House Aboobaker by Nico van der Meulen Architects in Limpopo

House Aboobaker by Nico van der Meulen Architects

This project was a redesign of outdated home by Nico van der Meulen Architects on climate area in Limpopo, South Africa. The brief was to transform the look of the existing visually unattractive face brick house with vaulted roofs, small windows to something stunning and modern. The street façade transformed to an inviting entrance with a water feature. The client also requested a new guest bedroom on first floor, to open up the living areas, and redesign the bedroom section which had an ‘old school’ style long dark passage.

home redesign House Aboobaker

Extensive use was made of steel in varied forms, and large expanse of opening glass and double volume areas, to allow as much natural light in as possible, with sun control to allow sun into the house only in winter as well as a lightweight, well insulated structure that cools down fast in the evening, thereby enhancing the feeling of space while creating natural cooling through the use of water features and the pool.

An ‘opened up’ living rooms, created double volume spaces and within this space designed a magnificent and distinctive float staircase which has become a major feature within the home, highlighted by specialized designer lighting. It was critical to have an open feel to the living rooms, which could open up to fully utilize indoor/outdoor living, integral with the water features and professionally landscaped garden in keeping with their local weather conditions. To this effect frameless folding doors were used extensively, enabling the house to become a verandah when required.
The completely separate bedroom wing of the house was opened up to include vast expanses of glass and is accessed by an existing bridge over the existing swimming pool which had glass bricks making it very hot, so it was opened up by fitting glass sliding doors both sides to create cross draught ventilation at all times, and encased in steel horizontal shutters for sun control.

living space with float staircase House Aboobaker

The use of exterior louvers influenced the design of the horizontal groove lines on the double volume plaster wall in the dining room, to create interest and character to an otherwise boring wall, which was further enhanced by low horizontal ledges with built in feature fireplace and selected works of art. The paint colours were chosen carefully to complement one another as well as rusted corten steel which added creative interest.

pool and dining space House Aboobaker

The swimming pool patio/braai area is encapsulated by a timber horizontally slatted feature wall which wraps up to the underside of the ceiling, beautifully lit and intentionally reflects back into the black painted swimming pool with timber decking surround which creates an illusion of enclosing this space.