Private Home - Forrest Road, Sandton

The light-filled, unique and eco-friendly home at Forrest Road, Sandton was designed by Nico van der Meulen Architects and is situated in Inanda, with views of the Sandton skyline to the north.

Approaching the home, the first view is of the cantilevered porte-cochère screen of floating steel tubes with double-sliding garage doors clad in dark limestone to blend with the wall. A steel sculpture twirls on a podium next to the front door built of privacy glass. Upon entering, the transparency of the house becomes evident with views out over the multi-level hall, lounge, spa and pool to the water feature and the garden beyond, as well as over the double volume family room, dining room, lanai and kitchen.

The whole of the living, kitchen and breakfast area opens totally through the use of frameless concertina doors to the lanai and garden. Although the spa, pool and water feature are three separate bodies of water, the effect created was that it is one interconnected system flowing into each other. Sliding glass panels hide the bar and kitchen when not in use and a skylight-lit catwalk between the main suite and guest bedrooms allows views of the living spaces and garden through the brise soleil.

On the catwalk, a study, pyjama lounge and kitchenette are hidden behind sliding wooden panels. The study and pyjama lounge lead onto an expansive private balcony. The LED-illuminated polished concrete and wood staircase cantilevers out of the wall with vertical steel bars acting as balustrades and supports, at the same time. A recessed, illuminated handrail forms a graphic line in the wall, while a hidden horizontal sliding door separates the upper floor and the ground floor for security.

The lanai consists of a seating area, dining area and bar cum barbeque, seamlessly connected with the living spaces and kitchen. The main suite is also placed on the north-east corner of the first floor, divided by sliding smoked glass screens. The bathroom with a free-standing spa bath gets the morning and winter sun, while the bedroom is exposed to the winter sun. Expansive dressing rooms are situated behind the bedroom and bathroom. On the opposite side of the building are two guest suites, both north facing with en-suite bathrooms and walk-in cupboards.

A geothermal system is used to heat and cool the home, and to heat the pool and spa. Nine boreholes were sunk for this purpose, and a special room created in the basement to house the equipment.  The photovoltaic panels on the roof have an output of 10KVA, while rainwater is harvested. The whole house is double-glazed, except for the frameless concertina doors.

Also in the basement is a home theatre with an adjoining light-well, which allows winter sun to penetrate even this space through sliding doors into the atrium created at the bottom of the light-well.