Made in Africa

PHOTOS: Dook | PRODUCTION: Annemarie Meintjies | WORDS: Jacqueline Myburgh Chemaly

“Barefoot technology” is what it took to create this high-tech solar-powered house in Craighall, which features designer finishes, collectable art and African soul.

A bold, moving painting in Peter and Cynthia Tischhauser’s home, painted by Johannesburg artist Cyril Coetzee, depicts Camoes, the 16th century Portuguese poet, sitting on a pile of his books in the dust of an African village and talking to a chieftain.

This is no regular colonial encounter steeped in fear and distrust but instead suggests the fantasy of a meeting filled with wonder, surprise and mutual amazement. It is a magical moment that sets the tone for a home where African and European aesthetics merge, along with a sprinkling of characteristic Tischhauser quirkiness.

Cynthia and Peter have lived in this house for many years but it was upon their return from an eight-year stint in Los Angeles two years ago, filled with nostalgia for the continent they love, that the couple decided to turn their house into a space that would both reflect their identity and inspire their creativity.

The result is a beautiful, comfortable and efficient living space. It is also an African house, built by Africans and decorated with some of the finest art from across the continent.

Everything tells a story

Even though Peter is of Swiss descent, he and Cynthia embrace their African-ness passionately. Every item in their home, from the wooden bowl on the bathroom counter to the priceless Congolese paintings in the dining room, has a story to tell.

Peter, a cinematographer who has helped to create some of the biggest advertising campaigns in the world, is also something of a lighting junkie. Each light fitting has therefore been selected for its beauty as well its function, while windows and skylights throughout the house allow natural light to wash over their lives wherever possible.

The giant tilting window above the bed opens the couple’s bedroom to a great big slice of the African sky, day and night, while the adjacent wall displays two dramatic Artemide Pipe Suspension lights from Herzog and De Meuron.

Being a light man, it made sense that Peter would also explore solar lighting options and a panel of photovoltaic cells on the roof means that the entire house can be illuminated without any help from Eskom. The house is also heated with under-floor heating powered by solar energy.

Barefoot technology

Peter refers to the couple’s approach to high-tech efficiency as “barefoot technology” – its presence is subtle, but it works. An outside shower, for example. is constructed out of rough stone and displays quirky artefacts and pots. But look down and the stone floor is sprinkled with a handful of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). The effect is magical.

Peter and Cynthia’s style is sophisticated yet soulful, allowing designer lamps to sit comfortably alongside precious African and Chinese objets they have collected all over the world. The result is a seamless meeting of two worlds: a technolocially advanced home with the earthiness of Africa.

The most dramatic part of the renovation was the decision to go up a level over the main bedroom and bathroom. They had some help from Peter’s architect brother Anthony Tischhauser but already had a clear idea of what they wanted. The new space has given the house an entirely different dimension, from the 3,6m motorised aluminium window to the rooftop studio that gives Cynthia the sense of plying her craft in a Parisian eyrie. The elevation and light are effective in connecting the house to the outside.

The next project the couple are tackling together: an aloe garden under construction, a herb and vegetable patch with advanced irrigation system, and two bee-hives brought in to help pollinate the garden.

Collaborative work in progress

But it is the path up to the studio that reveals much about the people who live here. From their bedroom, the stairs pass through Cynthia’s library of art and philosophy books and into Peter’s office (he call it his tree house), which is lit by small African-style square windows and a picture window overlooking the generous branches of an old oak tree.

Finally the stairs emerge into an uncluttered creative space where she paints and he keeps his collection of Iranian and Turkish carpets, throws and wedding dresses. Cynthia, a former art director, is now focusing on a new career as an artist and her love for magical realism is a haunting presence throughout their home.

Although the major renovation work has been completed, this couple have clearly created a joint canvas that continues to be a collaborative work in progress.