Estate Living Digital Publication Issue 11 November 2015 | Page 34

the
houserhino
Crossways Farm Village

INTEREST PIECE

34

The House Rhino successfully integrates as many
sustainable and green technology options as
possible. It also serves as an industry example,
dramatically changing the scene for homeowners
and developers who are serious about sustainability.
Initially conceptualised in 2011, the entirely off-grid
450m² home is built on a 1100m² stand and has been
met with great acclaim from international experts
and the local Kouga municipality who were extremely
supportive in the planning stages.
“I see it as an on-going experiment,” says Brian van
Niekerk, the homeowner and managing director
of the Rhino Group of Companies who have been
responsible for the systems and integration of some
of the building design.
The building design was managed by CMAI architects
and it was essential that the house complied with the
overarching architectural guidelines of the Crossway’s
development. Its success demonstrates that green
technology can be applied to almost any home
without restraining or sacrificing architectural design.
The house has a bedroom and living space linked via
the kitchen, which leads out onto a courtyard. The link
between the two wings has a green