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Modern Silver Lakes Home -
The ultra-modern style is created with minimalist lines and sleek details, adding a touch of sophistication to the unadorned raw materials. The elegant steel staircase was created from a single sheet of steel, bent with precision into a seamless flight of stairs. -
Tucked in-between the trees, the timber deck seems to be the perfect spot for bird watching by day and star gazing by night while lazing away the hours in the plush Bori Bori bean bag from Ashanti Contemporary African Designs. -
The shape of the house takes its cue from nature, floating lightly above the sloping natural ground level and curving sensually around the indigenous karee and apple-leaf trees. -
In keeping with the overall modular style of the house, the cheerful study nook by Raw Studios slots in perfectly with its playful modular design that allows for quick and easy reconfiguration and reassembly whenever the fancy arises. -
Floor-to-ceiling white birch timber panels wrap around the passage leading up to the children’s bedrooms, complete with a handy laundry chute that transforms everyday chores into child’s play. -
The elegant simplicity of the balustrade detail was created by casting the vertical steel flat bars of the balustrade directly into the concrete floor, creating a smooth and uncluttered finish. -
Sunlight spills through the full-height glazing, drenching the open-plan kitchen and living area in natural light. The vertical blinds are translucent, allowing protection against the heat in summer without sacrificing the view. -
Deviating from the muted natural colours that dominate throughout the house, the signal red pedestal – a previous find by the owners – adds a splash of fun to one of the children’s bedrooms. -
An oversized concrete bay window wraps around the extent of the living room, suspended between glazed infill panels. The smooth lines of the bespoke fireplace are intensified against a backdrop of raw off-shutter concrete and Verde Gauatemala marble. -
Architect André Eksteen of Earthworld Architects and Interiors was part of the design team.
PICTURES Dook PRODUCTION Annemarie Meintjes WORDS Adele de Lange
It took an eye for detail and a touch of daring to transform two rocky outcrops with dense vegetation into a haven of tranquillity with a modern twist.
Whereas most people would shy away from the challenges of a sloping site scattered with boulders and densely covered in indigenous vegetation, JP and Heidi Gauché immediately recognised the beauty and potential of an untouched piece of nature in the midst of Silver Lakes, one of Pretoria’s most prestigious security estates.
The Gauchés interviewed a number of architects up front to determine whether their design style would match that of their own taste and preference for modernist concrete-and-glass architecture. Earthworld Architects and Interiors won them over with their effortless use of natural and raw materials, their passion for craftsmanship and their commitment to nature. “Once the basic brief and concept for the house were finalised, the Gauchés trusted us completely to run with the finer design details of the house,” says architect André Eksteen.
He talks animatedly about nature and its central role in their designs: “We take our design cues from nature, making use of raw materials in their natural form. And when it comes to the site we try to interfere as little as possible.”
The result is an understated yet elegant simplicity that is unexpectedly eye-catching. The house of off-shutter concrete and glass comprises two perpendicular blocks on top of each other. It seems to float above the rocky outcrops, only barely touching the ground – allowing nature to take centre stage. Untamed indigenous karee and apple-leaf trees create a natural screen between the house and the occasional passer-by, and on the inside the neutral tones of raw concrete frame uninterrupted views across the city.
The attention to detail and the exquisite combination of raw materials add a touch of sophistication to the otherwise minimalist finishes – most perceptible where off-shutter concrete meets wood, steel and glass in elegantly refined details. André describes the process: “We like to experiment with different materials and ways of putting things together. By working very closely with our subcontractors and artisans, we manage to achieve the finish we’re after.” A case in point is the striking steel fireplace with marble and concrete backdrop that André designed.
With green being so close to everyone’s heart, energy efficiency was a top priority. Double glazing was used throughout the house to reduce the need for artificial heating and cooling, and a solar hot-water system with integrated intelligent controls ensures energy-efficient water heating.
The sensitive approach towards its surroundings and the honest use of raw materials have won this family home a well-deserved special commendation from the Corobrick South African Institute of Architects Awards of Excellence and Merit. The real reward for these architects, however, is about more than winning awards. André happily reflects on the outcome of the project: “Given the freedom and trust we received with the design, it’s such a reward to know that the Gauchés really love their house.”
