Category: project

  • Southern Hide

    Southern Hide

    A beautiful timber house on the edge of the ocean, overlooking False Bay towards Hangklip. Extremely difficult access and a sensitive environment made this one of the most challenging builds we have ever undertaken.

    This was a completely new build. An existing dwelling had to be demolished and all materials removed from the site before construction could begin.

    Access to the house is on foot, as there is no road to the property. To transport building materials to the site, we contracted a professional rigging company to construct a zipline from the road, 800m away, to a landing zone. From there, every item had to be carried a further 100m to the house.

    The house combines a sugar gum structure, clad in sugar gum planks, with a brick, mortar and concrete base. Rock was used on the exterior, all of it sourced from the excavation process.

    The result is a carefully crafted timber home that responds to both its extraordinary setting and the challenges of building within a sensitive coastal environment.

    Constructing this iconic house at Smitswinkel bay was enthusiastically and professionally done by Ecowerks. Arguably one of the most challenging locations to build, Regardt and his team’s tireless work ethos brought to life this highly crafted and detailed family holiday home.  Their resourcefulness, attention to detail, honesty and skill makes working with Ecowerks a pleasure. I look forward to working with you again soon.

    Justin Cooke – architect

    We can’t recommend Ecowerks highly enough. Regardt and his crew rebuilt our beach house on an environmentally sensitive and genuinely difficult site, and they handled it with total professionalism from start to finish.

    Communication was outstanding throughout. Regardt was always available when issues came up, and problems got dealt with quickly rather than left to fester. The whole team treated the site with real care and respect, which mattered a lot given the constraints we were building under.

    The finished product is exceptional. If you’re looking for a builder who does things properly, this is who you appoint.

    Mark Tanton – client

  • Sangebethu Nature Reserve

    Sangebethu Nature Reserve

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    We were contracted to renovate and build onto an existing dwelling high up in the Riviersonderend mountains. From the start it was clear that access and logistics was going to be an extreme challenge. We worked closely with the architect and client to get a working design to make this a landmark project.

    We used a variety of materials on this house. The main elements are a sugargum structure built on a solid brick and mortar base with concrete strengthening in places. The outside of the ground floor was cladded in rock, to keep the mountain feeling. Big glass sliding doors give beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the river that runs past the house. 

    Set in this exquisite location, this truly turned out to be a landmark building!

    We were contracted to renovate and build onto an existing dwelling high up in the Riviersonderend mountains. From the start it was clear that access and logistics was going to be an extreme challenge. We worked closely with the architect and client to get a working design to make this a landmark project. We used a variety of materials on this house. The main elements are a sugargum structure built on a solid brick and mortar base with concrete strengthening in places. The outside of the ground floor was cladded in rock, to keep the mountain feeling. Big glass sliding doors give beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and the river that runs past the house. Set in this exquisite location, this truly turned out to be a landmark building!

    It’s a privilege to work with Ecowerks. Regardt’s commitment, planning and skill was essential for the success of this out of town project. His coordination of the team, quality of craftsmanship and attention to detail ensured the construction of  a project of extremely high quality in really tricky conditions. 

    Justin Cooke – architect

    Working with Regardt from Ecowerks has been a positive experience. My project was very remote, atop a mountain, making both access and the weather very serious challenges that Regardt took in his stride. I would highly recommend them – I really liked his straightforward and honest approach.

    Johan Nel – client

  • Jayne’s House – rammed earth

    Jayne’s House – rammed earth

    When we were asked to build this landmark building in Noordhoek, there were some nerves! This was to be our first new build – plus we had to build the entire house out of rammed earth, which was also a new experience for us. The client was very clear in her vision: she wanted a rammed earth house with a natural pool as part of an off-grid household. This is exactly what we gave her! To this day she is over the moon with her house.

    rammed earth Jane's house, Noordhoek

    We were all most fortunate to have Ecowerks involved in this Noordhoek project. It was a steep learning curve for all involved and Regardt took it on with 100% commitment and passion. The result was a beautiful, unique house. It was the first house in Cape Town to be built entirely with rammed earth.Ecowerks is a company that is serious about its commitment to natural building and sustainability. Regardt was willing to embrace the design and inputted along the way in helpful and practical ways. The management of the processes on site, maintaining of records and documentation was excellent. His care for his crew during the Covid shutdown was also exemplary and together with a very supportive client managed to keep his guys employed throughout!

    Well after the dust settled his care and consideration was still evident as any follow-up or remedial work was always promptly attended to.

    Ecowerks delivered. Well done Regardt and his great team!

    David Roberts – architect

    See more Rammed Earth projects
  • Rammed Earth Projects

    Rammed Earth Projects

    We have been contracted to do various rammed earth feature walls and parts of bigger buildings. 

    Rammed earth is an ancient building technique that has been used for centuries. We use modern laboratory testing to ensure that we produce a durable and aesthetically pleasing product.

    Jayne’s House

    We were all most fortunate to have Ecowerks involved in this Noordhoek project. It was a steep learning curve for all involved and Regardt took it on with 100% commitment and passion. The result was a beautiful, unique house. It was the first house in Cape Town to be built entirely with rammed earth. 

    David Roberts – architect

    See how this Rammed Earth project turned out

    Helderberg Visitor Centre

  • Strawbale House

    Strawbale House

    Our task here was to renovate and add onto this 20-year-old strawbale house in Scarborough. The first task was to determine the state of the wall structure. Upon inspection we learned that the bales in the walls were mostly rotten, due to a cement plaster being applied in the past, and water ingress, leading to rot. We had to rebuild and strengthen most of the walls and make provision for the building of a new timber frame and hemp addition. 

    Materials used here include strawbale with clay plaster interior and lime plaster exterior. Timber frame with timber cladding exterior and hemp/lime plaster interior. Rock was used to make the exterior entertainment area plus steps to the garden.

    By doing this we not only added value to the home but also lengthened the time that this building will last for future generations to enjoy.

  • Laing’s House

    Laing’s House

    We were contacted by the client to come inspect an old abandoned labourer cottage on their farm in the Overberg. The roof was completely gone with some walls busy falling over. The one room even had a tree growing out of it. The walls were built with unfired clay bricks that were made on site about 100 years ago.

    Our plan was to rebuild the house using entirely locally sourced materials from the farm. We started by clearing the inside of the building and identifying the walls that need repairing. We then used the fallen bricks and bricks sourced from other buildings on the farm to rebuild the walls. The doors and windows were bought from a second-hand salvage yard in Hermanus, all teak and Oregon pine. The roof structure we built with gum I cut from the farm, dried in the shed and debarked by us. The walls and floors were made with local clays and cow manure from the farm.  

    What we ended up with was a beautiful little cottage made with completely natural materials from the area. We gave this building a new life and the owner is still enjoying this 100+ year old building – and will be for generations to come.