The Western Cape of South Africa boasts
some of the most beautiful and innovative modern residential architecture I've
seen recently. The incredible landscapes make it an amazing backdrop for clean,
modern designs.
At DvH design, we love the
benefits of prefab and small space design: houses that take less from the
environment and can be installed with minimal disturbance to the site.
This remote house was almost
entirely prefabricated off-site. The construction process took 45 days, after
which it was transported, in pieces by truck. Installation of the house on-site took just 6
hours. There are four separate modules that make up the house. The dimensions
of the units were determined by the road regulations i.e. the largest width you
can tow without requiring special permits and a police escort.
The structure of the house is
composed of a steel frame. There are plenty of window openings along the length
of the house that provide lots of natural light in the main living areas. The
floor plan contains three bedrooms; one master bedroom and two single bedrooms
found at opposite ends of the house. The main living area can be found between
the bedrooms. It features an open plan living room, dining room and kitchen.
The house produces its own energy
and provided the client with the freedom to live anywhere. Thanks to its passive house design and effective
insulation, the house can adapt to a variety of environmental conditions, such
as urban pollution, and temperatures. The interior air temperatures fluctuate
between a comfortable 21 to 25 degrees Celsius (69.8 to 77 Fahrenheit)
year-round without need for an external heating or cooling network. The real story though is how little energy
the house consumes while still providing all the necessities.
