tree house, johannesburg

A treetop house on the edge of a cliff; a forgotten house, in one of Johannesburg's oldest suburbs, was transformed for modern living. A sanctuary in the middle of the city.

A solid cliff-like structure, opening up like caves into the tree canopy. Dry-packed stone walls, characteristic of the suburb were used as the main design element. Leading you in from the motor court, across a sandstone bridge to the front door, experiencing the outside forest room with the pool below. Stone walls also intercept the existing structure, creating slices where sunlight is pulled in through slots in the roof. The main living space on the upper level opens up towards the North, to allow the forest in, like a stage set. To the East, the space flows onto a covered terrace, cantilevered into the tree tops like a tree house, where different moods of the forest can be experienced.