Location: Boschendal, Franschhoek
Program: Social, Retreat
Client: Bertha Foundation
Engineer: MHA Engineers
Landscape Architects: Terra +
Interior Designer: Trace Van Wijk
Project Manager: Profica
Main Contractor: Kings Construction
Timber Contractor: THK Construction
Quantity Surveyor: MultiQS
Status: completed
Area: 1400sqm (8 buildings)

Bertha Retreat is one of the flagship spaces for Bertha Spaces, a programme of the global human rights organisation Bertha Foundation. Located on the Boschendal wine farm, the Retreat consists of conference facilities, meeting rooms, accommodation, a micro-farming and food production project, and a community resource centre. As a corporate retreat, it is a place for members of the Bertha Foundation, NGOs, and surrounding communities to gather, connect, and reflect.

The decision at the inception of the project was to let the landscape be the star, with the architecture as a silent backdrop. Eight of the existing farm workers' cottages were restored, with the interior layout reconfigured to meet the programme.

Care was taken to ensure that everything — including the earthy aesthetic of the building and its décor — is grounded in the philosophy of social justice.