1. Eco House : Clad with corrugated iron and insulated with hay, Wessel van Huyssteen’s home (a Daniel van der Merwe design), keeps the Eastern Free State winters at bay.|
3. Fit for a Feline : This heavy table, its top 12cm thick, stands on the oversized veranda of Brocha, an Elgin Valley farmhouse designed by Barry Gould Architects.|
4. Great Panes : The simplicity of a polished cement floor in the consevatory of this Elgin Valley farmhouse highlights the stone strips, made from rocks unearthed from the vineyard. The house was designed by Barry Gould Architects.|
2. It's Only Natural : The Monaghan Farm driveway, made from maintenance-free exposed aggregate concrete, resembles a gravel farm road. Situated close to the Cradle of Humankind, "its a place where only 3% of the ground will ever be used," says owner Prospero Bailey.|
5. Wide Open : The majestic landscape takes precedence at Kromdraai, on the far western outskirts of Johannesburg. The ancient trees blend seamlessly with the contemporary interiors
of this Johan Bergenthuin-designed farmhouse.|
PHOTOS Merwelene van der Merwe, Lien Botha, DOOK, David Ross WORDS Debbie Loots
It’s simple to warm your home in an ecofriendly way. Pare down instead of adding more, and use building materials from the earth.