Steel Construction Vol 40 No 4 - Metal Cladding and Light Steel Frame | Page 19

SAISC PROJECTS

Barn House
Project Team
Client / Owner / Developer:
Friedrich & Wilna Strey
Architect:
Strey Architects
Structural Engineer:
Hull Consulting Engineers
Project Manager:
Friedrich Strey
Main Contractor:
Friedrich Strey
Steelwork Contractor:
Tsipe Staalwerke (Hot rolled steel portal
frame manufacturing and erection)
Steelwork Contractor:
Clotan Steel (Supplier, roller and assembly of
light gauge steel frames)
Structural Steel Detailer / Detailing
Company:
Strey Architects
Cladding Supplier:
Bluescope Steel – Southern Africa
(through Clotan Steel)
Wet Work:
Mega Construction
Aluminium doors and windows with double
glazing:
Alugro Aluminium

Barn House is a Case Study single family
house, experimenting with different
building methods, insulation methods and
construction methods.
The main house is constructed of a
reinforced brick and concrete basement
with a hot-rolled steel portal frame to carry
pre-cast concrete slabs, clad in S-profile
sheeting as wall cladding and roof sheeting
The South garage is constructed of a light
gauge steel frame and clad in S-profile
sheeting as wall cladding and roof sheeting
The North garage is constructed with
a timber portal frame with magnesium
oxide and insulation board SIPs (Structural
Insulated Panels) and clad in S-profile
sheeting as wall cladding and roof sheeting.
The idea with case study house was to
compare ‘traditional’ brick-and-mortar
building methods in South Africa with
‘alternative’ building methods
Southdowns Estate architectural guidelines
requires for a Transvaal or Victorian farm
vernacular or ‘Barn’ style architecture: A hotrolled steel portal frame was chosen for the
main structure to resemble a contemporary
barn structure
A light gauge steel frame (LSF) was chosen
for the South garage to resemble a shed or
‘typical’ farm structure.
Steel, LSF and sheet metal roofing material
are not traditional building materials for
houses in South Africa, especially not when
the house design was conceived about
10 years ago. In the mean-time the use
of hot-rolled steel and light gauge steel

frame building methods has become more
common in domestic architecture. Sheet
metal cladding was considered ‘inferior’ in
the past and mostly used as cladding for
railway housing or in mining communities,
or for ‘informal’ housing.
This project shows that steel, LSF and roof
sheeting can be used in a contemporary
way for contemporary housing and other
buildings.
The biggest challenge designing & building
this house was to convince everybody from
the builders to the public that a house can
be build better, quicker & more economical
with ‘alternative’ building methods like
hot-rolled steel, LSF & sheet metal cladding
than the traditional brick-and-mortar.
If anything out of the ‘norm’ is tried in the
building industry, tenders come in at triple
the usual price. Therefore, the only way to
try out something out of the ‘norm’ is to
try it yourself. Experimentation is thus time
consuming and expensive, but necessary
if one wants to push the boundaries of
architecture and construction.
An architect usually never get chance
to actually experience the buildings he
designs, so it is great to see that, that which
was intended with a design, was actually
realised. Living in a building we have not
only designed, but also built, is a surreal
experience and an honour. The building
works and feels as it was intended.
We are finally enjoying the house after 3
years of designing, 7 years of building and 1
year of living and experiencing it.

This project shows that steel, LGS and roof sheeting can be used in a contemporary way.

Steel Construction Vol. 40 No. 4 2016 17