A rondavel with a difference

Dear Jonno,

I’ve bought a farm next to mine in the Karoo and want to build a home there. The old one is dilapidated and will be converted into sheds.

I would like my new home to be contemporary. It should be something other than the usual, with plenty of large windows to let the sunlight in to warm the interior. We have hot days and cold nights.

I would like a large, open-plan living/kitchen area, four bedrooms (main en suite), and two bathrooms. The bedrooms should all be upstairs. Kind regards,

Denny Dear Denny,

A contemporary farmhouse got me thinking as to what would blend in with the Karoo environment, but still be something uniquely South African.

I thought of the rondavel as being iconic. I then thought of the ostrich and its habitat, the open plains of the Karoo. So here then is the combination of my thoughts.

The layout is egg-shaped (an extended rondavel layout). I’ve shown all the furnishings to scale to illustrate how a layout with so many curves can be furnished.

The homely roundness of the walls gives a feeling of being encapsulated. A toilet can be included under the stairs in the light well, with a vent into the chimney flue.

The concrete roof and winged overhangs will control the thermal radiant heat during summer. Kind regards,

Jonno

First floor: 110m2 + Deck

Ground floor: 110m2 + stoep