Home South Africa – September 2019

brahamColyn’s cellar in the

RobertsonWine Valley stood empty

formorethan 60 years. Until his

grandsonBraam, who now farms

therefull-time, started dreaming of

turningit into a home in 2018.

“Myoupaandhisbrother Jan built the wine

cellarbackin theday.The bricks were made here

onthefarmrightin frontof the building, albeit

ratherroughlyandwithout being fired properly!”

saysBraamwitha smile.

“Still,they’rethemostbeautiful clay bricks and

manyof themareunplastered. So my brief to the

architecturaltechnologistwas to retain as much

of theoriginalcellarwallsas possible. Call me

‘oldschool’butsomedayI would like to pass

somethingonto mythreekids that will remind

themof thebeautyof thepast.”

Becausetheoldwallswere quite unstable,

GawieViljoen,seniorarchitectural technologist at

Vil.Archin Robertson,suggested that a steel frame

beerectedinsidethebuilding. This meant the old

wallscouldremainuntouched while the steel

framecarriestheweightof the new upper storey

androof.

Braam’sotherbriefwasthat none of the existing

windowopeningsbemoved. “This is why the only

newwindowswerethoseadded to the top floor,”

heexplains.“Theoldwindows offer the most

beautifulviews;it looksasif paintings of the

Langebergmountainsarehanging right there in

theroom.”

Theprojectstartedin May 2018 and was

completedin Octoberof that year. The result is a

breathtakingarchitecturalstructure made of steel,

cementandglassintegrated with charming

remindersof thepast.>>

By Beatrice Moore-Nöthnagel • Photographs: Francois Oberholster • Styling: Marian van Wyk

A farmer with a vision restored an old wine cellar and turned

it into a stylish space that future generations will also enjoy.

Don’t move,

improve!

Steel-framehomesarehotnewsbotharoundtheworld

andin SouthAfrica.Theyaremostlyusedfornew

buildingsbuta steelframecanalsoplaya rolewhen

it comesto renovatinganoldhouse– aswasthecase

forBraamColyn’sprojectonhisfamilyfarmin the

Robertsondistrict.Here,theexistingclaybrickwalls

of hisgrandfather’soldwinecellar,builtin 1947,

wereretainedasfaraspossiblebuta steelframewas

constructedontheinsideto createa secondflooranda

coveredstoepin frontof thehouse.

GawieViljoen,senior

architecturaltechnologistat Vil.Arch,

andhisdraughtsmancolleagueStefe

GiliomeeteamedupwithBraamto

conceptualiseandexecutethis

innovativemakeover.Herearetheirfive

toptipsforusingsteelin a renovation:

1 Beforeyoustartanyworkona dilapidatedstructurelike

this,it’sessentialto aska structuralengineerto checkout

thestabilityof thebuilding.Chooseanengineerwhois

passionateaboutarchitecture,thenyou’llbeableto design

somethingspecialin collaborationwithyourarchitect.

2 A steelstructureallowsyouto retaintheexistingwallsof

anoldbuildingandto createa secondstoreyusingthe

newframework,whichthenbecomestheload-bearing

structureinsteadof theoldwalls.

3 Newwaterpipesandelectricityconduitscanbeinstalled

alongthesteelframes– whichmeanstheexistingwallsor

floorscanremainintact.

4 Remember,everypartof thestructurewillbeexposed

andvisiblebutoncetheprojectis completed,it shouldn’t

feellikeyou’relivingin a warehouse.Sopayattentionto

detailssuchasweldingjointsandbolts.

5 Allstakeholdersshouldworktogethercloselyduringan

unusualprojectlikethisto ensurea successfulendresult

• fromtheengineersandarchitectsto thebuildersand
  serviceproviders.
  CONTACTvilarch.com

Rejuvenate with steel

GawieViljoen Stefe Giliomee

A

78 home September 2019

Before

advice Email your renovations to [email protected].