Witklipfontein Architecture

| AUTOMNE/HIVER 2023

| PRINTEMPS/ÉTÉ 2023

The aim of this first sustainable house was double : on the one hand we wanted to provided proper accomodation for our workers and on the other hand we needed to try out all the new building techniques on this pilot project before tackling the main house.

The following techniques were used :

- Rammed Earth

- Stone Walls

- Green roof

- Earth plaster

- Earth floors

Our concept for the house was to create a small building that almost disapears into the surrounding nature.

The house is like a wedge lifting a band of soil with the living spaces below a green roof.

Four main parrallel walls form the main structure of the house. They are 3 meters apart to allow easy spanning of the timber supported green roof.

These main walls, together with the green roof, form the main thermal mass elements that regulate the temperature in the house.

Large windows to the North let the low winter sun in and small overhangs protect the windows form the harsch summer sun.

The East and the West have just a few small windows to bring light in some of the back rooms.

The Section and the plan are representative of the simplicity of the building.

The Section shown here is taken through the centre of the building where the living spaces are located. This Central living areas are flanked by the two sloping wedges housing the bedrooms, bathroom and a technical room. In this section, the natural slope is maintained to bring light directly into the kitchen area, above the worktop.

The techincal roof area is located directly over the kitchen area. This is where the Photovoltaic and solar pannels are hidden behind a vertical stone wall.

The Section and the plan are representative of the simplicity of the building.

The Section shown here is taken through the centre of the building where the living spaces are located. This Central living areas are flanked by the two sloping wedges housing the bedrooms, bathroom and a technical room. In this section, the natural slope is maintained to bring light directly into the kitchen area, above the worktop.

The techincal roof area is located directly over the kitchen area. This is where the Photovoltaic and solar pannels are hidden behind a vertical stone wall.

ARCHITECTURE

The following techniques were used :

- Rammed Earth

- Stone Walls

- Green roof

- Earth plaster

- Earth floors

Our concept for the house was to create a small building that almost disapears into the surrounding nature.

The house is like a wedge lifting a band of soil with the living spaces below a green roof.

Four main parrallel walls form the main structure of the house. They are 3 meters apart to allow easy spanning of the timber supported green roof.

These main walls, together with the green roof, form the main thermal mass elements that regulate the temperature in the house.

Large windows to the North let the low winter sun in and small overhangs protect the windows form the harsch summer sun.

The East and the West have just a few small windows to bring light in some of the back rooms.

The Section and the plan are representative of the simplicity of the building.

The techincal roof area is located directly over the kitchen area. This is where the Photovoltaic and solar pannels are hidden behind a vertical stone wall.

The solid West (and East) wedge elevations contrast directly with the almost fully glazed North elevation.

The following techniques were used :

- Rammed Earth

- Stone Walls

- Green roof

- Earth plaster

- Earth floors

Our concept for the house was to create a small building that almost disapears into the surrounding nature.

​

The house is like a wedge lifting a band of soil with the living spaces below a green roof.

​

Four main parrallel walls form the main structure of the house. They are 3 meters apart to allow easy spanning of the timber supported green roof.

​

These main walls, together with the green roof, form the main thermal mass elements that regulate the temperature in the house.

​

Large windows to the North let the low winter sun in and small overhangs protect the windows form the harsch summer sun.

​

The East and the West have just a few small windows to bring light in some of the back rooms.

​

​

​

​

The Section and the plan are representative of the simplicity of the building.

​

​

The techincal roof area is located directly over the kitchen area. This is where the Photovoltaic and solar pannels are hidden behind a vertical stone wall.

​

​

​

The solid West (and East) wedge elevations contrast directly with the almost fully glazed North elevation.

​

​

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