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Interior Bathroom -
Exploded view of the kitchen -
The kitchen container -
The containers are extremely versatile and can be adjoined to various sections of the existing house -
The creative team, from left: Petria Smit, Jan Smit, Henry Pretorius and Conrad Stoffberg -
Interior kitchen -
Interior study -
Interior seen from above study -
Exploded view of the bathroom -
The bathroom container -
The study container -
Exploded view of the study
VISI’s deputy editor Annemarie Meintjes invited 10 architects to explore the concept of container architecture in a South African context. We’re publishing the results in our Thinking Inside the Box feature.
Smit Architects chose to add on rather than build from scratch, thus demonstrating how to optimise a living space with the help of containers.
Container concept
Smit Architects wanted to highlight the functional aspect of containers, such as their transportability and adaptability. The team focused on the kitchen, the study and the bathroom, as the placement of these three functional spaces in containers makes them versatile: they can be adjoined to different areas in the house, and can even be moved outside – “eating in” could become “eating out” and an office could be moved to another part of the property. Often it is only once a house has been completed that we realise that certain aspects could have been altered, or, specific preferences may have been limited due to affordability considerations. Simply adding on a container transformed into a functional living space is a viable, easy way to address these issues. When cleverly combined with more traditional building materials, the industrial look of a container also adds to the aesthetic appeal of a home.
Company profile
Smit Architects is most recognised for its work in the residential architecture field. The company works closely with the University of the Free State and most projects are therefore conducted with an academic work ethic: understanding the natural surroundings of a specific project is the crucial first step. With this comes an understanding of the climate of the area, which dictates what natural resources could be used as building materials. In turn, this determines the best building method for the project. Smit Architects creates by using the landscape not only as a canvas, but also as palette and paintbrush.
051 436 4169, smitjd@sci.uovs.ac.za
See more VISI articles about container architecture here.
