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Top Billing features a modern tribute to green living
Top Billing features a modern tribute to green living
Half hidden beneath its indigenous garden is a modern tribute to green living and out Top Billing featured home for this weekend!
When Gus Behn, the owner of this magnificent eco-friendly home in Gansbaai briefed his interior designer, he asked him to capture the essence of his beautiful god-child and the grace of his favourite animal, the Siberian husky. The result? Seafront-facing magic!
En route to the Southern most tip of Africa, these fynbos and beach surroundings are ones which Gus wanted to enjoy while having the minimum impact on them. He began by building his 3 storey house down into this natural slope, making the ground level effectively under-ground. From there he insisted on using standard building materials to construct a practical, functional home as energy-efficient and water-wise as he could make it.
The untreated hardwood compliments the wild environment while the dove grey roof offers better cooling properties in Summer. The most subtle feature is the indigenous garden by botanist and landscaper Sean Privett.
As well as planting forty indigenous milkwood trees, Sean landscaped a rooftop garden over the ground floor offering natural cooling and heating properties to all the rooms below it.
When not in use, the pool is covered to limit evaporation. The entire build is calculated to save energy and during Winter, an abundance of local, alien vegetation fuels the fires.
Gus has gone for light oak furniture, colours to blend with the environment and maintenance-free porcelain floor tiles throughout the living area. The decor is refreshingly understated. It does not try to make a bold statement of style, preferring instead to reflect its natural setting.
The paintings of local fynbos, animals and landscapes keeps with the simple, linear style and reserved colour palette of the house.
From the cisterns to mixers, the bathrooms are all water efficient and Gus used natural rock in the construction, which further roots the house in its setting.
For a homeowner who loves the sea, this house makes every day feel like a weekend fishing trip to Gansbaai where you eat what you catch and go to sleep and wake up on the beach – just not in a tent.
While every braai gets rid of further alien vegetation, more high tech ways of being environmentally friendly are also added. The solar system in the house even provides for a vehicle charging station for a future electric car. It’s the beach house of tomorrow - today.
They always say it’s ‘lekker by die see’ but in Gus’ case, it’s also the very last word in luxe!
