06/03/2026
In the heart of the Lowveld, something fascinating is growing. 🐜🌿
Insect Science - Phase 1 : The ChemisTree
We had the privilege of designing new laboratory for Insect Science, a pioneering biotech company based in Tzaneen. Behind its calm architectural expression lies a bunker of highly advanced research laboratories — world-class scientific facilities located in a small rural town in South Africa.
Projects like this remind us that innovation doesn’t only happen in big cities. Sometimes it happens quietly, in the Lowveld, where science, agriculture and technology come together to shape the future.
Designing The ChemisTree was a rewarding challenge: creating a building that balances the precision of high-tech laboratory environments with warm, grounded architecture that feels at home in Tzaneen. Small town. Big science.
(For those interested, here’s a bit more about what Insect Science does...)
Insect Science is a biotechnology company based in Tzaneen, Limpopo, developing sustainable pest-control solutions for agriculture.
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture is dominated by high-value export crops such as citrus, macadamias, avocados, and mangoes. These crops are highly sensitive to insect damage, especially as export markets in Europe, the UK, and Asia have extremely strict pest-control standards.
Insect Science studies how insects communicate using pheromones and other natural chemical signals. By replicating these signals, they develop products such as traps, lures, and mating-disruption systems that help farmers monitor and control crop pests.
This innovative approach allows growers to reduce the use of heavy chemical pesticides while still effectively protecting their crops.
Today, their technology is used around the world in crops such as citrus, macadamia and other high-value fruit crops — helping farmers manage pests more sustainably while meeting demanding export standards.