PRETORIA HOME

With a bushveld backyard and the bustling PRETORIA skyline as its backdrop, this ultramodern family home balances setting and structure with ELEGANT SIMPLICITY.

EVER SINCE THEY WERE A NEWLYWED COUPLE, Albert and Adéle Nieuwenhuys had been dreaming up a vision for their perfect home – a space with a sense of openness enveloped in raw concrete, steel and glass with generous expanses of double volume. They found the perfect site in the heart of Pretoria – the first step to realising their dream – with the most incredible views across the Faerie Glen Nature Reserve. But it wasn’t until they met with architect André Eksteen from Earthworld Architects that they knew their vision would finally become reality. “At Earthworld Architects we believe that the architect’s primary role is that of mediator between people and the landscape they live in,” says André. “We were therefore incredibly excited by the owners’ challenging brief for this unique site, because we knew from the start it would require pushing creative boundaries.” True to his word, the main design concept for the house is a complete contradiction in terms. “I wanted to preserve the site’s intimate connection with the nature reserve by designing the house as an airy, lightweight shelter that simply floats over the indigenous landscape – with the structure being nothing more than a protective shell that can adapt from day to day according to the needs of the family,” André explains. Even though concrete is usually perceived as a heavy, solid structure, the series of slim, interlocking concrete boxes seems to glide weightlessly over the earth. As one steps across a floating concrete bridge to approach the front door, it is evident that the central design theme of lightness and openness is carried throughout the entire house. The glazed curtain walls all move and open up, allowing inside space to become a seamless part of the outdoors. “Because the site is not very big, I wanted the exterior spaces to become additional living rooms – activating the entire site as dwelling space,” André explains.

Apart from satisfying the aesthetic senses, the dramatic double-volume spaces with high-level clerestory windows and deep overhangs have an important function. The house’s main façade faces west to maximise the views, requiring the design team to perform extensive sun and climate control studies to get the shading of the house right. Inside, there is interconnectedness between the multiple level spaces, accentuated by the natural beauty of concrete, steel, glass and oak.The crisp and clean-cut inter ior style combines raw, textured and flamed finishes to provide sensual var iety. Adéle’s favourite place is the kitchen: “I love the sleek industrial lines, but mostly it’s being part of everything else that’s going on in the house – whether it’s the boys playing in the pool, the game that’s on in the living room or the occasional zebra walking past,” she laughs. Finding balance between complexity and simplicity, architectural mastery and family homecoming, it comes as no surprise that the house received a South African Institute of Architects award in 2017. ewarch.co.za

RAW CONCRETE floats lightly on top of a SLENDER STEEL structure to create a generous double-volume SPACE.

AN INTRICATE INTERPLAY between light and shadow on the white oak woodwork transforms the cellar into a FOCAL POINT.

A VERTICAL WALL GARDEN invites a splash of vibrant COLOUR into the MINIMALIST hues of the interior.

IT COMES AS NO SUPRISE that the house recieved a SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS award in 2017.

By echoing the natural slope of the landscape, the multi-tiered levels of the house invite an abundance of light into the home and facilitate uninterrupted views across the nature reserve.

Carrying through the central theme of weightlessness, individual spaces are defined within the open-plan area by cantilevering concrete floors and floating staircases. These are interspersed with semi-transparent features, such as the clear Perspex hanging light pendants from Hi-Tech Lighting.

ABOVE The black leather and chrome finishes of the Le Corbusier lounge chairs and sofas contrast vividly with the overall neutral palette. LEFT Floating on a plinth of exposed concrete, the bespoke built-in sofa, with integrated consoles, was designed by Kristen Page from Inside Interiors, an affiliate of Earthworld Architects, and manufactured by Nic Gaudard from Swiss Joinery. BELOW Adéle’s office was designed to allow for privacy while still being “a part of it all”. Storage space was incorporated into the structure, with the suspended steel balustrade doubling as shelving space and extra cupboard space in the room divider. OPPOSITE Albert’s wine cellar is insulated from seasonal temperature fluctuations nestled between cool, concrete walls below ground.

ABOVE Despite the compact site, it was very important to the family to have a garden for the children to play in. The architects resolved this by creating a green roof complete with a generous lawn area on top of the subterranean sections of the house. BELOW AND OPPOSITE The sleek, industrial look of the kitchen was achieved by combining high-gloss laminated cabinetry with a precision-cut steel framework and Neolith sintered stone countertops. The granite of the breakfast nook was honed to add a sense of warmth to the touch.

The theme of openness and transparency is continued into the master bedroom, where a low-level screen wall wraps around the bed to create an intimate nook within the spacious open-plan layout of the room.