JS: I have always been drawn to the authentic, ingenious and uncomplicated; any design that is honest, clever and simple. Our South African vernacular architecture is the inspiration for my buildings. I appreciate the honesty of the design, the sincerity of the materials, the resourceful and uncomplicated methods of construction, as well as the care with which the buildings were placed in the landscape.
“A modern farmhouse in a historical suburb” is how René and Johann Slee describe their new home.
Johann and René Slee love the adventure of turning a living space into their own. Their first home – in Greenside, Johannesburg – was initially “really ugly”, but its salvation was a huge pin oak in the garden that enfolded the structure and sheltered the entire stand. The tree rendered the property irresistible and, after a bit of a spit and polish, the house beneath its leafy bough began to bloom.
