life
Award: Consumers’ Choice Award for the Best Retreat in Africa / Leading Wellness Retreat in Africa
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller (UK) Gold List
Award: Best Luxury Boutique Hotel in Africa and the World
Organisation: Shape Magazine/ Professional Beauty Awards
Award: Top 100 Ultimate Escapes in the World
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller UK Readers’ Travel Awards
Award: Africa’s Leading Spa Resort / South Africa’s Leading Spa Resort
Organisation: Les Nouvelles Esthétiques
Award: Favourite Spa in Africa / One of the Top Ten Spas in the Best for Interior Design category
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller (UK) Readers’ Travel Awards
Award: 2nd Best Overseas Hotel Spa
Organisation: VIP International Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards
Award: The World’s 100 Best Spas list / 5th Best Spa in the Africa, Middle East, and Indian Ocean category
Organisation: GQ Magazine
Award: International Five Star Diamond Award
Organisation: Qb Award for Interior Design
Award: Top 10 Family Resorts for 2007
Organisation: Travel + Leisure (US)
Award: Best Luxury Boutique Hotel
Organisation: Robb Report
Award: One of the Best Hotels in the World for Leisure Facilities
Organisation: House and Leisure/ Visa Best of SA Awards
Award: Destination Spa of the Year
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller (US)
Award: Top 15 Overseas Hotel Spas
Organisation: Condé Nast Traveller (UK)
Award: Best Resort Hotel Spa in South Africa
Organisation: Luxury Travel Awards
Award: Top 20 Overseas Leisure Hotels - Middle East, Africa, and the Indian Ocean Islands
Organisation: Professional Beauty Awards
Award: Most Outstanding Golf Resort Worldwide
Award: One of “25 of the Sexiest Spots on the Planet”
Award: “Hospitality - Boutique Hotels, Lodges and Spas” category
Award: One of 15 Hotels to watch in the World’s Best Awards
Award: Elite Traveller selected the Presidential Suite to its Fifth Annual Pure Decadence list of the world’s most fabulous suites and villas
Award: One of the “World’s 100 Best Places to Stay in 2006”
Award: Best Spa
Award: Leading African Spa Resort
Award: Hot List
Award: One of the World’s Best New Hotels
Award: Best Spa in SA
Award: Best Resort Hotel Spa in SA
BLUEWATERS
Awards
Organisation: Ahead Awards - Ceasers Forum Dubai
Award: Event Space of the Year - Ball Room & Meeting Rooms
Year: 2019
MEDIA
Click Media
Bazaar
Leading Architecture & Design
Frame
Hospitality Design
National Geographic Traveller
The New York Times
Earthworks
House And Leisure
Travel Magazine
Wallpaper
Officiel Voyage
Discovery Health
TopBilling
SUSTAINABILITY
At KM2K Architecture and Interior Design, we strive to make our projects as sustainable as possible. The type of work varies widely, as do the locations, so we’re constantly considering what being sustainable means; standards and ratings recognized in developed countries don’t always apply to other locations. Just as our designs are unique and evolve from particular settings, so does the way we approach sustainable design. Sometimes sustainable design has meant using solar hot water geysers, energy efficient lighting and low flow water fixtures, other times it has meant using what is locally available, like a hand-made clay tile. Regardless of the specific interpretation for a project, the principles remain the same. We believe that sustainability starts at the concept design phase, as steps that are put into place at this point become integral to the development of the project.
At Nyungwe Forest Lodge, the most sustainable part of the project was the careful and considerate organization of spaces and individual buildings so that all spaces could receive natural ventilation and daylight. By simplifying things at the outset, the need for many mechanical and electrical components was reduced or eliminated. This is a key principle of sustainability for all of our projects and applies to work in developed and developing countries, as well as large and small budgets. By reducing and simplifying, the need for many things can be impacted, resulting in less material consumption during construction, and smaller energy needs during operation.
Just as we take design direction from the site and its surroundings, we also draw from a location to determine what is the most appropriate in terms of sustainability. As much as possible, we try to embrace local materials and methods, reducing the carbon footprint of the project and also having the greatest social impact on an area. An important component to sustainability is social responsibility. A project can be used to provide jobs during construction while also training people with skills for future employment. It can provide income and employment by using local materials and crafts, and upon completion, a project can provide employment in its operation.
Ultimately, for us a sustainable project is one that is environmentally and socially responsible, as well as being successful, enduring in its lifespan, and integral to its site and location. Just as the meaning of sustainability is constantly evolving, so is our approach to it. We are constantly learning, pushing our boundaries and eager for the next challenge.

map
south africa
CAPE TOWN
DURBAN
JOHANNESBURG
KNYSNA
MPUMALANGA
EASTERN CAPE
AFRICA/ INDIAN OCEAN
COMOROS
DJIBOOTI
KENYA
MAURITIUS
MOROCCO
MOZAMBIQUE
NAMIBIA
RWANDA
SEYCHELLES
ZIMBABWE
united kingdom
LONDON
UAE
ABU DHABI
ALAIN
DUBAI
FUJAIRAH
AL ARYAM
RAS AL KHAIMAH
USA
MISSOURI
NEW YORK
EUROPE
FRANCE
MONTENEGRO
PORTUGAL
GREECE
MIDDLE EAST
JORDAN
KUWAIT
OMAN
SAUDI ARABIA
