Small House Design












richmond hill | gqeberha | south africa

BRIEF & OBJECTIVES:

The design of a three (3) bedroom house. The Cartmans is a young family (the husband, wife, daughter and son) that recently moved to Gqeberha. They want to build their dream house for themselves and their son. Mr. Cartman is a music producer who works between home and office frequently. Mrs. Cartman is a psychiatrist that works at local schools – giving counselling to students in need. The family suggested that the perfect home would be one that entertains people (guests and occupants), has working space and functions as a cozy home.

The FAMILY as a generator for the design: This The family’s input on your first encounter would be vital as that is when characteristics of different members can be identified and incorporated into a design. The needs of the members would also arise from this initial meeting.
The SITE as a generator for the design: The site would give a good indication of limitations and give direction on initial form/space layout and design: i.e. where the best views are, sun angles, wind directions, etc.
The HOUSE as a container for different functions: This is where both aspects merge into one. The input from the client and the limitations are taken into consideration and final deductions are made in order to progress with a design.

THE DESIGN:

The form of the design was based off the spectacular view one gets when looking North towards the sea (harbour). The view spans further than one-hundred meters (100m) and lights up with thousands of lights in the evening. The site is also sloping down from the access to the site hence a rigorous steel-frame support structure was implemented to deal with the steep descent. Dining space and guest reception as well as the kitchen, recording studio and master bedroom can all be found on the first storey which is also the access to the dwelling. The downstairs ground level is more privatised with two rooms and a lounge/entertainment area.

-Sheltered view to the North
-Tight and comfortable floor layout
-Natural sunlight in all rooms
-Opportunity for solar power/energy