Nina Maritz

Principal & Founder, Nina Maritz Architects, Namibia

Nina Maritz is Principal and Founder of Nina Maritz Architects, a member of Namibia Institute of Architects and South African Council of Architects, and was a member of the Holcim Foundation Awards 2008 jury for Middle East & Africa.

Last updated: August 27, 2024

Holcim Forum 2004 "Basic Needs"

Nina Maritz, Principal and founder of Nina Maritz Architect, and a member of Namibia Institute of Architects and South African Council of Architects.

Her practice incorporates a full spectrum of private, government, and corporate work with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and community projects.

Her project, The Habitat Research and Development Centre, located in Katutura, a former black township on the outskirts of the capital city of Windhoek, offers services focusing on the housing needs of the Namibian community. The design optimizes the use of daylight and solar access, uses earth berm, conserves water, thermal mass, evaporative cooling, and uses appropriate building materials.

She studied architecture at the University of Cape Town (1985-91). She is a regular contributor to NIA Digest of Namibian Architecture.

Nina Maritz is the author of numerous papers on energy efficiency and sustainable building within developing countries; she has co-founded GREENSPACE, an NGO concerned with the conservation of urban environments, and SENS (Sustainable Energy Namibia Society), a network of alternative energy enthusiasts striving to increase the use and support of sustainable energy throughout the government and the public.

Holcim Awards 2008 Jury for Africa Middle East

Ecogradia Podcast – The frugality champion

Can necessity unlock greater innovation? How to create an architecture of delight and renown when the climate is harsh, resources are scarce and budgets tight? Can less ever become something more?

In this episode of Ecogradia, Nirmal Kishnani speaks with Nina Maritz, a maverick architect from Namibia who succeeds in creating efficient and appealing buildings despite tight budgets, difficult-to-reach sites and harsh climates. “Less is more” is her approach to an architecture that, despite these challenges, enhances the human condition without damaging the environment.