Articles by Thuto Vilakazi

Reflecting the owners’ long-standing respect and love for the nineteenth-century farm and buildings gracing its 100-acre site, Mulmur Hills Farm carefully settles at the edge of a nearby forest. Beyond a wall of stacked local granite, the rooms of the home open graciously out to views and fields, welcoming the free flow of breezes and the movement of family, friends, and dogs alike.

Reflecting the owners’ long-standing respect and love for the nineteenth-century farm and buildings gracing its 100-acre site, Mulmur Hills Farm carefully settles at the edge of a nearby forest. Beyond a wall of stacked local granite, the rooms of the home open graciously out to views and fields, welcoming the free flow of breezes and the movement of family, friends, and dogs alike.

Every site has its good and bad aspects. And every architect tries to design the building to take advantage of the good things whilst at the same time shielding it from the bad. This house is no exception. On the front, the house faces west and has a hard streetscape. The side and rear are built up with neighboring houses close and densely built up. Fortunately, the south boundary of the house faces an adjoining road and a large open field and this is the ‘good’ side. And the design of this house is perhaps the clearest expression of the dichotomy between good and bad.

Empty box House – a playing ground of children in a small house in urban.

The neighborhood. The plot, with an area of ​​11 135 m², is located the far north of the town of Coignières and on the border with the commune of Maurepas, on the other side of the street. The land is bordered by a commercial activity area, on the Coignières side, and by a suburban area and offices, on the Maurepas side.

Opposite the village church in the village center, on a rectangular plot lies the House Parlow. The elongated property slopes downward towards the east and, thanks to its location, allows a view over the roofs into the countryside.

Aware of the challenges linked to the construction of the new Omnisport hall (predominantly basketball) and the renovation and extension of the existing gym, our project aims to respond to the programmatic expectations and proposes quality spaces for sportsmen, be they amateur, professionals, scholars, or spectators.

To make the most of its modest budget, this small house uses inexpensive materials throughout but balances them with custom detailing and craftsmanship.  Bespoke deep-set steel windows frame views out, while one window sill doubles up as a sink, draining water directly into the garden bed outside.