Nico van der Meulen Architects is one of the most prominent modern architectural practices of the African context. House Ber, the latest work by Nico van der Meulen Architects and M Square Lifestyle. Located in Midrand, South Africa, House Ber is an indication of what happens when granite, steel, light and water come together. House Ber presents itself as a sequence of irregular steel bars randomly placed creating patterned facades which initially were conceived to represent security but now have become the very feature which distinguishes this house from its surrounding.
The house simply rectangular in form is structured around the living room as the center of this home. Unimposing and nearly invisible, the frameless glass doors seamlessly separate the interior from the exterior. Thresholds’ being kept to a minimum leaves one wondering whether you have just stepped inside or outside. In keeping with the theme of randomly placed steel bars, the interior designers conceptualized a line drawn across the house linking all elements and spaces together. In doing so, they managed to create a feeling of connection that can be felt throughout the house.
