Timber iQ December 2019 - January 2020 // Issue: 47 | Page 29

LOCAL PROJECT
HOUGHTON MOSQUE DESIGN
“Nestled among the matured oak trees and rolling hills of the
adjacent golf course in the background, the building creates a
‘hill’ on site and attempts to enhance the setting’s prominence
in the overall landscape,” Ally explains.
Whilst rooted in tradition, the design approach is less restricted
in order to give the building a more contemporary character.
This is mainly achieved through the introduction of a
consecutive series of centenary vaults acting as wind catchers
to the main hall. The main dome has been incorporated with the
surrounding vaults on its left, right, and back. The gradual
transitions are further enhanced by pendentive domes on each
side and the front. The series of vaults and domes give an
extended character to the scheme showing the diverse
possibilities of creating a progressive transition of space by the
juxtaposition of masses.
Columns for the pergola are 4 500m in height.
The theme of the centenary vaults as a structural form acting in
total compression, has brought about the slim contour of
arched bricks. “It gives an effect of lightness to the structure
while allowing an economic use of materials," says Ally.
PROJECT DESIGN AND OUTLINE
The building was commissioned in March 2007, which is when
construction of the mosque started. The company (Amoretti
Designs) was contracted to do various constructions on the
mosque, which included the courtyard timber structure, internal
door and frames as well as the semi-circular arched windows of
the mosque.
The specialised arabesque ceilings were also made from timber.
Most of the timber work was done in the courtyard (Sahn),
which is one of the most special areas of a mosque because it
is the heart connecting the amenities (ablutions, toilets and
entrances) to the prayer hall. It also forms the overflow space
for Friday prayers and special occasions, which is when the
courtyard is filled with worshippers.
Vincent Amoretti and his team manufactured the bespoke
pergola for the courtyard of the mosque. After taking on the
project, the client required a sample of the columns for approval
before proceeding with the rest of the project. The project
required work that had never been done before, and at the time,
when the request was made for the sample, Amoretti did not
know how to go about making the column. “I phoned my father,
who is 89 and had spent his whole life in the joinery industry, to
ask him how to go about manufacturing this specific column. To
explain what the column looked like I asked him to look at a
normal household candle that is tapered and has points on the
outside. I then went down to my father’s flat in Cape Town, and
together we worked out a basic idea on how to manufacture the
column,” explains Amoretti. After various attempts and trying
different methods, Amoretti settled on reverse engineering of
the column which worked like a charm, and he managed to get
the sample ready for the client. “It was quite a feat of
engineering,” he says.
Once the full sample was complete, it was given to the client, who
then gave the green light for Amoretti and his team to proceed
with manufacturing and installing the pergola in the courtyard.
The team worked round the clock to have the projected
completed in 18 months. Under normal circumstances, Amoretti
www.timberiq.co.za
An aerial view of the courtyard during construction.
explains that the project would have taken at least two years to
complete. But due to the mosque being scheduled to open
soon, the team had to ensure that they completed the work in
the given time frame.
Amoretti explains that his team had never undertaken work of
this magnitude, as it was the first time he and the team had ever
created pergolas of this kind. Twelve pergola pillars had to be
manufactured according to the specific design for the
courtyard. In addition, beams to support the courtyard structure
also had to be made.
// DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020
27