This development in Southern Africa is an example of green eco-friendly ingenuity.
The main house's curved shape follows the contour of the hillside and expands the view in all directions. Ample overhangs and shaded porches connect the indoor and outdoor spaces for maximum enjoyment of the colonial lifestyle.
All materials were locally manufactured or produced from the surrounding villages.
The walls are made of adobe bricks made to order from local producers.
The roof framing and interior exposed beams and finishes are made of eucalyptus tree trunks that are grown in the area.
The thatched roof is nearly two feet thick and made of many thousands of 2" diameter bundles of special local grass that can only be harvested during the dry season. The women from several villages spent weeks of cutting, sorting and bundling what amounts to 20 truckloads of grass.
The doors and windows are hand crafted from local carpenters and blacksmiths.
Heating with firewood in the large fireplace in the living room heats up the whole house. Natural ventilation for cooling.
The complex includes a two story main house, a separate in-law unit, a garage/storage building, a cottage and 60' long lap pool.
The project was completed in 1998
