Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
Hillbilly Homes
Dear Jonno,
I need you to draw a house plan for me. I have a family of eight, which includes me, my wife, two sons and four daughters. We also need quarters for a domestic worker, and two separate bedrooms for visitors. I am in Botswana, and would like a modern-styled house.
Kind regards, Odirile
Dear Odirile,
As this home has to accommodate a family of eight, as well as the additional bedrooms, it will have to be quite large. I have therefore made the rooms averagesized to keep costs down.
I have also added contemporary features that should not add too much to the final costs.
Some of these, such as the conversation pit, can be added on later as finances permit.
The central light well allows for the two central bathrooms to have ventilation, light and wastepipe reticulation to the outside.
In a large family home, the daytime living areas need to be comfortable and a reasonable size. Shown are the furnishings to scale to illustrate the functionality of the room areas.
The domestic quarters can be built next to the garage, adjacent to the back porch.
As the house is in Botswana, where it is hot, the glazed light well and conversation pit will let the heat in when required, but can otherwise be closed off with thermal control folding doors.
The central living area is open-beamed and pitched at 35°, with roof wings either side at 20°. Solar panels can be installed over these lower pitches, enabling you to be off-grid. Kind regards,
Jonno