A GLASS HALF FULL
A YEAR OF BALANCING SCALES
__
The year has progressed quite rapidly, so swiftly that we have just passed the halfway mark.
It is quite notable that in times that fly by at such a noticeable pace, the work we undertake requires a significant amount of time to perfect.
A fundamental intangible element in making architecture is time. Time becomes the drawing board for design, where designs are nurtured, developed and become endowed with the richness of life. The architecture is animated to reach its full potential, affording, us as human beings, the space to live full and rich lives.
With the rapid progression of the year comes the development of projects that were initiated at the onset of 2019. These projects range in scale, typology, aesthetic and language, making them more exciting in our vision of balancing scales in 2019.
_PROGRESSION_
This project is an exciting development with a challenging brief and an equally satisfactory design resolution.
The Berula View residential development consists of several different apartment types, ranging between 80sqm. and 130sqm. The Developer requested that the first two floors of the building consist of the smaller two-bedroom apartments with larger penthouse units on the top floors. The penthouse apartments open out onto a larger outdoor entertainment balcony with magnificent northern view overlooking a nearby dam.
The facades where designed to stand out from the surrounding building. The fins on the northern and southern facade are unique to each apartment block type with the intention of bringing variety to an otherwise repetitive apartment typology. Solar control was incorporated into the northern facades.
The apartments were rotated in order to efficiently utilise the constricted site while allowing for ample parking. The juxtaposition between the different apartment blocks resulted in the creation of landscaped gardens and pedestrian walkways. A red face brick was used to give the apartment building a distinctive residential feel while the geometry lends itself to a timeless contempered aesthetic.
The location of this three-storey project in Durban North is afforded a discreet view of the ocean to the north east. Situated on a sloped property with an existing colonial style house and the luxury of a tennis court, the new proposed residence replaces this edifice with a contemporary and minimal rendition of a coastal house.
Perched on landscaped plinths, the ground storey is clad in a dark basalt stone, implying the notion of being cut from the earth, while the first storey establishes a monolith of timber and concrete. The conceptual approach developed from the notion that the exterior and interior become independent spaces while they coexist. The only connection these two have is through natural light. The two timber containers nestled inside the first storey angled concrete frame become small framed zones for living.
They are extensions of the Bedrooms that face north, making full use of the northern orientation. The bamboo screens are stackable in order to completely alter the volumetric dimension of the house. These spaces are simultaneously private and public while always offering a light filtered solution. The approach was as much about the exterior appearance as it was about the functionality of light internally.
Extending from the living spaces is an expansive lanai which, as a result of the property’s elevation and landscaped plinths, is afforded beautiful panoramic ocean views.
This house is an experiment in coastal living with the proposal of materials and dynamism of an altering façade to suit living styles and conditions.
One of our latest projects, a weekend home in Bronkhorstspruit, employs effective design tactics that we implemented on several south facing homes – the Courtyard typology.
This home is perched on a steep cliff face, overlooking a natural reservoir and country estate, with the site covered in scattered rocks and boulders of varying sizes and shapes. The client’s brief was simple and direct, and the response being equally adaptive and effective.
A Glass Half Full NewsletterThe conceptual footing for the project as a courtyard residence offers innate possibilities in terms of functionality versus privacy. The house needs to respond to the expansive vistas offered by the graded south facing stand, while enabling natural light to flood the house from the north. The courtyard and living spaces offer two unique and individual spaces for life to unfold. The Kitchen, Dining and Family
Rooms all benefit from the penetration of enough northern sunlight, with the bonus of the southern views over the lake. This space subsequently opens to the south as well as the north, overflowing into the courtyard space, nestled between private spaces. This comprises of Guest Suites, a Home Theatre, Staff Rooms, Garages, as well as additional bedrooms and public zones shaped by the Family Room.
This house is a carefully crafted solution to a unique site, albeit a breathtakingly beautiful site.
_ON OUR WAY TO A FULL GLASS_
As the year continues to progress, we remain challenged and eager to deliver well designed solutions that suit the lifestyles of our clients.
We look forward to enhancing our work with the intangibility of time, engraining each project with life, and the ability to be animated with the lives our clients live. We look forward to completing a few ongoing projects before the end of 2019 and will share these moments with you.
The glass will be full.