2016
Oaktree Studio
Mixed use development

The project is located in an area that has recently been densified by new town planning proclamations with all adjacent properties being rezoned.
The project consists of alterations and additions to transform an old non-descript house into a mixed-use typology. The building functions as an office as well as a place of residence. The aim of the project was to make the building adaptable and versatile for multiple future possibilities. The design needed to accommodate easy transformation in the future without much intervention to make adaptive re-use possible.
The existing ground floor was retained, and the residential area separated from the studio. The tenant in the residential area has free access to utilize the ground floor and studio space. By separating the ‘live’ and ‘work’ spaces, the resident can have privacy but still have uninterrupted access.
The form of the studio on the first floor was treated as a typological archetypal ‘Monopoly House’ detached from and floating above the old existing house. In order to accentuate the concept of the monopoly house floating in the sky, the first floor was designed to be wider than the ground floor. By doing so the ground floor is given extra cover, allowing the large sliding doors to be left open in most weather conditions creating a generous connection to the outside.
Courtyards transform spaces whilst keeping costs low. Three courtyard spaces allow the resident and staff a necessary reprieve in order to break away from the repetitive. Simple methods were used to create these different spaces: a screen wall of concrete blocks in the front, a first-floor balcony and re-used timber palettes on the northern side. By utilizing these different methods, the results are varying, emphasizing the diversity of relaxing options.
The staircase was treated as a separate form to bring natural light into the building and to make the arduous journey up and down memorable. Standard unshaven planks were used as treads with the rough unfinished concrete risers only painted a dark colour to recede from the white walls. The staircase surrounds an art display, allowing visual access from various perspectives.
An eastern wall had to be moved west to create a driveway, allowing vehicular access to the back of the building. All new walls were bag-plastered, creating a textured surface to differential between the original and the new. finished was used to indicate new brick walls and to show honesty of material and construction. Slits in the wall pays homage to the original structure whilst hinting at the courtyard spaces beyond.
The main focus of this design was to keep costs low, to reuse or reinvent wherever possible and to make the building ‘future proof’ for generations to come. Materials were selected to suit the aim of the design, cost, accessibility and ease of maintenance. Future accessibility and adaptability was taken into material consideration, trying to ensure homogenous future possibilities. The first-floor studio was added with no floor finishes not only to save on costs but also to contribute to the dynamic feel of the studio environment, while offering a blank slate for any future flooring alternative.
Beton brut off-shutter ceilings were used throughout the design. The slab was not finished off or patched at the corners to preserve the true beton brut process. The slab soffits were transformed into a unique work of art by installing laser off cuts with the off-shutter formwork. The roof trusses were also re-used as cladding on the facade to distinguish old from new and ground floor from first floor.
Architecture meets art in an artwork by Sybrand Wiechers installed at the existing studio entrance. The roof was raised to form a tower to properly display Wiecher’s ‘We nailed it’. The concept of the art installation is to serve as a reminder to everyone that challenges are there to be metaphorically nailed (overcome). A large focal window in the studio space allows the artwork to be seen and appreciated from all angles.
With the additions and alterations, it was decided to use the cheapest paint to inspire the colour palette, ‘Contractor’s white’. This keeps maintenance costs low, is readily accessible and can easily be applied by anyone without experience. The white paint allows light flooding in from the eastern window to reflect and disperse in the interior studio space, limiting the need for artificial light sources.
The garden spaces were designed with simplicity, low maintenance and water conservancy in mind. All plants for landscaping were sourced from landscapers discarding plant material. The white vygies were specifically cultivated for the project and obtained from Kirstenbosch. At the southern courtyard, a single Wild Olive tree was used as the sculptural element. Cheap Buffalo grass completes the low maintenance water-wise garden. A sculpture by Angus Taylor rounds off the garden and acts as the passive security guard of the building. Discarded concrete test cubes are used as the entrance path; these were provided for free from a local laboratory and supplemented by previous projects by the project architects.
As a sensitive response to the site, the existing structure, existing materials and most importantly the end user’s adaptive requirements, this studio and residential space succeeds as a cohesive, appropriate contemporary design.