BIKITSHA RESIDENCE
An architecturally designed contemporary courtyard home, maximising views, orientation, and privacy in a farm estate in Gauteng
2015-2018, Monaghan Farm Estate, Lanseria, PTA, South Africa
Area: 775m²
Project Team: Nadine Clarke, Aeron Stipanov, Emma Hurst, Deandra Farinha, Evelyn Boora
Contractors: Urban Creations / Interiors: Sophistique Interiors / Landscaping: Peaceful Scapes / Joinery: Woodworx
Photo credit: SA Home Owner
Featured in SA Home Owner, April 2019 (https://meik.co.za/media/)
The Bikitsha Residence is located on a north-facing slope within the Monaghan Farm Estate in Gauteng. The design responds to the site’s requirements, the client’s brief, and the broader goals of sustainability and efficiency. The home’s main focus is to provide comfortable family living, suitable spaces for entertaining, and a layout that offers privacy while making use of available views and natural light.
Bikitsha Residence: Concept and Design Approach
The initial concept for the Bikitsha Residence was to create a house that balances practicality with environmental considerations. Positioned on a north-facing slope, the home benefits from natural light and an outlook across the surrounding estate. This orientation also helps manage thermal comfort, reducing reliance on mechanical heating and cooling.
The design brief included the need for sustainability. The house was expected to operate on harvested rainwater, produce its own electricity, and be thermally efficient. These requirements influenced the overall form, layout, and detailing of the building.
At the same time, the home needed to function as a family residence with space for both private living and extensive entertaining. The chosen solution was a courtyard design, which allows the interior and exterior spaces to be closely connected, while also maintaining privacy from neighbouring properties.
Bikitsha Residence: The Courtyard Layout
The house follows a U-shaped plan, a layout that was selected to meet several practical objectives. This arrangement defines a central courtyard, around which the different parts of the house are organised. The courtyard creates an outdoor area that feels private but is still connected to the rest of the estate through framed views.
The bedroom wing has been placed to form the north side of the courtyard, giving residents seclusion and separation from the more public living spaces. On the opposite side, the living and entertainment areas open onto the same courtyard, ensuring that both zones share access to outdoor space while remaining distinct in their functions.
This type of layout also allows for both wings to be north facing, allowing natural light to reach deeper into the building, improving ventilation and reducing the need for artificial lighting during the day.
Bikitsha Residence: Outdoor Spaces
The design of the courtyard integrates several outdoor areas that are suited to different purposes. Directly off the kitchen, an Arbor provides a shaded external area that extends the use of the interior into the outside environment. Adjacent to this is a large lawn, which serves as a flexible space for children’s play and other activities.
The courtyard extends further down to a swimming pool, located on a lower level next to a patio. The stepped arrangement, from Arbor to lawn, to pool, creates a sequence of spaces that are connected yet distinct. This approach ensures that the outdoor environment supports a range of uses without overcrowding any one space. The step down in level at the pool area ensured privacy and that the pool safety requirements of the local building code are met.
Bikitsha Residence: Sustainability Features
Sustainability formed a central part of the brief and was addressed through three main strategies:
- Water: The house operates on harvested rainwater. Collection and storage systems are integrated to ensure a reliable supply, reducing the dependence on external water sources.
- Energy: The residence is designed to generate its own electricity, reducing reliance on the public grid and improving energy security.
- Thermal efficiency: The layout and orientation were planned to support natural temperature regulation. North-facing positioning allows winter sun to warm the interiors while limiting direct exposure during the hotter months. The U-shaped layout also supports cross-ventilation.
These measures work together to limit the home’s environmental impact and improve day-to-day efficiency.
Bikitsha Residence: Privacy and Views
Privacy was a key concern in the design of the Bikitsha Residence. The U-shaped layout protects the bedroom wing and living spaces from being overlooked, while still allowing wide views across the Monaghan Farm Estate to the east.
The east-facing slope offered an advantage in terms of view, and the design makes use of this by orienting main rooms and outdoor spaces to the north while being able to maximise the view. At the same time, the inward-facing courtyard ensures that the residents have a private outdoor environment that is shielded from surrounding properties.
Conclusion
The Bikitsha Residence was developed to address a specific set of requirements: sustainable operation, efficient orientation, privacy, and suitability as both a family home and a place for entertaining. The resulting design, a U-shaped courtyard house on a north-facing slope, meets these needs through a clear and practical layout.
The integration of rainwater harvesting, independent electricity generation, and passive thermal strategies contributes to sustainability while maintaining comfort. The arrangement of spaces, both indoors and outdoors, supports family life and private living, while also accommodating social activities.
The Bikitsha Residence demonstrates how a considered design approach can combine functionality, sustainability, and context-specific responses into a cohesive residential environment.
Ready to Build Your Dream Home? Let’s Talk.
Whether you’re planning a modest retreat or a bold architectural statement, we’re here to help bring your vision to life.
Give us a call or drop us an email to set up a consultation. Let’s explore your ideas and see how we can craft a home that’s tailored to your lifestyle and built to last.
Nadine: 082 809 1970 || Studio: 011 025 8318 || email us: meik architects