Situated on a 4000sq.m stand in Eccleston Rd, Bryanston this is a new 1400 sq.m residence designed by Nico & Werner van der Meulen. The interior design was done by M Square Lifestyle Design, and the furniture, interior decoration and feature lights were by M Square Lifestyle Necessities.
According to the architects:
Due to the slope of the stand, a large basement was designed on the lower side of the property, creating a stepped effect on the stand. Upon entering through the gatehouse you look down the sloping driveway with several large cantilevers protruding from the building, some in rust, other areas clad with unfilled travertine, and an atrium behind a mentis grating screen. Next to the front door a large reflective koi pond flows over a retaining wall next to the drive way, with an illuminated glass staircase behind a two storey curtain wall in the background. The lift shaft forms a strong vertical element finished in rust behind the pond. All of this is framed by a cantilevered concrete beam. The staircase behind the koi pond is a double glass construction, with lights between the two layers of glass.
The front door is a large piece of pivoted frameless glass, leading into a double volume entrance hall and formal lounge with a view across the lounge and pool into the garden beyond. A bridge suspended by steel cables spans across this space. The only wall in the lounge is a double height wall punctured by a 4m long fireplace and several illuminated niches, with a coffered ceiling with rope lights over it. All the other walls are glass. The lounge leads directly onto the deck next to the pool, through full width frameless stacking doors, and through the bar to the lanai. An atrium allows the residents to open the living rooms to cool breezes. The family room is also double volume, with the private lounge off the main bedroom as a mezzanine to this area, and the covered balcony to the main suite cantilevering into the double volume space, is covered in slats, painted grey.
You can also visit another project designed by Nico & Werner van der Meulen: Ber House by Nico van der Meulen Architects | DesignRulz
The house was designed around three massive trees, one at the tennis court, and the other two on the east side of the house. The view from the hall towards the east is directed into one of these trees, framed by a large sliding window in the kitchen. You can feed the birds from the kitchen window! To the north of the lounge, bar and family/ breakfast room is an oversized lanai and patio, with an eighteen metre infinity edge pool beyond that.
The kitchen, breakfast room and family room leads seamlessly through wall to wall frameless sliding doors onto the patio, with the dining room situated behind the family room, sharing a fireplace with the family room. When the doors are open, the family room, breakfast room, open and covered patio and kitchen becomes one large area. Parts of the dining room floor is glass, with a view down into the koi pond, and two huge lights from M Square are suspended over the dining room table. The kitchen is an open plan layout to the family room, breakfast room, and lanai. Behind the black glass back wall a pantry is hidden, and around the corner is a cold room and scullery/laundry. The basement consists of a gym with spa and dressing room, home theatre with a wet bar, wine cellar/tasting room with separate areas for white and red wines, music room and a dance studio/ discotheque.
The first floor consists of three kid’s suites, with a pyjama lounge with its own mini kitchenette, and an open plan main suite with a private lounge and a panic room fitted with a kitchenette and desk/ dressing table. All suites and the lounges lead onto balconies. The main suite has a covered balcony that juts into the family room below and there are fireplaces in the private lounge, main bedroom and one outdoor fireplace on the balcony. A bridge suspended by stainless steel cable span across the double volume spaces, with views to north, east and south, and a bridge across the atrium below connects a large balcony to the house. Due to its north orientation, sun control features and cross ventilation, the house can be used almost year round without artificial heating or cooling.
