PROJECTS | WERKHOF Architects

New life has been given to this heritage residential houses, allowing it a second change to give back to new families. The houses interacts with the pedestrian edge of the street without giving up any privacy. The new additions create a courtyard to the back of the houses which becomes the outdoor living spaces. The concept was to create a smaller house with the same amenities as a large estate house, thus ensuring the luxury of spaces in a feasible way.

Courtyard Houses

George, South Africa

The project focussed on transforming an existing heritage house into two family living units. Breathing new life into the old house.

Residential

This addition effectively modernises a typical Waterkloof house, enhancing the existing structure and creating a cohesive connection to the pool and garden. Situated on a steep slope, the design incorporates a double volume that gracefully descends towards the outdoor area, facilitating a seamless integration with the existing garden and pool. The outcome is a well-lit, inviting space that promotes indoor-outdoor living, making it suitable for both relaxation and entertaining

House Gloy

Pretoria, South Africa

House Gloy is a modern Pretoria residence combining light-filled interiors, courtyards, and seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Residential

Kingswood house 2, located in Kingswood Golf Estate in George, was designed on a steep and challenging site. The site offers beautiful views toward George Peak over the golf course. The design approach was to maximise on these views without compromising any privacy. A central drive court creates a point of arrival and allows a slow introduction to the rest of the buildings. The main buidling is connected with floating bridge like structures allowing the landscape and natural stormwater flowing beneath. This separation between the garages and the main building allows for good natural light and ventilation of spaces.

House Kingswood

George, South Africa

Kingswood House 2 in George Golf Estate designed on a steep site with panoramic views, floating bridge connections, and maximised light and ventilation

Residential

The brief was to design additional classrooms to a existing small private school. The design attempts to create outdoor spaces in between the buildings for learners to play and gather socially. The plan of the classrooms are traditionally linear and this is juxtapose with a small amphi-theatre in the courtyard which fbecomes the main gathering space of the cluster of buildings.

Caligro Primary School

George, South Africa

Additional classrooms designed for a private school, creating outdoor social spaces and a central amphitheatre for gathering and play

Residential

We designed this Farm house in Swellendam overlooking the majestic mountains of the Langeberg mountain range. The house is designed in a contemporary cape dutch farm style. The over sized gables walls houses smoke and natural light chimneys and in some cases actually become spaces like an entrance hall or shower. The thick white walls create a striking contrast with the elegant timber elements on the facades, showcasing a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity.

House Swellendam

Swellendam, 6740, South Africa

Farmhouse in Swellendam designed in a modern Cape Dutch style, featuring oversized gables, mountain views and a balance of tradition and modernity.

Residential

The project is located in a Tuscan style estate and needed to be in the italian style. Our approach was to design a authentic Tuscan House focused around a beautiful piazza courtyard. Furthermore this home showcases genuine terracotta roof tiles and original timber details, reflecting the true essence of Tuscan architecture. The idea of the sun basking the piazza in summer and the tower element reminisce of Italian villages sitting on the landscape.

House Truter

George, South Africa

Authentic Tuscan-style home designed around a central piazza courtyard, featuring terracotta roof tiles and traditional timber detailing.

Residential

The house is nestled on a steep site in Plettenberg Bay. We’ve designed a sheltered courtyard that offers both privacy and breathtaking views of Robberg and the Tsitsikama mountain range. The main wing of the house deliberately oriented to the north, allowing sunlight deep into spaces. As you enter from the street, the house gracefully steps down, revealing the spectacular views as you progress through the house.

House Weinberg

Western Cape, South Africa

Residential home in Plettenberg Bay designed on a steep site with a north-facing layout, sheltered courtyard and expansive mountain and ocean views

Residential

Additions and alterations to this typical 80's Pretorian house situated in groenkloof. The modest existing house was transformed by connecting the outbuildings to the main house with concrete roofs. The design seamlessly opens up spaces to the garden, creating a flow between indoor and outdoor living. Visual connections between the front and back garden was established to allow light deep into the spaces.

House van Wouw

Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0027, South Africa

Additions and alterations to a Groenkloof house, connecting outbuildings, enhancing light, and creating seamless indoor-outdoor flow.

Residential

Situated in Brooklyn Village this duet development aims at creating an urban lifestyle within a suburban village. The design approach was to create complete homes utilising compact spaces optimised in order to lower maintenance as a whole. The elongated property shape encouraged longitudinal building plans which allowed perfect northern orientation. The pool and garden areas is orientated in the same manner and allows for garden views from most of the interiors.

Pienaar Development

Brooklyn, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa

Duet homes in Brooklyn Village designed for urban living in a suburban setting, optimising compact spaces with northern orientation and garden views.

Residential

House Albert

Pretoria, South Africa

House Albert in Waterkloof transformed a 1970s family home into a contemporary residence with stone, steel, Lunawood, and a natural colour palette.

Residential Addition

Gauja Bridge

Latvia

Gauja Bridge, a top ten finalist in an international competition, blends timber materiality with the landscape, creating a natural, elegant, and iconic design.

Competition (in collaboration with Dario Schoulund)

Well-respected architect, Derick de Bruyn, designed this modern family house in Centurion golf estate in 1996. With time the client's needs adapted and their way of using the spaces changed. The patio and lounge area needed alterations and modification. With an unorthodox approach, we transformed the previously lesser-used space into a space that is now integral to the rest of the home. A steel canopy floats over the patio and is connected to the existing building with a glass roof. Special attention was given to the detailing and assembly of the structure. A massive opening was proposed to turn the living area and the patio into one space when openend. The sliding doors were designed to slide away completely into a free-standing sliding door magazine.

This project is an excellent example of how the old and the new can exist in cohesion.

House Taylor

Pretoria, South Africa

Centurion Golf Estate home renovated to integrate patio and lounge with a floating steel canopy, glass roof, and seamless indoor-outdoor living.

Residential Addition

This holiday cabin was designed for a filmmaker and set builder. The brief was to create a place where the client and his family can get away from the fast paced life of the city. The cabin is located on a fynbos dune in Wilderness, George. It overlooks the Serpentine Lake to the north.

The idea was to create an architecture which is sensitive to the site and respects the existing fynbos vegetation. We slightly elevated the buildings creating the illusion that it floats above the landscape. The building furthermore follows the natural typography of the site. The material palette was kept as natural as possible. This was achieved by allowing the Garapa timber cladding to age naturally. The grey patina of the aged timber melts in with the landscape and creates the illusion that the building has been there for a while. The buildings were designed to optimize the surrounding views without compromising privacy. The interior and exterior spaces were planned to accommodate for the volatile weather changes the area is renowned for and to give flexibility to the user. The complex was designed to allow the client to Airbnb the cabins separately when not in private use.

Wilderness House

Wilderness, South Africa

Holiday cabin in Wilderness, George designed to float above fynbos dunes, maximise views of Serpentine Lake, and respect natural vegetation.

Residential

The brief was to design a canopy over the main entrance to this historic Sir Herbert Baker church in Parktown, the original church was erected in 1904. In 1910 the church underwent previous alterations to include a bell tower and vestry. The final alterations to the structure were completed in the nineteen sixties. Our approach to the new addition was to touch the existing structure as lightly as possible. Care was taken to preserve the historic aspect while enhancing the experience for users when visiting the church. The design was sensitively done with minimal fixings to the existing stone facade.

St Georges Church

Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa

Canopy addition to the historic Sir Herbert Baker church in Parktown, designed to enhance the entrance while preserving the 1904 stone structure.

Public

This bespoke residential project located in George, Western Cape, fuses contemporary design with cape dutch style. The house is hidden from the street with a long pan-handle driveway planted with oak trees on the side. Contextually aligned towards true North with a dormer window that frames George peak as you enter the front door. The house is organised from pitched gabled blocks connected by concrete roofs, this allows sunlight in every room and ensures ventilation to courtyards. The main chimney of the house doubles as both a smoke and natural light chimney. The open living area features a Japanese cedar open truss roof scape with a timber ceiling which sits lightly on a wrap around clerestory window. The timber, glass and concrete materials has been detailed in a clear and sensitive manner. The house honours the Cape tradition in the timber plank flooring as well as the klompie bricks used at the entrance, fire place and hearth.

House Sonvanger

George, South Africa

Bespoke home in George designed with pitched gables, courtyards and refined material detailing inspired by Cape architectural tradition.

Residential

Four town houses in Brooklyn Village, meticulously designed with a focus on courtyards, natural light, and a minimalist aesthetic. Our approach prioritises balance between innovative design and economic feasibility, ensuring exceptional value for our clients. Each residence embodies our dedication to creating inviting spaces that enhance the overall living experience. The homes feature off-shutter concrete in balance with sheet metal cladding and textured walls.

Brooklyn Development

Pretoria, South Africa

Four meticulously designed townhouses in Brooklyn Village featuring courtyards, natural light and minimalist architecture focused on balance and value.

Residential

Modifications to this residence in Waterkloof effectively integrate contemporary elements with the existing French-style architecture, maintaining a cohesive design and pallette. The incorporation of Lunawood and steel into the verandah introduces a modern touch while honoring the home’s original character.

Waterkloof Village

Waterkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa

Residential renovation in Waterkloof by Werkhof Architects, blending contemporary elements with classic French-style architecture for a cohesive, modern home.

Residential

Situated in one of the most established neighbourhoods of Pretoria - this development focus to attract a new market group in the area. It has been the norm in South Africa to create isolated suburban pockets which do not allow for integrated housing models. These new housing typologies challenge this notion by introducing a higher density to the suburb. The housing units were designed to take full advantage of the 500 sqm plots by clever design and planning. The units are orientated directly North allowing generous natural light into the double volume living space and kitchen. A long European style courtyard opens up into an outside space with a floating pergoa, built in braai and a fire pit sunken into the timber deck. The garden is planted with endemic species which flows into the courtyard and controls the temperature of the outside living spaces. The rooms open up onto northern balconieswhich overlook the canopies of trees surrounding the suburb.

Lang Huis

Pretoria, South Africa

Innovative residential development in Pretoria by Werkhof Architects, introducing higher-density living through smart planning and integrated outdoor spaces.

Residential

House Plettenberg Bay

George, South Africa

Bespoke Plettenberg Bay residence by Werkhof Architects, blending Japanese timber and off-shutter concrete through a refined architect-builder approach.

Residential