From a dumpsite to a self-sufficient home
HERBALIST Xoma Aob has everything he needs around him in his eco-friendly “lighthouse” perched on the slopes of Hangberg in Hout Bay.
From the top storey with its breathtaking views of the bay, where he and his wife Fiona sleep, he can keep an eye on his horses grazing below and the dogs in the yard, and even see who is coming to the front gate.
If he needs something from his vegetable garden, all he needs to do is reach out his hand.
The vertical garden on the north-facing wall has an array of leafy greens, tomatoes, herbs and seedlings of indigenous trees thriving in recycled plastic pipes. It is covered by polycarb to keep out the wind.
“I’m also growing wild plums, berries, spinach and aloe, which is good to treat eczema,” Aob says.
There are stables below for his horses and he has built two extra rooms below the house using recycled material from a dumpsite nearby. There is also a living area with plenty of windows to let in the light, and a bathroom and kitchen area. “I’m also creating a kraal with huts where backpackers can sleep over and learn about our way of life.”
The design of the lighthouse was a collaboration between Aob and Stephen Lamb and Andrew Lord, of Cape Town design company Touching the Earth Lightly.
Aob says that in 2013 the City of Cape Town had wanted to move him and his neighbours to a temporary relocation area while it developed houses on the land.
“But I refused to move into a ‘box’, so the only way was a land swop.”
That was how he moved onto a portion of land that was once part of the dump and where his horses were kept.
He asked the city for cement, a chainsaw and a fence so he could start building. Instead, Aob says, they brought Steve (Lamb). He turned out to be just the man for the job. “Steve listened to everyone’s side and we all gave ideas,” says Aob.
People he didn’t even know got involved and helped build the house, which last year won an eco-innovation award. “The structure uplifts your self-esteem and gives encouragement to others. It makes you want to pass it on to others.”
Solar energy and recycling are also contributing to sustainable living in Hangberg.
Four structures have been built with metal and wood donated by film company Moonlighting from the set of which was shot in Cape Town last year.
A new section of Barry Pretorius and Jacqueline Arendse’s home is lit using plastic bottles connected to a solar panel.
Pretorius says the solar panel on the roof charges a battery which powers four LED lights inside the plastic bottle, which contains water. There is an inverter on the battery which allows them to charge their cellphones.The battery supplies around 10 hours of light.
Arendse says the light is bright enough to light the area outside the house.
UCT science students helped with the circuit boarding and installation of the lights, while the Liter of Light Foundation in Switzerland helped with funding.