Context and brief
The existing house was built in 1944 and was typical of the British influenced domestic architecture typical of Rondebosch at the time , characterized by dark, cellular spaces accessed via passages and with limited relationship to the garden.
The client desired an ‘urban’ farmhouse with deep verandas and a light, contemporary interior to reflect their young, creative family.
Design Solution
By modifying particularly the ground floor layout and finishes, the house was transformed through manipulation of space, light and materials to achieve the desired outcome.
A new kitchen is now central to the open plan living and entertainment spaces and the new expanded veranda provides the threshold to the garden & pool areas which is a key element of the overall design. The veranda roofs break the monolithic scale of the house and the pigmented screed floor finishes reinforce the farmhouse feel.
The disjointed face-brick components on the original house and street boundary wall were blended together with a lime wash slurry creating a feature element. The same finish is repeated on various new elements internally and externally including new face-brick low walls extending into the garden which, along with the clients hand-made mosaic inlays in the pathway, draw the visitor in.
Natural timber finishes, neutral colours and simple materials transformed the entire house into a new spacious, light, contemporary home.
2016