GETTING IT DONE
The client’ s brief
“ The client is the property owner and partner. He desired a modern, timeless, and spacious open-plan arrival area with views directly overlooking the urban landscape. So, I included several key features, such as a high vaulted ceiling with exposed rafters, all painted in white, with insulation running beneath the roof to the edge of the eaves. This volume, combined with the natural light, enhances the sense of space.
“ The barn had to be on a single level, with limited site space on the top level. We had strict budget constraints. The basement was added because we utilised the greenhouse wall as a structural element, to allow access to the garden below,” she explains.
Site locality
The extended eaves overhang on the north and south elevations, along with the long sides of the barn and high windows reaching up to the angled roof on the eastern side, optimise the building ' s climatic positioning on site. The sunrise warms the house first thing in the morning.
“ I designed it based on the barn house building style. This made a lovely north-facing roof slope, which is ideal positioning for a solar panel installation. In general, this typology is the most economical building shape for a house and a roof. A pond mirrors the south shopfront, and the main entrance is onto a large open plan area that allows for views right through the building to the view,” she continues.
There is a deck with two steps at the front door, featuring a reflecting pool that was designed for aesthetic appeal, water evaporation, and cooling as one enters the home over a timber decking bridge.
Challenges of the site
The small flat section of the site made construction challenging. Installing sewer lines to connect to the council sewer beyond solid rock was difficult, but the team coped admirably.
Installing the insulation over-rafter ceiling took some time due to ridge wind and rain, and it could only be done after coordinating electricity and other services – all before the roof sheeting could be laid. The northern shopfront has a stronger wind load design because of the strong ridge winds.
A key element of any building on the ridge rockface is its foundations, which can easily require a fortune before beginning construction. A locally experienced structural engineer was engaged, who also recommended a geotechnical engineer. The geotechnical engineer provided careful instructions on how to proceed with the design after test pits were dug to examine the quartzite formation on site.
On the north side, the ground slab was cantilevered over the greenhouse retaining wall, while the beams were anchored into the rock. Based on the geotechnical engineer’ s approval, a 30:60 degree geological formation of the solid rock was confirmed, so a slab supported by beams formed a raft foundation. This, in turn, was pinned into the rock, with a column embedded into the natural rock face below the existing rock retaining wall for the last edge beam.
www. tobuild. co. za | summer 2025-26 73