Nestled into the landscape, the Esse Academy building integrates with the place and the identity of the client. 

Esse is a South African skincare brand with products that are natural, organic, microbial and biophilic. These concepts are common in architectural theory, and it was a strong informer for the architectural design process. Richard Stretton, founder of the architectural firm Koop Design, explains further.  

The brief 

The Esse Academy was born from the company’s need for on-site skills training for skincare professionals and doctors in techniques pioneered by Esse. 

Located on a smallholding near Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal, the humble property has slowly developed into a unique campus of laboratory experimentation, bespoke manufacture techniques and logistics. “It is also a visitors’ centre, a reflection of the brand identity and business principles,” says Stretton. 

The veranda concrete pavers lead into the garden and have been utilised as seating in the landscape.

Design response planning 

The academy is positioned on the site to frame a larger space, to structure the landscape of the campus and to allow for further expansion when more space is required on the campus. 

Positioned on the southern end of a platform, it allows for further development to the north, planned as similar-sized building(s) with garden courtyards in-between. The forest to the east is axial to the body of the building and is framed by the east elevation. 

“We aim to make buildings that can be anything, forever. We serve our community and environment by creating shapes for the future,” declares Stretton. 

Materiality and systems 

The northeast corner, with transitions from the exterior to the interior.

Esse was concerned with materials – therefore the primary building material used for the structure is timber, combined with steel and stone. Cork flooring, locally produced ceramic tiles and pavers finish the floors and walls. 

Minimal, high-performance lighting is specified, using the ceiling as a reflective surface. A deep north-facing veranda manages the light and heat build-up in the summer and winter. 

Challenging location and unskilled labour 

Stretton states: “The remote location and unskilled labour posed a challenge. But through lots of training, meticulous planning and timing, together with detailed drawing and explanation, all the buildings that have been altered or new built on the Esse campus, including the Esse Academy, have been done so by the Esse team. There was no contractor appointed and the construction was led by the Esse factory technical manager.” 

Koop designed, procured and delivered to site numerous components that were “kit of parts” prefabricated modular structural components designed to be assembled by hand, without a skilled carpenter. These were assembled and installed on site. 

The academy includes a reception, kitchenette, treatment room, laboratory space and desktop teaching and lecture space.

Biophylia 

“The integration of the building with the natural environment was a key informer of the project,” Stretton confirms. “The building is inspired by and aspires to connect users to the surrounding landscape.”  

• Site water from the platform flows beneath the approach stair to the adjacent dam.  
• Fresh air is drawn from inside the forest and pumped into the building to provide fresh air enriched with the unique microbes, fragrances and hyper-oxygenated forest biome into the building. 
• The veranda concrete pavers lead into the garden and have been utilised as seating in the landscape.  
• The entrance mosaic is a carefully designed pattern and palette derived from the succulent garden that frames the building on the west. “Achieving the seemingly random tiling pattern was actually more considered, as pattern often wins out,” says Stretton. 

Sustainable services 

As a zero-carbon business, the carbon generated in the build was calculated and offset by the company. The building integrates with the energy and water systems of the campus, augmented by solar. 

The gardens of the Esse campus have been grown to provide beauty, inspiration and reference to the raw materials utilised in the skincare products. 

A simple planar roof over the light timber frame, expressed as a flat plane with rounded edges, separately defined and lifted off the timber frame, allows the timber to be fully expressed.

Structured focus 

The building formalises the organically developed property, providing structure to the landscape and a space from which to enjoy the surrounds as well as focus inward. 

“The building is resilient,” says Stretton. “It can take the abuse of whatever and whoever is next. Our work is alive,” he concludes. 

The Esse Academy was designed to be built by the skills available, utilising materials available for the time-sensitive construction period, and in support of the client’s zero-carbon ethos. – Richard Stretton 

Project details: 

Project: Esse Academy. 

Client: Esse Skincare. 

Location: Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal. 

Architects: Richard Stretton and Radhia Khan of Koop Design. 

Photographer: Roger Jardine. 

For more information, visit Koop Design: 

Tel: +27 31 201 2415 

Email: koop@koopdesign.co.za 

Website: https://koopdesign.co.za/ 

Instagram: @koop.design