Lemon Pebble Architects & Urban Designers
Lemon Pebble Architects & Urban Designers is a Johannesburg-based, black-women-led architectural and urban design practice committed to design excellence and spatial equity. Established in 2006 by directors Althea Peacock and Tanzeem Razak, the firm operates from The Mills in Newtown, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Founding Partners
- Althea Peacock: A professional architect and researcher, Althea explores the impact of being a black woman architect on discourses of identity, marginalized histories, feminist practice, and spatial politics. She is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand and is currently pursuing her PhD studies.
- Tanzeem Razak: An architect and urban designer with a deep interest in spatial equity, Tanzeem advocates for a people-centered approach to design. She envisions architects as spatial translators, balancing roles as designers, listeners, arbitrators, and implementers. Tanzeem holds degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and is a 2022 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity.
Design Philosophy and Approach
Lemon Pebble emphasizes incorporating personal histories and identities into their work, reflecting a commitment to creating spaces of social consciousness and cohesion. The firm’s location in Newtown aligns with their dedication to urban regeneration and community engagement.
Notable Projects and Collaborations
- Drawing Memory into Being: In collaboration with Office 24-7 Architecture, Lemon Pebble participated in this installation at the Biennale Architettura 2023. The project explores the relationship between material erasure and historical forgetting, using the act of performing Islamic prayers on grounds of historic forced removals as a form of poetic protest.
Team and Culture
The firm’s diverse team includes professionals like Jes-Sherita Aungunu, Nicholas Coghlan, Najeeba Soobrathie, and Aa’ishah Begg, each bringing unique perspectives to the practice. Lemon Pebble fosters a creative and nurturing environment, encouraging team members to explore individual creativity through initiatives like #FreshFridays, which involve exploratory design sessions, city tours, and guest interactions.
For more details, visit the website.