Nadine Engelbrecht Architect

Midlands Pavilion

Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman

MIDLANDS PAVILION

 Nadine Engelbrecht Architect

YEAR
2020

PHOTOGRAPHS
Marsel Roothman

LEAD ARCHITECT
Nadine Engelbrecht

ARCHITECTS
Nadine Engelbrecht Architect

AREA
383 m2

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Mike Hemmingway

INTERIOR DESIGNER
Jessica Melville-Brown

CATEGORY
Hospitality Architecture, Houses

LOCATION
Nottingham Road, South Africa

 MAIN CONTRACTOR
Micon

MANUFACTURERS
Alucoil, Palram, Spazio, Studio 19, Wolkberg Casting Studios

Text description provided by architect.

The client requested that the architecture of his weekend home in Nottingham Road, rural KwaZulu-Natal, embrace a contemporary take on traditional African village architecture. The brief was to design a decentralized family home with the concept based on “Traditional Zulu Umuzi”.

Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman

Architect Peter Rich said African space can be defined as a set of detached pavilions that define outdoor space and according to Dr.

Nkambule the concept of detached enclosed spaces goes way back in the history of African settlements.

Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman

For each family, each wife had her own sleeping structure, a storage structure, and a kitchen structure, each having open-air functions attached to them. Then there were the granary structures, older boys’ and girls’ structures, and guest structures.

As a result, the house was divided up into separate pavilions which can each function on its own but can also act together as a whole to accommodate a large family.

Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman

The various sleeping pavilions are therefore positioned around a central living pavilion which forms the heart of the homestead.

The holistic passive design optimizes the interior climate of the pavilions and eliminates the need for alternative heating and cooling. Main living areas are oriented north but glazing north and south ensure integration to the outside spaces.

Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion

Predominant north-oriented glazing in conjunction with exposed concrete floors and correct overhang sizes allows passive heating of interior spaces during winter months. Low emissivity glass is used to prevent heat loss on the southern facade.

Both northern and southern facades have large sliding doors, utilizing the site-specific prevailing wind direction and allowing sufficient natural ventilation and cooling in summer. Polycarbonate walls were used in combination with glazing to allow abundance daylight into the interiors.

Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman

The simplicity of materials and layout, sustainability, low maintenance, and cost-effective construction formed the core of the design. Materials include quarry stone, exposed polished concrete floors, and polycarbonate screens.

Materials were used in their raw honest format without pretense completing the holistic reference to African architecture.

Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman


Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman
Midlands Pavilion
© Marsel Roothman


Midlands Pavilion
Site Plan
Midlands Pavilion
Ground Floor Plan


Midlands Pavilion
Section AA
Midlands Pavilion
Section BB


Midlands Pavilion
South Elevation
Midlands Pavilion
South Elevation

Nadine Engelbrecht Architect
T +27 71 1404411
Nadine Engelbrecht Architect
Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria, 0040, South Africa