house the hills
contemporary house – the hills estate, waterkloof ridge
A contemporary & cubistic house designed for a young family of 5 in the luxurious The Hills Estate, Pretoria. The home occupies a substantial portion of the small, fairly steep site with views and incline towards the North, where the site narrows onto the estate border. As part of our design and in line with our client’s Wishlist, we introduced green roofs as part of the sustainable design elements and also to reclaim lost areas of the site. It allowed for good insulation the rooms below as well as a green surface below, from the upper storey rooms.
Further green initiatives include numerous custom designed shading elements over the large windows, rain water harvesting on multiple points around the site and indigenous “dry” landscaping, for minimal water consumption. The design allowed for harvested water to be stored in slimline, corrugated water tanks proudly proclaiming their function and incorporated into the design.
The internal layout had to be designed on multiple levels to allow the house to climb uphill and follow the natural slope. This minimised earth excavation and fill, and also ensured the buildings fitted the site in a natural and comfortable manner. The multiple levels ensured a dynamic and interactive space configuration with interesting connection and circulation solutions. The kitchen design matched the contemporary style with a strong minimalist approach.
