ABOVE Built-in furniture was used
wherever possible. It fi ts the space,
looks good, and is cost-eff ective
OPPOSITE TOP The TV lounge can
be completely opened up or closed
off from the main living area thanks
to a sliding wall
OPPOSITE BOTTOM The extractor
unit above the kitchen island, in
black tubular steel, was custom
designed by the homeownerbedroom. Not to forget a double garage, where
Nye could store the tools of his trade.
“The form of the building I designed is
based around interlocking three cubes,” says
Jan. “Each represents a diff erent function
— live, sleep, store — and is defi ned by three
contrasting materials: concrete, wood and
metal. The shape and size of these volumes
was partly determined by the height-to-
boundary relationships with its neighbours.”
The boxes are nestled together, creating a
series of private, open spaces as they overlap
each other. At the front of the house, beside
the garage box, there’s a welcoming entry
courtyard. The main outdoor living courtyard
is located centrally, and there’s a small north-
facing service area for drying and airing
clothes at the confl uence of the living and
sleeping boxes.
For the living box, Nye was determined to
try his hand at board-formed, in-situ concrete
— not an easy or cheap option. But being a
builder, he had the skill set, and he could also
absorb some of the costs. “It’s something I’ve
always wanted to do,” he says.
The concrete creates visual strength for the
centre of the house, like a bunker from which
the metal box (garage) at the front and the
wooden box (bedrooms) at the back can hang
off. The thermal property of the concrete also
off ers a stable climate within the living areas.
The resulting footprint is relatively small
for a three-bed family home — just 180sqm
— but it makes up for its size with an effi cient
use of space. There is very little wastage and
hardly any traffi c areas. “Why waste space
with corridors?” remarks Jan. “I also saved
space by using built-in furniture and storage.
Aesthetically, I think it’s much nicer to look
at a piece that has been specifi cally designed
to fi t into the space, rather than something
that doesn’t quite fi t or look good. It costs less,
too. I try to use every square centimetre —
German effi ciency,” he laughs.
But this house is not just about space-
saving. Nye was also keen to make his new
home as energy effi cient as possible. “We
opted for one single power plant that services
the heating and the hot water, which totally
makes sense,” he continues. “Normally, you’d
be told you have to have two units because
of the diff erent temperatures required for
heating and hot water, but it makes more
sense to have one integrated unit to
do everything.”
A large bank of photovoltaics on the roof,
all of which can be independently controlled
from a smartphone app, supplements theWE LOVE THE
CONTRAST BETWEEN
TIMBER, METAL AND
CONCRETE