Timber iQ Dec 2017 - Jan 2018 // Issue:35 | Page 38

FEATURES
The flat cat of Durbanville placed perfectly in a less frequented area.
Top of the decks!
Not all timber decks are made equal and some seem more
like works of art...
By Ntsako Khosa
W
ith a little bit of creative design, a wooden deck
can be a stylish and timeless piece of architecture
that complements any structure – in a private
home or a commercial development.
We look at some truly impressive timber decks and chat
to designers, suppliers and architects to see which projects
they are most proud of.
THE FLAT CAT OF DURBANVILLE
This project is named by the Topdecks team after they
viewed the Sketchup presentation layout that appeared to
be the silhouette of a cat’s head, body and tail. The client
requested a design for a space to accommodate the shady
36 DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 //
area where a storm water flood line runs and in normal
circumstances would be wasted space.
The existing (hideous) stormwater access hatch was
used as a boma fireplace stand. “We also built an elevated
walkway onto the main round deck with a step-up to the
Boma area,” says Lourens Jonker from Topdecks. “Floodline
restrictions made it difficult to build the deck to the
desired height as well as to accommodate the balustrades
as the low hanging tree branches were taking up a lot of
the space. We ended up raising the deck and lowering the
balustrades to double as a seating area,” he explains.
Rhodesian teak decking was used with individually
turned and laminated handrails rounded to perfection.