A unique modern home built from unconventional materials in Northcliff
NORTHCLIFF – Unconventional structures don't just turn heads, they can also enhance the sustainability of the environment.
What do you get when you put two huge containers together? A house fit for a very modern homeowner!
This Northcliff home, with its two bedrooms and two bathrooms, was part of a subdivision and sparked a lot of interest in the neighbourhood for its unparalleled beauty and undisputed uniqueness.
Dirk Coetser, one of the architects, said building with conventional materials would have been very costly. Because the terrain where the house was built, is so rocky and steep they opted to build with unconventional materials, which seemed to work well with the space they had.
The home is a mix of the container and the lightweight steel frame. Rhino wood was also used. (Rhino wood is resin treated pine wood, which then becomes hardwood, making it very cost effective.)
“Construction on the house started last year in February and it took about four months to get the main structure up,” explained Coetser. At his workshop, he was able to pre-manufacture the steel panels and pack them into containers so that he and his team could deliver all the pieces together and unpack them on site.
Coetser said because his client wanted something unconventional, they managed to create this statement piece in the neighbourhood. “To witness the finished product was quite rewarding for all,” he said.
The home has a spacious open plan lounge, dining room and kitchen. The two bedrooms, one en-suite, were kept small with a purpose “The idea was to save space with the small rooms so that there could be more space for the other parts of the house.” The house is insulated and equipped with solar panels. Borehole water is also used.
