Highveld House

The house is located to the North of Tshwane in a bushveld estate with typical highveld climatic conditions – very warm summers and moderate to cool winters. Small game and wildlife roam freely in the estate and in the case of this site, small game would graze in the area allocated for the allowed development.

Inspiration for the design of the house came from the conditions and dynamics on site and the choice of material to be utilized for the construction of the house.

As primary structural enclosure of the house, face brick was used for its durability and low maintenance. The choice of color of the face brick that was selected was inspired by the color scheme of the dark bark color of the thorn trees and the dry veld grass. The face brick color blends seamlessly with this color scheme.

Windows and doors were recessed deep into the structure to give shading to the house’s interior and acting as shading device. Angled walls on the first floor allows for morning sun to enter bedrooms while exposing distant views. The position of windows and doors were planned to face the activities of the small game as well as framing the beauty of the bushveld.