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Black roof sheeting deployed as vertical cladding, sliding wooden screens and dark face brick combine to add visual interest to the facades of the new flats. -
Exterior access walkways in the new buildings contribute to a feeling of spaciousness. -
The new flats combine beautifully with the existing flats. -
Sculptural volumes create a contemporary aesthetic. -
The planting enhances the development’s suburban feel. -
The client’s brief was all about “maintaining the character, privacy and greenery that originally drew him to the apartments”, says architect Nadine Engelbrecht. -
Nadine planned the interior layout and design of the new apartments as an homage to the spacious, light-filled existing flats. -
Tactile textures – in the form of a woven leather headboard, raw concrete ceiling and simple bag- plastered brick walls – abound in the bedroom of one of the new apartments.
WORDS Robyn Alexander PHOTOS Paris Brummer
A smart revamp of classic 1973 Pretoria apartments shows how cool high-density living can actually be.
In late 2019, architect Nadine Engelbrecht was approached by the owner of a low-rise apartment complex in the popular Pretoria suburb of Lynnwood with an interesting brief: to both renovate the existing flats and considerably add to the number of residential units on the property. Hillensberg, originally completed in 1973 to a design by architects Ivan Sive and May von Langenau, was at that point a set of two rows of three-bedroom apartments – 36 in all – with two rows of lockable garages in between the buildings containing the residential units.
Nadine relished the design challenge intrinsic to the brief because, she says, “I always find additions to old buildings fascinating. How do you reconcile old and new? Do you contrast them, or make the new blend into the old? How do you ensure that you respect the existing architecture?” Her client “wanted to maximise the potential of the site while maintaining the character, privacy and greenery that originally drew him to the apartments”, she explains.
Nadine’s ingenious design solution was to build 27 new two-bedroom apartments on top of the existing garages – hence the name she has given to the project: In Between 1973. By going this route, nothing has been added to the existing built footprint, allowing maximum green space to remain in the finished project. And as the name “In Between 1973” suggests, the design pays homage to the best of what the existing buildings had to offer, while also successfully updating them structurally and seamlessly adding new units whose aesthetic chimes beautifully with them.
The project commenced in January 2020, and after considerable delays resulting from the pandemic, was completed in May 2022. “Getting the old buildings up to today’s standards was the biggest challenge,” says Nadine. For example, the floor levels of the existing parking garages (beneath the new residential units) had to be lowered, “because today’s larger cars don’t fit into the 1973 parking spaces”, she says with a smile. And, of course, as additional apartments were being placed on top of them, there were structural strength issues to consider. “New structural supports were added to ensure safety and increase the overall lifespan,” Nadine says.
The existing buildings were brought up to date in terms of contemporary standards, too. “We had to add fire-compliance measures, replace glass with safety glass, and replace the electrical and plumbing connections,” she says. The overall design of the original buildings remained unaltered, however. The facades were tidied up as required, and some changes were made to the interiors, where internal walls were removed to transform the separate kitchen, dining and living areas into spacious, open-plan living zones that “allow more light to flow into the units, increase connectivity, and optimise circulation,” says Nadine. Electric geysers were replaced with more efficient gas versions, and services and fittings were updated throughout – but the parquet floors and full-height steel doors were retained and restored to their original beauty. “The 1973 apartments had an openness to them,” Nadine says. “They had large windows, views and such a calm neighbourhood feel, with garden spaces and large trees.”
When it came to creating the new units, the deep- yellow face brick of the original buildings could not be used again because of the closure of the quarry that had produced it. Nadine instead chose to use a black face brick that would generate contrast against the existing facades. Similarly, steel roof sheeting deployed as vertical cladding on the top floor of the new structures reflects the shingled sides of the existing buildings. And finally, existing interior elements were echoed in the new design, via the use of high ceilings and full-height aluminium-and-glass sliding doors.
“I love that even though we increased the density and added completely new buildings, the old and new apartments still have the same feeling of spaciousness,” says Nadine. To meet the increased need for privacy, timber sliding screens and large trees were installed; these also help to maintain the suburban feel of the original development. In addition, reclaimed materials were used wherever possible. Existing paving was reinstated after construction work was completed, and old bricks and pavers were reused to construct internal walls, too.
All this makes the project a model for smart, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable domestic architecture – and a useful example of how to meet South Africa’s need for urban densification, especially in existing suburban areas. The apartments were placed on the market individually after construction was completed, and sold out within three months. “Several of the previous tenants purchased apartments,” says Nadine. “I think people realised that the upgrade was necessary, and could see that the additions both respect the existing buildings and add value to the neighbourhood.” | nadineengelbrecht.co.za
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