Located within the leafy suburb of Atholl, Johannesburg, stands the latest contemporary stunner from Nico van der Meulen Architects. Designed by the highly acclaimed Werner van der Meulen, House Sar encapsulates luxury, comfort and functionality in a minimalist architectural setting. Location : Athol, Johannesburg, South Africa

Nico van der Meulen Architects: The clients approached Nico van der Meulen Architects with a modest single storey pitched roof house. Limited views and access to the garden resulted in the rooms being dark, and thus the clients main request was to transform this house into a light-filled open plan contemporary home. Ensuring that every room was naturally lit became the challenge for Werner van der Meulen, but one he proved could be done.
A framework of steel columns and beams surround the entrance while louvered planes conceal the four garages and floating roofs. It’s as if each plane – whether wall, roof or floor- has been intentionally treated differently either in material, texture or colour, creating a unique entrance design.
Upon arrival, a suspended steel framed cube hovers in mid air while the frameless glass pivot door welcomes you into a minimalist yet homely entrance hall.
Replacing the existing tiled roof with a floating flat roof resulted in the living rooms being instantly illuminated, while a raised passage roof lets in north light, not only into the passage, but also into the guest bedroom on the south side of the house where an atrium allows morning sun into the bathroom and ventilates the suite safely and naturally.
Photographs by: Barend Roberts and David Ross