Located in an area that has recently been densified by new town planning proclamations, the project is situated in a fast-changing neighbourhood with all adjacent properties being rezoned. The project consists of additions and alterations to create a mixed-use typology. 40 Oaktree functions as a studio and residential space where the client can live, work and play.
An old non-descript house was transformed by adding a first floor and three courtyards to the original house. The aim of the project was to make the building adaptable and versatile for multiple future possibilities. The design needs to be able to easily transform in the future without much intervention to make adaptive re-use possible.
The existing ground floor plan was retained and the residential part separated from the studio. The tenant in the residential area has free access to utilize the ground floor and studio space. By separating the ‘live’ and ‘work’ spaces, the resident can have privacy but still have uninterrupted access.
The studio form on first floor was treated as a typological archetypal ‘Monopoly House’ detached from, floating above the old existing house. In order to accentuate the concept of the monopoly house floating in the sky, the first floor was designed to be wider than the ground floor. By doing so the ground floor is given extra cover, allowing the large sliding doors to be left open in most weather conditions creating a generous connection to the outside.
Courtyards transform spaces whilst keeping costs low. Three courtyard spaces allow the resident and staff a necessary reprieve in order to break away from the repetitive. Simple methods were used to create these different spaces: a screen wall of concrete blocks in the front, a first floor balcony and re-used timber palettes on the northern side. By utilizing these different methods, the results are varying, emphasizing the diversity of relaxing options.
The staircase was treated as a separate form to bring natural light into the building and to make the arduous journey up and down memorable. Standard unshaven planks were used as treads with the rough unfinished concrete risers only painted a dark colour to recede from the white walls. The staircase surrounds an art display, allowing visual access from various perspectives.
A wall on the eastern side had to be moved towards the west to create a driveway, allowing vehicular access to the back of the building. Bag finished was used to indicate new brick walls and to show honesty of material and construction. Slits in this wall defines and hints at courtyard spaces beyond.
The main aim of this design was to keep costs low, to reuse or reinvent wherever possible and to make the building ‘future proof’ for generations to come. Materials were selected for their availability, suitability to the design intent, ease of maintenance and budgetary restraints. The first floor studio was added with no floor finishes not only to save on costs but also to contribute to the dynamic feel of the studio environment, while offering a blank slate for any future flooring alternative.
Beton brut off-shutter ceilings were used throughout the design. The slab was not finished off or patched at the corners to preserve the true beton brut process. The slab soffits were transformed into a unique work of art by installing laser off cuts with the off shutter formwork. The roof trusses were also re-used as cladding on the facade to distinguish old from new and ground floor from first floor.
Architecture meets art in an artwork by Sybrand Wiechers installed at the existing staff toilet studio entrance. The roof was raised to form a tower to properly display Wiecher’s ‘We nailed it’. The concept of the art installation is to serve as a reminder to everyone that challenges are there to be metaphorically nailed. A large focal window in the studio space allows the artwork to be seen, contemplated and appreciated from all angles.
With the additions and alterations, it was decided to use the cheapest paint as colour palette, ‘Contractor’s White’ standard PVA. This keeps maintenance costs low, is readily accessible and can easily be applied by anyone without experience. The white paint allows light flooding in from the eastern window to reflect and disperse in the interior studio space, limiting the need for artificial light sources.
The building rubble was used on site to level the garden at the entrance and to fill the retaining wall space towards the rear of the property. By not acquiring extra filling material and not transporting building rubble away, massive costs were saved.
Discarded concrete test cubes are used as the entrance path; these were provided for free from a local lab and supplemented by previous projects by the project architects. The garden spaces were designed with simplicity, low maintenance and water conservancy in mind. All plants for landscaping were sourced from landscapers discarded plant material. The white vygies were specifically cultivated for the project and obtained from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. At the southern courtyard, a single Wild Olive tree was used as the sculptural element. Cheap Buffalo grass completes the low maintenance water-wise garden. A sculpture by Angus Taylor rounds off the garden and acts as the passive security guard of the building.
As a sensitive response to the site, the existing structure and materials and most importantly the end user’s adaptive requirements, this studio and residential space succeeds as a cohesive, appropriate contemporary design.
