Fieldwork Collection

By Nisha van der Hoven

Hoven is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Johannesburg, founded and led by Nisha van der Hoven. The studio’s practice is rooted in curiosity, unconventional collaborations, and a deep respect for process. It’s work draws inspiration from nature, is grounded in craftsmanship, and is guided by a desire to create spaces and experiences that feel both unexpected and authentic. Embracing the unknown, Hoven allows it to shape their thinking and push the boundaries of what design can be. More than simply designing spaces, Hoven cultivates atmospheres, builds narratives, and evokes emotion. A place where space, story, and spirit converge.

Fieldwork #1 – Joburg Geologies

Fieldwork is design rooted in place – walking, observing, and engaging directly with landscapes, materials, and communities. It draws colour, form, and story from what already exists, creating work that feels tactile, grounded, and deeply connected to its context.

Johannesburg is a city built on ancient stone and restless ground. This palette traces its colours from the deep time of granite and quartzite, the sun-baked dust of mine dumps, and the muted greens of the highveld. Each shade is a fragment of the city’s layered story – where geology meets industry, and where material memory shapes the spaces we inhabit. In bringing these colours together, Fieldwork #1 offers a tactile, place-rooted colour language for design – anchored in the land beneath Joburg’s streets.

Palette #1

A warm, sunbaked yellow-brown drawn from the mine dumps that mark Johannesburg’s gold rush legacy. Earthy and bold, it recalls dust in the afternoon light.

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Palette #2

Cool, steady, and timeless, this hue is inspired by the granite bedrock beneath the city, that nods to the deep mine shafts and shaded streets between tall buildings.

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Palette #3

Mineral tones that reflect the ancient quartzite ridge, its fractured surfaces catching and scattering light.

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Palette #4

Muted and silvery green, echoing the tough grasses and shrubs that endure the city’s dry winters and summer storms.

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Palette #5

Deep red-brown, reminiscent of weathered steel railway lines and industrial remnants that criss-cross Joburg’s landscape.

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