Gurney Planning & Design was started in 1991 by David Gurney, with a vision to offer creative, solution-orientated architecture and town planning services.
David attended the University of the Witwatersrand, graduating in 1978 with a B.Sc Building.
Following his graduation, David worked at a number of companies over a period of 13 years, including LTA, Stocks Construction, George Wimpey, Bolstone, Wynford Management Centre, The Perm (a division of Nedperm Ltd), Quality Tyres, and Withers and Gerke Architects (now GAPP Architects), before starting Gurney Planning & Design.
To date, David has been involved in a broad range of architectural projects, including schools, churches, office spaces, luxury lodges as well as a vast number of homes around South Africa.
He was a lecturer on History of Construction at the University of the Witwatersrand for two years. His involvement with the university continued thereafter as an external examiner for the Department of Building and Quantity Surveying for 12 years.
David Gurney is versatile in his architectural style and is often called upon by clients to find creative solutions to challenges. Where necessary, he combines architecture and town planning to deliver the required results.
Having been in the industry for over four decades, David has a vast portfolio of design work in both residential and non-residential projects – from exquisite, luxury lodges in the Kruger National Park to functional, bold office buildings, sensitively envisioned places of worship, and beautiful homes around the country.
David takes pride in establishing a working relationship with each of his clients and is inspired by the potential for creative solutions that comes with each new project, big or small.
The town planning services offered by Gurney Planning and Design allow people to use their properties to their full potential, finding creative solutions to hindrances where possible.
Gurney Planning & Design offer the following services:
Rezonings: Amending the town planning scheme conditions for properties.- Consent Use Applications: Required where a town planning scheme specifically provides for the consent of the local authority for certain uses.
- Business Rights: Business rights for a property can be acquired through rezoning.
- Subdivisions: Dividing a property into two (or more) portions.
- Removal of Restrictions: Required to remove inflexible impediments written into the title deed of a property.
- Site Development Plans: Either for a specific site (compiled by a property owner) or as part of a development policy for an area (compiled by a planning authority).
- Land Use Controls: Town planning schemes, legislation and title conditions indicating what a property owner is permitted to do with his property.
- Registration of Servitude: Securing a right in favour of a third party over a property.
- Township Establishments: Transforming small holdings or farmland into township land.
The National Resources Heritage Act (Act 25 of 1999) was passed into law with the aim, according to the preamble, of promoting “good management of the national estate and to enable and encourage communities to nurture and conserve their legacy so that it may be bequeathed to future generations”.
The practical consequences of this act for anyone wanting to demolish or alter an older building in South Africa can be major. If the building is over 60 years old, you need to apply to the relevant provincial heritage resources authority for a permit to alter or demolish the structure.
Gurney Planning & Design has extensive experience in this application process, and David has lectured on the topic at the University of Johannesburg to the South African Institute of Architectural Technologists.
He regularly leads Johannesburg Heritage Foundation Tours through the city, looking at “phoenix” buildings – those that have risen from the ashes, so to speak, and have been refurbished. David has been asked to give radio interviews on this topic too, several times.
Office: 011 486 1600 | Cell: 083 604 0500 | Email: gurney@global.co.za