The title of property developer does not fully describe what Brian does, but it is the closest approximation. Consider these two examples: 44 Stanley Avenue and Victoria Yards, both in Johannesburg. With the former, he took eight thousand square metres of decay, located in a dead part of town, and turned them into a delightful, tree-filled set of courtyards and lanes, bordered with niche retailers and restaurants, selling passion and excellence. And in the latter, he found twenty thousand square metres of raw, partly-derelict, partly-functional workshops, courtyards and roadways, filled with chop shops, spray painters, and carpenters – in the filth gathered inside and outside the buildings, he saw opportunity and promise. By collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team of stakeholders and professionals, he turned that promise into a dream development that prevented urban sprawl, created jobs, and restored heritage.
