TWO FOLD HOME

BUILT FOR TWIN SISTERS - EACH WITH DIFFERENT TASTES - THIS IN AN ECO-ESTATE EXPLORES HOW A FUSION OF ART & ARCHITECTURE MAKES A HOME'S CONNECTION WITH ITS SETTING MORE PROFOUND AND MEANINGFUL THAN SIMPLY PROVIDING A PLEASANT VIEW.

- GRAHAM WOOD

FOR GILLIAN HOLL, owner of the award-winning Veld Architects, this must have been one of the more unusual briefs to receive from a client - or, in this case, clients. It was for twin sisters Ansi and Renette Buitendag who, after spending most of their adult lives apart, decided to build a home together. Not only would each have a wing to herself, converging on a shared kitchen, dining and living area, but each had distinct architectural tastes. Renette preferred a Modernist approach - a building with a "connection to the landscape"; while Ansi favoured a style that was "bold, strong and minimalist".

The location they had selected was on the Monaghan Farm eco-estate in Lanseria - a sunken, tranquil spot below the road, overlooking the Jukskei River. It was a location that demanded further specific considerations too. Only three percent of the land on Monaghan Farm will be developed, so the natural setting will be preserved for posterity. The beautiful landscape of rolling hills, grasslands and rivers poses the question to all architects who build here: what sort of relationship to create between nature and architecture? How best to connect with this landscape? What makes us feel at home here? Both sisters are art lovers, bringing with them substantial collections of art, so the relationship between art and life was also thrown into the mix.