South Africa has a young, yet incredibly rich history, and our home styles reflect this. The most common home styles noticeable when driving through our suburbs and estates include modern, farm, Cape Dutch and Tuscan.
Cape Dutch homes showcase thick walls, square windows with shutters, grand rounded façades, wooden floors, terra cotta tiles and the use of green and white. The Tuscan home style is generally a large stylish double-storey symmetrical home with touches of wrought-iron and rustic decor favouring earthy and neutral tones. These home styles are lovely and work very well in regions that have a Mediterranean climate, i.e. mild and wet in winters and dry and hot summers, like Cape Town.
At Veld Architects, these are our favourite home styles:
Modern Farm House Home Style
Much like the traditional farm house, the updated farmhouse highlights simple, practical and ultra cosy family living. Large glass windows, high ceilings and readily available materials are also still a must. The modern version combines new and old using uncluttered lines, glossy accents and minimalistic decor. The focus is less rustic and more elegant. In a modern farmhouse personality and history interweave in its open, calming spaces.
Modern Industrial Home Style
Inspired by old factories and industrial structures the modern industrial home features lare open plan, airy homes with high ceilings. Exterior and interior architecture boasts bare, raw and rough brickwork with an amalgamation of metal, wood and cement. Exposed pipes and ducts is an important characteristic of this style of home with salvaged and recycled material, vintage decor and minimalistic ornamentation stealing the show.
The Veld Home Style
This country, with its diverse fusion of people, cultures, histories, influences and art can not be limited to the home styles that are popular elsewhere. We are simply too unique for that. That’s why we at Veld Architects enjoy collaborating with local craftsmen and women to create what we like to call a VELD Home aka a modern contemporary home.
Our homes hero nature, and are advocates for slow architecture and new minimalism.
We don’t believe in a cookie cutter design. Our homes are just as complex and interesting as the humans and the local landscape we design it for. Teaming up with our local artists and artisans help us achieve this goal. Whether it is a statement wall, lighting, tiles, staircases, pergolas, indoor or outdoor art – we collaborate with the best.
The role of regenerative design
FACT: The building industry has to reduce its impact on the environment. And it starts with us the architects. Regenerative design principles are the way forward. Sustainable design is great, but it isn’t enough anymore. We need to get the word out that the focus should not only be to preserve tomorrow but to repair yesterday as well.
Regenerative design is a consicionsious decision to choose to:
- Source local, sustainable materials that are harmless to the environment like bamboo, straw, natural clay, adobe, recycled plastic, hempcrete etc.
- Capture carbon emmisions from the air and improve the air quality through green roofs and walls.
- Catch rainwater
- Generate more energy than needed through solar
- Make a positive contribution to the natural landscape’s plant and animal life
- Connect humans with nature
Our modern VELD home styles including our updated farmhouse and modern industrial homes with their crisp consciousness toward climate and place are perfectly aligned to adopt regenerative design principles.
Whatever home style you are after, our team of expert, award-winning architects can give it a unique VELD touch and design it in such a way that it contributes positively to nature.
Join the VELD Lifestyle.
Make your next home a VELD home.
xxx
Love,
Gill
