Architecture Regeneration Community

Designing spaces that heal ecosystems & honour history.

ARC of Franschhoek is a biophilic, regenerative tourism hub anchored at the Berg River Dam. We work with what already exists, ruins, landscapes, materials from the land itself, to design spaces that heal ecosystems, celebrate history, and create a future where regeneration becomes the norm, not the exception.

Here, stone, clay, and timber are reimagined as living structures that invite reflection. Ruins are not demolished, they’re honoured and reinterpreted. Inspired by fynbos’ natural regeneration through fire, the architecture mirrors nature’s own cycle of decay & renewal - a process we call “Intentional Ruin.”

“The scab and the scar” - our architectural metaphor for resilience, transformation, and time.

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A legacy partnership shaping the future of Franschhoek.

A transformative public, private partnership is bringing new life to the Berg River Dam and surrounding reserve, uniting government, private enterprise, and the local community in a bold step toward sustainable tourism, job creation, and ecological preservation.

Hard Adventures (Pty) Ltd. has secured a historic lease over the Berg River Dam area, marking years of negotiation, planning, and collaboration between heritage bodies, environmental authorities, and community representatives.

This project demonstrates what’s possible when logic and legacy work hand in hand. It’s not just a development - it’s a promise to preserve, protect, and regenerate.

“We celebrate not only the outcome — but the process, and the people - behind it”

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Built with community, for community.

The ARC of Franschhoek model is rooted in shared benefit and participation. A Community Working Group will ensure that local residents shape and sustain the project, from youth mentorship to outdoor skills training, and from conservation work to hospitality and guiding.

The partnership with SA Trails Network will create:

8–15 full-time jobs in trail management
50+ seasonal jobs across outdoor adventure, trail maintenance, guiding, alien clearing, hospitality & F&B
Long-term ecosystem of micro-enterprises in catering, transport, and tourism

This is more than job creation, it’s regeneration in action.
Where heritage, ecology, and economy are not in conflict, but in conversation.

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Trails & Passes

In partnership with the SA Trails Network NPC, ARC of Franschhoek is expanding the Western Cape’s award-winning trail system to include km’s of walking (with dogs), hiking, running and MTB routes around the Berg River Dam conservation area.

The design of each trail prioritises water conservation awareness, biodiversity education, and long-term job creation, positioning the Berg River Dam as a flagship tourism and conservation destination in the Cape Winelands.

⁠Explore iconic old & new trails: