PHOTOS Dook PRODUCTION Klara van Wyngaarden WORDS Lisa Johnston

Design maverick, art gallery owner and architecture aficionado Gavin Rooke has turned property developer with a new Monaghan Farm house that is a case study for how design and engineering can meet at the sweet spot of eco-friendly beauty. 

A row of eucalyptus trees echoes the long horizontal lines of Stand 47 – a contemporary home set amid green and amber veld grasses on Monaghan Farm just north of Lanseria Airport, Johannesburg. It sets the perfect stage for the house itself, which is a prototype for a new vernacular architecture that uses high-end engineering and design, but manages to integrate this efficiency with environmental and aesthetic appeal.

“No one builds like this,” says property developer Gavin Rooke, referring to the considered approach to every aspect of the design and materials – resulting in the house being built quickly, with excellent acoustics, cool in summer, warm in winter and easy to heat,  together adding up to a lower carbon footprint. “We set an efficiency mandate: get the most out of everything we put in.”

The team, including architect Karlien Thomashoff, has designed the house around a light steel frame using External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) for the walls. The only exception is a stone feature wall that, together with parquet flooring, add visual warmth to the interior. The design needed to make the best possible use of the materials to increase energy efficiency, but keep waste and costs down.

It also needed to turn traditional notions of a home’s requirements on its head, by adapting to the owners’ needs over time. For example, two of the three bedrooms can be used either as a bedroom, guest room or an office, making the house suitable for a young couple working from home, a small family or an older couple whose children have left home, but may still visit. The bathroom works in a similar way. The shower, bathroom and toilet are in separate but inter-leading rooms, which can be closed off or opened up, depending on how many people are using them at a given time.

The design has also taken ease of renovation into consideration. Since the house is built around a steel frame, interior changes won’t compromise the structure of the building in any way. The flooring was laid in a continuous sheet throughout the length of the house before the interior walls were established, which means that if the owners decide to change the layout of the interior they won’t need to replace the flooring.

In terms of its environmental impact, Stand 47 has shifted the focus from “green building” in terms of biodegradable products, to overall durability and efficiency. In addition, the majority of power is generated through 40 solar panels on the roof, water is heated by means of a heat pump and there are three large tanks for rainwater harvesting.

“I wanted to show that you could build a home at the top end of the scale that was highly comfortable and appealing, but that performs better,” says Gavin. “This isn’t about getting off the grid for the sake of getting off the grid, this is about building a state-of-the-art house using contemporary materials and design… This is a machine for living.”

The post Stand 47 at Monaghan Farm appeared first on Visi.

Tucked away into the sloping hills of the Joburg Highveld, this open-hearted home lets nature take centre stage as it floods the senses with a lingering sense of light, space and a love for outdoor living.

Everyone knows that taking the wrong off-ramp on one of the Gauteng highways can be asking for disaster. Fortunately for Wim and Mitzi Hollander, the disaster turned into the best mistake they ever made when they discovered the tranquil Eye of Africa golf estate, conveniently situated just far enough south to shake off Joburg’s non-stop hustle and bustle, but still only 17km from the city centre.

Their unconventional steel-clad house, which seems on the verge of disappearing down the slope of a koppie, is the work of Johan Wentzel and Grete van As from W Design Architecture Studio. “We love to invite people inside just to see the look of surprise on their faces,” Wim laughs. True to his word, the secretive exterior hides a spacious gem filled with views as far as the eye can see.

Commissioning Johan and Grete was based on how “their designs really capture the essence of what is great about living in Africa,” says Wim. “For us, that means letting nature into our home – and to celebrate the light side of life.” The most striking manifestation of this is the roof of the lower level of the house, which is planted with indigenous grass, extending the garden below. By using the same steel cladding for the roof and the upper-level walls, the house creates the impression of being a single-storey building.  

Inspired by the couple’s theme for the house of “the bearable lightness of living”, the architects came up with a concept to capture lightness in the design that would defy the conventional notions of a house. Johan explains: “We prefer to focus on the spaces that we want to create, instead of the solid structures that surround it – and with this house we really wanted to break free from the predictable boundaries that define space as a room with four walls and a roof.”

As such, oversized sliding doors extend the living area seamlessly into the garden, with views across the estate’s landscaping beyond. The all-in-one living, dining and kitchen area transforms effortlessly into a roomy entertainment area, and a recessed boma in the corner of the garden provides the perfect spot for stargazing around a fire.

Surprisingly, the internal courtyard was not part of the original design but was added to give the guest bedrooms access to north-facing sunlight, which is ideal for our climate. Aside from being the perfect picture of tranquillity, the addition of the pond has a practical side to it, too – it creates a visual barrier between the guest rooms and the living area. “When nobody’s visiting, we virtually forget about that part of the house, but we have the extra space whenever we need it,” Mitzi points out. 

“This is my favourite part of the house – everywhere I look I am surrounded by beauty. I can sit in the living room and watch the butterflies flit from one flower to the next, or stare out over the valley below,” she beams. 

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post South Rand House appeared first on Visi.

These fabulous contemporary fabrics can be mixed and matched for a creative pattern clash.  

It’s all-out heartwarming that some of our favourite heritage prints and fabrics, like paisley, houndstooth and velvet, are getting a colourful contemporary makeover  – but what really takes the cake is that it’s also super-trendy to throw just about any cloth, print and colour together.

Now you don’t have to choose from this eclectic selection of upholsteries we found all around, just pick and mix your favourites – you can have them all!

1. Black Edition, Astratto Elasona Multi R3 800/m, Romo South Africa

2. Fandango, Colorido R1 129/m, Mavromac

3. Louvre, Amalgame 01 R1 100/m, Home Fabrics

4. New Miami, Eastside R530/m, Black Fabrics

5. Fandango, Gracia R730/m, Mavromac

6. Fandango, Hippy Square R616/m Mavromac

7. Baskerville, Dumfries R412/m, Black Fabrics

8. Fandango, Flower Child Hot pink R616/m, Mavromac

The post 8 Statement Fabrics appeared first on Visi.

Rural bliss is to be found just inland from the French Riviera, according to a South African concert pianist and her partner, who have built a completely eco-friendly and energy-positive abode that is a canvas for their creativity.

After two decades in their Cannes apartment, South African concert pianist Marika Hofmeyr and her partner, French architect Philippe Moonens, decided to take the rural plunge. They had felt an urge to move away from the madding crowd, so they started to look for a plot to build on. It was easier said than done, since affordable vacant land is a rarity on the French Riviera. 

They set their target on terrain slightly inland and found a chunk of paradise in Grasse, the world capital of perfumes, about 15km from the sea. The plot was steep, but it was landscaped with old stone wall terraces and opposite was a forest covering the north slope of a hill, with a rivulet from the Grand Vallon de Grasse at the bottom. 

According to Philippe, the simple four-faced house “is in keeping with traditional buildings in the area and a design brief that ignored preconceived aesthetic ideas. This meant that every function performed by the house was reconsidered from scratch.”

Constructed at the apex of the plot, the house is entered from the top floor, which includes the main bedroom overlooking the living space one floor below, and consists of a kitchen, dining area, fireplace and liberal working space for Marika and her Steinway. A large opening frames the north view of the overlooking mountain while seven floor-to-ceiling slit windows look east towards the site and the forest across the brook. 

The lower floor has a home cinema, a collapsible office for Philippe and two bedrooms – or rather alcoves, as there are no doors – but a continuous flow of space throughout the house.

An industrial staircase attached to the concrete floors and ceilings enhances the boldness of the non-intrusive decor, which provides an inspiring set-up for the creative activities of the inhabitants.

Every effort was made to create a self-sustainable structure, starting with 15cm-thick external insulation protecting the concrete shell from which thermal inertia regulates the temperature throughout the seasons. Two-storey-high adjustable shutters help to control the sun radiating through the double-glazed windows, which are better kept closed for optimal comfort. Taking advantage of the constant temperature deep in the ground, 75m-deep pipes allow the clean air to be pre-heated or pre-cooled before being blown into the house by dual-flow ventilation. In winter, wood is the only heating: the single closed fireplace warms the flow of air that sweeps through the house from bottom to top. 

Ambient lighting is provided by downlighting LED strips installed in grooves created when the concrete was cast. Since the roof is entirely made of photovoltaic solar tiles, the building produces more electricity during a year than it needs – the excess of which is reinjected into the grid.

Sustainability is not restricted to the building: a 20kL rainwater reservoir, combined with the neighbour’s spring, is sufficient for the garden watering needs. Organic waste is recycled into compost. Besides her commitment to the piano, Marika now also takes care of the numerous fruit trees and her cherished vegetable garden. The friendly neighbour supplies potatoes and eggs. A chunk of paradise indeed! 

The post Eco-Friendly French Grange appeared first on Visi.

Situated at the idyllic Crossways Farm Village, some 25 minutes outside Port Elizabeth, is the house that will save the Earth.

Whether environmentally or practically motivated, green living is one of the biggest topics of 21st century design, and yet there are so few truly sustainable homes. Brian van Niekerk, MD of Rhino Energy, a solar energy and green building solutions company, recently built House Rhino, which claims to be Africa’s first completely green home. Situated at the idyllic Crossways Farm Village, some 25 minutes outside Port Elizabeth, on the border of the Van Stadens River Valley, it is one of a handful of such homes in the world. Here are 10 reasons why.

1. It operates off the grid, thanks to roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels, which charge two banks of zero-maintenance batteries. 

2. It’s made from Aruba blocks, which are concrete-filled expanded polystyrene blocks. Although polystyrene may not seem green, it is completely recyclable and provides three times more insulation than traditional bricks, which reduces the electricity needed for heating and cooling.

3. Forgot to switch off the lights? Or switch on security? The house has an electricity-saving building management system that can be controlled remotely through a smartphone, tablet or computer. 

4. Underfloor heating? No problem. No electricity bill. The house has 1.5km of pipes under the floor pumping hot water. The water is heated by a solar heating collector, a fireplace and/or a heat pump. 

5. Energy and water-saving fittings include LED lighting throughout, as well as optimised taps and showerheads.

6. All windows are double-glazed for temperature-regulating insulation. The roof and ceiling are also insulated. 

7. Rainwater is collected by water-harvesting aqua gardens that double up as water features. The rainwater is filtered by the plants and then treated before being used for irrigation, and the natural, chemical-free swimming pool. 

8. Rainwater is harvested off all roof surfaces, including from the driveway, as it is made from Hydromedia, a porous concrete that syphons rainwater to the 30kL storage tanks under the house.

9. A biodigester produces cooking gas by treating waste water and decomposing organic kitchen waste and grass cuttings.

10. There’s a veggie garden on the roof, which not only provides the residents with fresh organic produce, but further improves insulation of the house and reduces wasted runoff water.

rhinoenergy.co.za 
crosswaysfarmvillage.co.za

The post The Ultimate Eco House appeared first on Visi.

“The first day Sharon and I brainstormed, ‘He arrives Mr Big Shot, he leaves Mr Nobody’ was one of the first African proverbs that came up. We laughed so hard,” smiles Heidi Chisholm, cofounder of Mr Somebody and Mr Nobody, with Sharon Lombard, who are based in New York and Miami respectively. 

“It was the same with me. I come to the US, I think I’m something,” Heidi says as she reminisces about how she left South Africa as an award-winning graphic artist who wasn’t as well known in the US. Sharon’s family emigrated 35 years ago and Heidi is relatively new to the country. 

After cofounding and running Daddy Buy Me A Pony with Peet Pienaar for eight years, Heidi bonded with Sharon over their love for “the African aesthetic”. The result is Mr Somebody and Mr Nobody, a homeware brand that has exhibited and sold everything from khangas to doilies and carved chickens since 2011.

Mr Somebody and Mr Nobody has taken other quirky quotes – like “If you wait long enough an egg will start walking” – on colourful craft from Art Basel/Miami to Design Indaba. “We work more as artists than designers,” Sharon says. They print short runs of khangas and enlist carvers in Ghana to bring their sculptures to life.

“They put a certain naivety to it that makes it absolutely gorgeous,” says Heidi. “If you ask someone in the US to do the same then it’ll come out exactly like the design. It loses that African-ness.” 

And so, Mr Somebody and Mr Nobody has made Heidi and Sharon feel like somebodys in the States. In fact, they  have been included in the book Cultural Threads: Transnational Textiles Today, due for publication in November 2014.  

mrsomebodyandmrnobody.com

The post Mr Somebody, Mr Nobody appeared first on Visi.

What do plywood, stainless steel, recycled formula spoons, bubble-bath bottles and fabric offcuts have in common? They are all materials used by interior designer Wendy-Lee Douglas and furniture maker Ryan Douglas, the husband-and-wife team behind the ilovebokkie kiddies’ furniture range, which was inspired by their son Rylee and his love for, well, bokkies. 

Of course, we here at VISI love a good bok, and we love the way the range plays with the bokkie motif. From mild steel wall hooks to plywood bookshelves and even little coasters, we’re just mal for anything bokkie-shaped. Even if you’re not as bokkie-mad as we are, there’s much to stimulate creativity and imagination in the range, like the elephant-shaped drawing table, shweshwe-inspired lamp table and Perspex scribble boards in the shape of Africa.

The Durban-based team also works together on a second brand, Sketch bok/dbn, which focuses on interior design and a decor service, plus a furniture range of the adult variety. While you’re unlikely to see as many bokkies featured in that range, the playful aesthetic still remains, albeit with grown-up sensibilities.

Speaking of ilovebokkie, Wendy-Lee describes this locally made range as an antidote to “Made in China”, and we couldn’t agree more.

Available from hellopretty.co.za, greenelephantcollective.co.za 
ilovebokkie.co.za

The post ilovebokkie Children’s Furniture Range appeared first on Visi.

There’s something just wonderful about Cape Town artist Galia Gluckman’s obsessively constructed waste- paper land- and seascape collages – and we’re not just talking knife-cutting prowess or that it’s all super green. It’s also about how she layers her glued cut-outs, paints into them, and repeats the time-consuming process to give her large artworks a deeper dimension.

The results are as striking as they are moving. Her piece, “Nest”, showed at the Cape Town Art Fair this year and she’s currently busy with new works, saying only that it “involves an obscene amount of cut-up strips reminiscent of piled up matches.”  

Where were you born?
In Tel Aviv and I grew up in Durban. 

How did you become a full-time artist?
I lived in London and New York as a fashion designer and traded it all in nine years ago to become a full-time artist. Since then I’ve won the Global Green Artist Challenge at the International Art Expo in New York in 2009, and exhibited in California, Boston and Cape Town.

What was it like living in London and New York?
It was monumental! London is loud and home to the Tate Modern. I loved New York’s 24-hour-living-and-working lifestyle. 

Why did you move back to South Africa?
Many reasons, but most important was family lifestyle. 

How do your South African roots influence your work?
My work is full of the flavours and beautiful colours of South Africa.

What is it about shredded paper that appeals to you?
I enjoy the process of cutting and pasting. It is almost like meditation. Each strip of paper, however seemingly insignificant, becomes significant.

Any famous fans of your work?
The founder of The Body Shop, and the Rupert family collection.

Limited-edition works available from R12 000 to R30 000. 
galiagluckman.com

The post Galia Gluckman appeared first on Visi.

Finding the edgy Italian company Seletti’s fab range of homeware products in Joburg’s Generation store was so great that we rushed over for a covet and chat with the shop’s founder, interior design specialist Julia Day. 

How did it happen? Well, it started off with her rebranding her 22-year-old furniture business last year, with design expert Fergus Armstrong’s input, and then following her design-loving heart to scour Italy. 

Not only did Julia come home with, among others, the iconic furniture brand De Padova and Jean Boggio ceramics, she also brought Seletti – a company that collaborates with top designers to make delectible objects.

We love the I-Tea set, a mostly white porcelain set by Selab that makes a bright departure from a baroque-look with its florescent handles. Then, after dinner, stack on high the delicately illustrated Alessandro Zambelli Palace range – they’re buildings! 

Now, let’s finish off this feast with some nostalgia – Ctrlzak Studio’s quirky Hybrid range lets sultry East meet dowdy West to make new magic together. Hungry yet?

Generation, Hyde Park Corner, Johannesburg, 011 325 6302,
facebook.com/GenerationStoreSA

The post Generation Store appeared first on Visi.

Some look like stony hearts, others like fossilised dinosaur eggs, in the latest range of organic-shaped and bulbous vases by ceramicist Margaret Woermann.

One of the grande dames of South African craft – being the founder of Heartworks – Margaret actually prefers to be seen as an excessive gardener. She’s also collaborating with Peta Becker of Projekt on their Curious Room label, where the pair reimagines chairs and couches to express their appreciation of nature. The vases are made at her kitchen table and she partly blames their shape on the wild garden view through the open backdoor…

Where were you born?
I grew (yes, grew) near Vryheid, a struggling plant I was!

What did you want to be when you were a child?
A gardener.

What are you today?
I am still a gardener.

What is important to you?
Apart from my colleagues and staff, plants! The fish in my backyard pond allow me to dream that I am somewhere else and not in the city.

Tell us about your latest range of ceramic vases.
They were inspired by clay balls sold for ritual and medicinal purposes under a flyover in Durban. Also, my appreciation of plants is like a vital organ to my existence, hence the bulbous vases!

What’s next?
I might just acquire a very small kiln, to make lots and lots of small ceramic shards…

• woermann@iafrica.com, heartworks.shopstar.co.za

The post Margaret Woermann appeared first on Visi.