PROJECTS
The house is situated on a cattle farm just outside Memel in the Free State.
House Memel:
a house for all seasons
Situated on a cattle farm just outside Memel in the Free State,
House Memel is a retirement dream brought to life with timber
frame construction.
By Eco Log Homes | Photos by Eco Log Homes
S
urrounded by difficult building terrain underpinned
by heavy clay conditions, a timber structure is as
much a practical choice as it is an aesthetic one.
Having bought the land several years prior, the client
wanted a structure built on the farm that is dedicated to
both leisure time in the country and entertaining friends
and family. This vision of function strongly informed the
design brief, which came to pivot on a large double-volume
cathedral-type space at the centre.
“The design of House Memel took shape from the inside
out with the entertainment area a central aspect of the
design motivation and as a result, its physical form,” says
Werner Slabbert Jnr, managing director of Eco Log Homes,
that were contracted to do the build.
16 JUNE / JULY 2018 //
“The result is a spacious Vermont plank house with a large
central hall from which bathrooms, open-plan kitchen, a
bedroom, dining room, indoor and outdoor braai and
entertainment areas, extend. A special highlight for us is
the magnificent loft area which adds tremendous value to a
structure that boldly reflects, both aesthetically and
structurally, the values of Eco Log Homes,” he adds.
DESIGNING FOR THE ELEMENTS
The architecture of House Memel also takes a cue from the
harsh weather conditions of the area, which can be very
windy, cold and wet. “We therefore turned to more
northern architecture, particularly Alaskan design, to help
inform key elements of the structure,” says Slabbert.