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MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | STRATFORD, Aloth Usher (Al)Born: 1949 03 31Architect | |||||||
One of the partners in the firm TER MORSHUIZEN & STRATFORD ARCHITECTS CC. Was the President of the Border Kei Institute of Architects (Now BKIA) from 2005 to 2006. He was Vice President of the South African Institute of Architects in 2007-2008 and President in 2009-2010. In 2016 he was the 28th Laureate of the Sophia Gray Lectures and Exhibitions at the Free State School of Architecture, Bloemfontein. The title of his lecture was REDUCTIVE INNOVATION IN ARCHITECTURE. In 2026 he was awarded Life Membership to the South African Institute of Architects. Citation: Al (Aloth) Stratford is a multi-skilled figure who built his understanding of architecture through practical, hands-on experience in the construction and manufacturing sectors. He registered as an architect in 2001; one of his early projects, Stratford's Guesthouse, received a SAIA Award of Merit. He went on to serve as President of the SAIA Border Kei Region and on the SAIA National Board for nine years, including a term as SAIA President, during which he initiated a turnaround strategy focused on transformation, corporate governance and harmonising the Institute's constitution with these values. Over a career spanning fifty years, Stratford transitioned into entrepreneurship and industrial design, becoming an award-winning figure in architectural, product and furniture design. He holds several patents and won the Design Indaba 2013 Innovation Award. He is best known in South Africa for his development of innovative building technology, in particular the award-winning WINBLOK® pre-cast concrete window system. Stratford grew up on a farm in the Fort Jackson area near East London in the Eastern Cape, where he attended school, studied motor mechanics, and learnt technical drawing at the East London Technical College. His first employment was as a structural steel detailer, moving on to reinforced concrete structures. Studying architectural books in the municipal library in his off-duty time, he built the Ave houses in Gonubie in 1973. In 1974 he joined the multi-professional firm Zakrzewski Associates in Durban, where his interest in architecture developed further. He then moved to the Urban Foundation, focusing on low-cost housing, where he came to see architecture, in his own words, as 'a human thing: an expression of who you are'. In 1979 he returned to East London and designed a house for his family that extensively used block windows — a project that led directly to his development of the Winblok® in 1982. Stratford continues to advocate for change within the profession. He has written a manifesto on spatial transformation, arguing that South Africa's planning deadlock stems from the exclusion of the 'right' professions from the decision-making table, and proposing that SAIA reimagine itself as an architect of a post-apartheid spatial reality — equipping the next generation of architects to improve the country's living landscapes. Stratford's career reflects a rare combination of practical building experience, design innovation and sustained institutional service to SAIA, including nine years of service at national level. SAIA Life Membership is awarded to Al Stratford in recognition of his contribution to architectural and industrial design, his invention of the Winblok® building system, and his sustained leadership of the Institute, including as President. (Submitted by William Martinson) List of projects With photographs With notes
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