Tag: house

  • 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

  • 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.