The south facade, and the entrance to the house – a simple single-storey rectangular structure that separates the old from the new building. The materiality of the new additions extends the existing brick-and-mortar walls and corrugated-sheeting roof. Slate paving and steel-framed windows complement the traditional methods of construction. |
A picture by the previous owners captures the original entrance to the house, now a simple single-storey rectangular structure that separates the old from the new building.|
The interior walls of the old house were removed to create an open-plan kitchen and living space with exposed timber trusses. A glimpse into the new house entrance reveals a concrete soffit, and Moroccan floor tiles from Union Tiles. Timber oak flooring by Oggie Hardwood Flooring is combined with cementitious floors by Technical Finishes. The kitchen counters by Neolith contribute to a simple black-and-white colour palette.|
A black-and-white photograph of the house, taken by the previous owners.
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An upstairs guest bedroom has a low strip window to offer a glimpse of the mosaic on the floor of the pool. |
The new bedroom windows were designed to be at an angle skew to the walls so they face north. Strip windows allow continuous glimpses of the garden throughout the house.
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A perforated-steel staircase sits lightly in the passage and allows light to visually maximise an otherwise narrow space.|
The shallow property enforced the decision to accommodate the new additions in a double storey to the one side of the old house.|
The client, who sought to preserve the history of the everyday portrayed by the house and the farm references, requested open-plan spaces with a focus on the garden and lots of natural light. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that open the living area to the garden were the answer. The round concrete swimming pool brings to mind a farm dam. |
To ensure maximum garden frontage and a north orientation, the new patio is located to the east side of the house. The steel patio structure is covered by polycarbonate sheeting and thermo-treated timber laths to lter light. Balau timber was used for the deck.|
The study is separated from the children’s playroom by a steel-and-glass panel to allow supervision. The kids’ table and chairs are by Pedersen + Lennard.|
Large steel-and-glass sliding doors open up the entire living space to the garden. Interior glass doors and windows also separate the playroom and study from the living space while allowing glimpses into the rooms. The timber display table is from Amatuli, and the steel unit was custom-made by Live Simple. The wicker sofa is from Weylandts and the grey sofa from Tonic Design. The stone-coloured sofa was custom-made by Live Simple, the homeowner’s interior design firm.|
WORDS Nkuli Nhleko IMAGES Marsel Roothman and Anita Janeke
An airy modern home in the Pretoria suburb of Menlo Park is unrecognisable as the gloomy 70-year-old house it once was.
When this house was built in 1949, it was on the edge of the urban areas, overlooking farmland. The design was typical of suburban houses of the era, with rather small windows, but there were also farmhouse-style elements and a large garden.
New owners saw the potential in the neglected old house, and their brief to architect Nadine Engelbrecht was to transform it into a modern, well-functioning home without losing the charming traditional design features.
Today, in true farmhouse style, the smell of freshly baked bread wafts through the exposed trusses of the double-volume A-frame ceiling and seeps into knots in the oak floors. In stark contrast, the monolithic kitchen island and folded-steel staircase add striking modern touches. Steel cottage-pane sliding doors open the living areas to the lush garden and above-ground pool reminiscent of a concrete farm dam. It’s in these incongruities that the house finds an amazing visual harmony.
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