Architect Greg Katz shows Top Billing his home

 
Top Billing tours a beautiful Joburg family home with unique features

Architect Greg Katz is no stranger to Top Billing. Known for his creative use of unusual elements, his magnificent family home in Johannesburg is a testament to his ability to see the potential for magic in any material.

Greg’s take on thinking outside the box is to start with the box itself. Wanting to minimise the impact on the environment and maximise energy and space, for a family of five, a square design is first prize. His and Caryn Katz’s home requires less maintenance, heating costs, has a smaller footprint, and offers greater convenience.

The house stands out from the crowd, and has beautiful pops of colour on the exterior with blue doors, yellow aluminium frames, and terracotta red brick.

They first built a workspace so Greg could be on site every day to supervise construction. As a voice artist and coach, Caryn now boasts one of Joburg’s most talked about studios, while Greg uses the upper floor for his architecture firm. The structure is clad with recycled rubber from car tyres, and is lovingly called the Armadillo by the couple.

As for the interior, the natural leather and wood interiors lend soul to this square area. For a four metre high space in such industrial materials, it feels surprisingly personal. The family doesn’t like passages and elected for big open spaces as they want the rooms to flow in to one another.

One of Caryn’s favourite features are the blue vinyl striped floors, which initially she was hesitant about.
In contrast to the vinyl, the cabinets are made of birch veneer plywood.

Around the kitchen’s granite counter-top, the family gathers in what they call the home’s “HQ”.

The entire area is beautifully lit with natural light due to the giant light well in the stair well, and beneath it sits the bush hammered concrete staircase with rough texture.

The upstairs rooms are more personal and are cleverly designed for the family. The understated colour of the carpets and rubber in the bathrooms merges with that of the walls and ceilings, while keeping all of the upstairs cosy. The master bedroom features an open plan bathroom and bedroom with generous cupboard space.

The couple’s three adorable children Zackary, Charlie and Joseph also have incredible spaces to play and relax.
The boys watched their father use this project to explore everyday materials and construction, in new and unexpected ways. With many homes to be built in our country, may they grow up to see their dad’s designs make a difference across the land.
 

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