WINNER: GEYSER
The house in Kew Gardens is a red brick single storey house and the assignment at commencement was construction of a small facebrick extension with a gable window. The demolishing of interior walls allowed for a larger open plan kitchen and dining room area. The greatest challenges in the project centered around the construction within an existing home and townhouse complex while still maintaining sound client and neighbour relationships.
The extension was on strip foundations with face brick exterior walls lined with bitumen, interior walls were plastered and painted to match. The kitchen allowed for internally exposed roof trusses to be painted white giving emphasis to the gable window as a feature in the kitchen.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: HOUSE WEDDERBURN
The original double storey house designed by Franklin Garland & Gibson architects, in the mid 1970’s and was built with a concrete off-shutter roof slab, down stand beams and columns with brick infill panels.
The upstairs area allowed for redesigning the master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, dressing and sewing room. The downstairs area required some engineering input. Underpinning & 3 steel I–beams were installed to support the slab above as various walls were removed thus creating an open living space. All new internal finishing items were added – new shadow line ceiling, purpose made solid timber meranti doors & frames, floor & wall tiles, bedroom carpets, new aluminum sliding folding doors & windows, bedroom built-in cupboards, bathroom vanities, kitchen & scullery cupboards, sanware, solid timber staircase and lighting
All new external finishing items added – balu deck & various screens, tiling, steel gates & balustrades, outdoor lighting, paved entrance & driveway, feature plaster walls, off-shutter concrete beams, panels & columns, purpose made oak entrance doors & fire door and salinga garage doors. The swimming pool was remodeled from kidney shaped to rectangular.
The overall feel of the home is one of warmth and openness with excellent modern finishes, with breathtaking views over the whole of Durban taking in the iconic Moses Mabhida stadium.
