Rustenburg Farm

Text description provided by architect.

After the original thatched farmhouse was mostly destroyed by a fire, the client requested that the new additions to their private game farm outside Rustenburg, South Africa, to have hardy elements that cannot readily catch fire.

As established lawyers, the clients and their dog, Chimpy, cherish their secluded retreat from city life.

To minimize the use of building materials, the base structure was crafted from large-scale stone masonry, using stones collected directly from the site.

For instance, aluminum profiles were cut into the stone to house the glass doors. Specific stones were selected to jut out in the shower, serving as ledges for shampoo or as lintels over windows.

Concrete floors were cast by hand in situ and polished to create a finished surface, eliminating the need for additional finishing materials.

After the fire, only a double garage with a bedroom suite above remained standing. A new living area, with an open-plan kitchen, was built next to the remaining structure, on the platform of the original house.

Corrugated sheeting was applied over both the existing and new first floors to create a seamless connection between the old and new buildings.

The house is entirely off-grid and designed with low-maintenance, integrated passive heating and cooling systems.