Minimalist Centurion Home

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS  Marika Wilkin

Guided by the owners’ brief for a ‘contemporary interpretation’ of a farm-style abode, the architect of this Southdowns Estate home used volume and light to create a modern, minimalist space.

“This plot in Irene’s Southdowns Estate had a wide northern boundary that fronted onto a nature conservation area, which meant we really had free rein when it came to space, volume and light,” says architect Devilliers du Toit. The vision for the house was twofold: “to create a modern home that tested the boundaries of the estate’s farm style-based architectural guidelines; and to create a sense of never-ending open space with uninterrupted views.”

The create a spacious contemporary home for clients, Schalk and Angelique Janse van Rensburg, Devilliers made use of volume to clearly define the main open plan living space. 

The front door opens into the dramatic double-volume entrance hall which, in turn, leads to the living spaces and the centrepiece of the house: the kitchen. The kitchen features a large south-facing gable window to bring natural light into the deep space. “Almost the entire northern edge of the kitchen and living space is composed of frameless glass doors so that, when opened, there is virtually no distinction between inside and outside,” says Devilliers. 

A daring cantilevered timber and glass staircase leads to the first storey where a ‘house-shaped’ opening in the passage looks down into the one-and-a-half volume kitchen. In the closed off private spaces, like the bedrooms, the use of raked ceilings help create a continued sense of space.

A balcony runs the full length of the house with each of the rooms opening onto it to allowing the upstairs rooms to be flooded with natural light.  

While the interior of the house has been kept sparse, light and airy, the exterior has been finished in tonal greys. The exterior finishes have been deliberately kept muted so as to reduce the bulk of the building.  “A darker and lighter grey helps to define the building volumes,” explains Devilliers. 

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at the colourful, bold contemporary Johannesburg home.