Entries by Kim

Hanging Gardens at the Perez Art Museum, Miami

Image from ArchDaily The outside of this exquisite building creatively meets with what is inside the Perez Art Museum. Designed by world renowned Artist Patrick Blanc, the vertical gardens at the entrance to the museum are inspired by the hanging gardens of Babylon. The hanging gardens were created out of fibreglass tubes supported by galvanised […]

A second suspended staircase

In May 2019, we featured an impressive staircase by GL Welding suspended by cables for a minimalist finish in a clients home. They have since installed a second staircase at the residence, also featuring a complimentary glass balustrade. The cables are neatly secured into the ceiling and fitted to the edge of each stair, with […]

Enclosed courtyards liven up urban areas

“Internal courtyards bring light and ventilation to buildings that are constrained by party walls – ideal for high-density areas – plus they offer welcome outdoor space in urban areas.” – Nemone Bieldt of Indigo Architects in Cape Town, Visi Magazine. With the square meterage of homes becoming increasingly smaller and more urbanised, it is essential […]

Timber and Cables Staircase Balustrade at Residence in Hout Bay

Robert McKendrick of Scotchworx Carpentry turned his skilled trade to his own residence for this transformational solution to a flatlet at his home in Hout Bay. Situated on a rise surrounded by mountains in the beautiful suburb of Hout Bay in Cape Town, McKendrick has made valuable changes to his property to capitalise on the […]

A User Guide to Stainless Steel Maintenance by SASSDA

Maintenance and cleaning of stainless steel extends its lifespan. Read this manual issued by SASSDA to read correct methods of maintenance. The South African Stainless Steel Development Association offers technical support and information for suppliers and users of stainless steel products. Tensile Cables’s cables and cable fittings are made from Marine Grade 316 stainless steel. The […]

Can Austenitic stainless steels (like Marine Grade 316) be magnetic?

The answer is yes. And this is not an indication of the integrity of the product or whether it is susceptible to corrosion. According to SASSDA (Southern Africa Stainless Steel Development Association) the following is true of Austenitic stainless steels: Yes, Austenitic stainless steels (types 304, 316 etc), are generally non-magnetic in the fully annealed […]

Suspended Staircase by GL Welding

Tensile Cables supplied the cables for this unique suspended staircase in collaboration with GL Welding and Next Level Balustrading. Cables offer an aesthetically pleasing solution that is also structurally sound for tight spaces where traditional structural and balustrading solutions would impose on the space. Instead the stairwell remains open and well lit connecting the below […]

Epicurious Garden in South Bank, Australia

At the Epicurious Garden in South Bank in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, creative solutions have been used in this edible community garden through trellises including a green wall statement signage piece with tensile cables. An ‘epicure’ is by definition “a person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink”, and this community garden is “part […]

Cables provide a minimalist solution for an outdoor space in Constantia

Tensile Cables supplied the cables for a pergola and handrail solution to finish a patio at a home in Constantia, Cape Town. Accura Construction Solutions worked in conjunction with Joe De Villiers Architects to negotiate with the owner on a minimalist solution to both the shading of the patio and to meet council requirements on […]

The Cable House by Tom Robertson Architects

Tom Robertson Architects were responsible for the minimalist beauty that is the Cable House in Port Melbourne, Vic, Australia. The home was designed with paired back materials for simplicity. This perfectly suited the introduction of cables for structural and aesthetic solutions in various parts of the house. The cables also allowed for more greenery despite the […]