House Wasserman - Montagu Ridge - Fancourt - George

Mr. Fanie Wasserman, plans to build a sensitive single storey dwelling on Erf 3558. The owner enjoys gardening as a favourite pastime, and the dwelling's interaction with the exterior garden areas was paramount during the design process.

The site is relatively flat, but has a steep incline on the eastern side. We had to cut and fill the site to accommodate the building footprint. The dwelling also follows the site contours and the internal floors steps down 765mm with the site.

We incorporated natural materials like stone and timber into the design and believe that the juxtaposition with more modern elements (e.g. powder coated windows) provides for a rich architectural experience.

The house is broken up into four wings with easy and direct circulation areas dividing them. The service/garage area is situated on the least favourite south-western portion of the property. The spare bedroom and study wing overlooks a well defined courtyard garden that also provides visual distance over the public area to the south, while accommodating eastern windows for early morning sun. The main bedroom area is exposed to the northern garden and bathed in the preferred sun orientation. A large open plan entertainment area with high ceilings and clerestorey windows lives onto a spacious covered stoep that overflows into the garden, with perfect north facing mountain views.

Adequate rainwater is harvested in four underground rainwater tanks with a capacity of 6000 liter each. The owner will use this water to provide for his planned lush garden, which will also hide the created embankments.

Sliding shutters are provided throughout the house to provide privacy and sun control.

In accordance with renewable energy trends, solar electricity panels are installed on the roofs to provide for a 10 kilowatt electrical system.

We believe the proposed dwelling will ad value to the Montagu Ridge experience.

“Architecture is a learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light.”

- Le Corbusier -