SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
Noteworthy features and site challenges
The huge rocks inside the house and in the garden required careful planning and execution – as did some of the existing trees.
“ Never mind the interior rocks, they were easy compared with the huge solid rock bath weighing 2.5t we had to convey from the parking area into the new main bathroom area!” recalls Van der Merwe.“ We took lessons from the Egyptians building the pyramids! We used soil to create ramps, using steel rollers, mobile telescopic cranes and forklifts to do all of this.
“ Large existing rocks were respected where they were, and we worked around them to allow the rocks to be integrated as part of the biophilic design approach. We did the same with the large existing tree, where the tree trunks penetrate through the new lounge floor and roof slab, and the tree top canopy provides shade to the sundeck on the rooftop,” adds Van der Merwe.
For a building with extensive glazing, natural indoor climate control was carefully managed by using high-performance double glazing for doors and windows. For the glass box and atrium skylights, the team used the highestperformance tinted glass. On the active climate control side, there is a house HVAC system that is part of the automated control systems. It runs partly off solar power.
Professional and implementation team
Principal architect: Daniel van der Merwe Landscape architect: Daniel van der Merwe Structural engineer: Francois du Plessis, Cividraft Land surveyor: Shane Coulthard Landscape contractor: Natural Order Landscapes Main contractor: Nusacon Projects Lighting specialist: Dark Room Lighting Automation and interactive integration: Wardew Interiors: Eloise Thompson, Weylands Studio
Overall, the renovation increases the built footprint of the site somewhat.“ To allow a downstairs subterranean cinema and bathroom, the water storage tanks and irrigation controls room area, and the outdoor dining room area and living roof that sits adjacent to the new organically shaped eco-pool, the owner had to purchase a parcel of land from the adjacent property and had it consolidated into the existing erf.
“ Notwithstanding that, it is a surprisingly small site. Situated on the top of a koppie at around 2 000 m2, the house is spread over nine distinct levels. This means the site is compact with all the building, landscape, and pool elements. There is no space for conventional lawns or similar, however, the views make up for it – it offers a 360 ° view across Joburg.
“ Ultimately, the project is an architectural tectonic palimpsest that traces, respects, and rearticulates the site, landscape, material and spatial habitation,” Van der Merwe concludes.
A striking structural down beam – sculpturally enhanced to metaphorically echo the organic landscape – runs the length of the house.
50 autumn 2026 | www. tobuild. co. za