Family House in South Africa

[Raymund]

Family House in Pretoria, South Africa

Me and my partner (who is an architect) is working on four houses in a security estate for a property developer. The developer's brief was to design "branded houses" with the long term goal of the brand adding value to their product. The product development and marketing strategy might be modeled closer to consumer products than buildings.

Spatially the houses should exhibit the following qualities:

- They should appeal to the South African lifestyle of entertaining at home.
- The boundaries between inside and outside should be blurred. The houses should have an open and welcoming feeling. The site does not offer attractive flora or views, and the sightlines and exterior views should be carefully designed. Considering the problems arising when free standing houses are placed in high density, careful attention will be given to the design and creation of private outside areas.
- The houses should be environmentally and climate sensitive.
- Space and volume should be used optimally to create interest and a sense of well being. Special attention will be paid to the social logic of space; personal ritual; privacy; the effects of light and air movement and perceived views from outsiders.
- Budget and space permitting the program should allow for the following: Main Bedroom with en suite Bathroom; two Secondary Bedrooms; one Bathroom and one Guest WC; Kitchen and Dining Area (possibly open plan), Scullery, Lounge, Outside Entertainment Area and a Double Garage.
- It is especially in terms of design, space, material use, facades and detail that the houses will differentiate Touches’ product offering. The houses should not be typical “developer’s houses”.
- Although the design will not be avante garde, it will be progressive. It will bear a South African identity and be sensitive to its setting and region. It will respond to the premise that under the current positive economic situation and influence of a broadening middle class, the right niche buyer will be willing and able to buy the product.


The houses will have a total area of 225-250 m2 and will be build on stands that are between 540 and 630 m2.

Currently we have completed the concept design for the first house.

[Raymund]

Ground Floor Plan

[Raymund]

First Floor Plan

[Raymund]

South Elevation

[Raymund]

West Elevation

This elevation fronts north west, we've tried to limit western exposure to the living areas with the placement of the garage and covered patio. Budget permitting, sun-shading devices might be added onto this facade.

[Raymund]

Section B-B

Section A-A (section through the staircase) is still undergoing design development, I will submit this at a later stage.

[bonjerdo]

FROM CAPETOWN

Have you got any 3d models for this concept. Looks good in plan and in elevated view. Nice peace of cad work

[Raymund]

Unfortunately I do not have any 3-D models. thank you for the compliments.

[badja]

Hey, congrats on a good looking design considering the vast amount of awful housing developments in South Africa at the moment!!
My only issue is the circled area here -

It also shows in the section you showed. My feeling is that it detracts from the flow of the scheme and catches my eye immediately.
I would think it to be good to maybe extend out the ground floor to meet the edge of the floor above? I don't know if the ground floor is maybe set back to allow the floor above to shade below?

I also really like the planning, very unique and different to the housing schemes I've seen lately in SA

[Raymund]

badja, I think this elevation still needs some work. The concept was that the bedroom-modules on the first floor extends from the volume of the house. They are indicated as the shaded areas. It also extends (overhang) on the north and south facades. The ground floor was not set back as a shading device.