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MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | BREEDVELD, PietBorn: 1907Died: 2000 04 24 ArchitectSACA:Reg No: 660 Year registered: 1937 | ||||||||||
MScEng(Delft); Spec. Qual. Exam. (Witwatersrand). ISAA (1937), TIA (1937), LRIBA. Born in Amsterdam. Studied architecture and Civil Engineering at Technische Hoogeschool te Delft (1933), the Netherlands. He was thus qualified as both Architect and Civil Engineer, and later, additionally, as a Quantity Surveyor. After qualifying he worked for Philips in Eindhoven and was largely instrumental in finalizing the iconic ‘Stars and Waves’ logo of the Philips company for registration as a trademark (1934). He worked on the following projects before coming to South Africa c1936: the Bata Factory (pre 1937); Workers' Model Village at Best. He immigrated to South Africa in 1936 to Johannesburg. On his arrival in South Africa he worked for Saul MARGO, his address in 1937 being c/o S Margo. Breedveld passed a qualifying examination at the University of the Witwatersrand in about 1937, enabling him to practise as an architect in South Africa. He entered into partnership with SL MARGO and HD MARGO in 1938 (cf MARGO, BREEDVELD & MARGO). He recalled this as being a good business partnership. The Magoebaskloof and Muldersdrif Hotels were amongst their first projects commissioned by SA Breweries and the Diamond Exchange (commissioned by the Oppenheimers). The partners did a large number of projects for SA Breweries at the time, since they were focused on expanding a new hotel network that would accommodate and comply with the ‘Off Sales’ requirements in the then newly promulgated liquor law. During WW2 architectural projects dwindled and so the partnership was dissolved. At some stage thereafter he partnered with JW VAN GEMERT for a short while. His outspoken political views and opposition to the segregationist injustices that were commonplace as the time, by and large precluded him from being awarded any state commissions or any other politically aligned projects. After the War he took to designing homes for returning servicemen, of which he did a large number. Piet Breedveld stopped practising architecture in the early 1960s. His ongoing and then hobby propelled him to become one of the pioneer commercial orchid plant growers in the country. He indulged his artistic creative interests with his drawings and paintings. In 1959 his address was given as 'Orgideehof', 22 Grove Avenue, Mountainview, Johannesburg, where he still resided in 1969 as a retired member of the TPIA. He also in his retirement researched the South African branch of the Dutch Breedveld family tree for which he designed and did artwork as well as formally register a heraldic device recognised and registered as the Breedveld family Coat of Arms. Some of his intellectual interests were satisfied in constructing, as part of a team, scale models of industrial projects for identifying and interpreting design issues and deficiencies that might prove potential shortfalls in the various project proposals. In later years he enjoyed an involvement in small scale property development / benefication projects. He also acted as mentor to many disadvantaged youths and individuals who wanted to learn, develop, and ultimately become contributors within the building construction industry, and who would, he hoped, themselves became mentors in turn. In South Africa he married Nol Sipman. They had three children, Laurie-Ann , Peter, and Lawrence, all of whom currently [2019] live in Johannesburg, South Africa. [(ISAA mem list; RAU Doc). Additional biographical information by email (Wed 2019 10 23 15:54) from his youngest son Lawrence Breedveld, after a national call for information for the Tectonic ZA Wilhelmiens project.] All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon. List of projects With photographs With notes
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