This Timber House has Two Homes in One

Project Feature: large 200m² wooden home makes the most of indoor and outdoor living space, essentially creating two homes in one.

Location: Chintsa East, East London, Eastern Cape

The Brief

The brief was to create a relaxed, beach style, timber frame house with easy access to outdoor spaces. The plot is located in the seaside town of Chintsa East, just outside of East London in the Eastern Cape. It has a beautiful sea view. The timber home was also designed around the idea of having two adjoining living spaces; one for our clients Chrissy and Nick, and one for Chrissy’s parents when they travel to South Africa from Germany each year.

The home was designed originally by Chrissy and Nick. They worked closely with CEO Jonathan Bosazza to ensure that the floor plan fitted into their tight budget. The first floor plan comprised of a 260m² house which had to be reduced to 200m² to do so. Having said this, the finished result still has a feeling of open space and airiness.

What makes this Timber Home so Special?

Exposed Roof Trusses & Ceilings Create A Feeling of Space

To create a feeling of space and openness in the house, the living areas have open volume ceilings and exposed roof trusses. The roof trusses are made from large laminated timber beams. A huge ridge beam supports smaller rafters set 1.193 meters apart. The rafters are held in pace by a collar tie fitted directly underneath the ridge beam. The aesthetics of this modest roof and ceiling design, adds to the feeling of simplicity in the home.

Sliding Glass Doors Open up to Bring the Outside In!

Both living spaces, as well as the Art room and master bedroom, open onto a large deck via big sliding glass doors. The doors in the living spaces span 4.2 meters. We installed metal “goal posts” to support the structure around the doors. The metal beams create extra support for the timber structure and prevent any movement around the sliding doors. Without a system like this, wide openings can be problematic. If the structure isn’t supported effectively it can sag or move and the doors become jammed and unusable.

A Large Deck Stretches the Entire Width of the Home

A wide timber deck stretches the entire width of the house. The deck itself is 50m² which effectively adds another 25% of usable living space. It is accessed via the sliding doors from the living areas, Art room and master bedroom. The deck is supported by huge 180-200mm diameter wooden poles. This side of the house also faces the sea – making the most of the Chintsa sunrise every day!

The Deck is Partially Covered – Usable Whatever the Weather

Part of the deck is covered by the main roof of the house which creates an extended living area that can be used in any weather. A custom made timber post supports this section of roof teamed with timber beams and finished with stainless steel brackets and dome nuts.

Timber Features Shine Through in Everyday Living

This house celebrates timber home living in subtle and modest ways; gone are the days when “timber home living” meant pine from floor to ceiling! The light, neutral palette of this home allows natural timber finishes to make a statement. Features such as the roof ridge beam which is exposed and varnished, letting the natural wooden colour come through. The exposed Nutec ceilings inside the house are finished in a timber grain effect. The kitchen cabinetry is fitted in a light timber finish which compliments the choice of laminate flooring.

Externally this timber home screams “beach house”! It is clad in Vermont Nutec fibre cement boards which require much less maintenance than the traditional half-log cladding. The boards can also be painted in any colour to compliment the homes style. The deck and entrance-way are a testament to timber with a natural varnish.

The Budget

Budget was a very important aspect of this project. As a young couple relocating from Cape Town to Chintsa, Chrissy and Nick made it clear that they could not overspend on the home build. Decisions had to be made with this in mind throughout the project, ensuring that the quality of the home wasn’t compromised.

A question that we are often asked by potential clients when quoting to build their new home is:

Happy Customers = a Happy Team!

Chrissy and Nick took the time to share their thoughts and experience of the building project, and write a recommendation for us:

We chose Bosazza Roofing & Timber Homes because of their great reputation and they matched it 100%.

Johnny worked with us on getting the project into our budget without compromising on the basic quality of our house. From then forward it was basically smooth sailing for us. They kept us updated with regular progress reports while also documenting the expenses in a very transparent way, so we had peace of mind knowing there would be no hidden extra costs.

Johnny and his team worked very efficiently and showed great workmanship, which likewise applies to the subcontractors he has been successfully working with for years.
Where decisions were needed from our side, we were consulted in time and advised professionally, based on their experience and knowledge of the business. Johnny was very straight forward and fair, always keeping his word and often exceeding our expectations. He has a great eye for detail and design, which he combines with quality workmanship.
We are very happy with the result that we can now call our home in Chintsa East and wholeheartedly recommend Bosazza Roofing & Timber Homes for any of your building or repair projects.

Big thank you from Chrissy and Nick!

Celebrations & the Topping Out Ceremony

The building project was completed on 25th March 2019. Chrissy’s German heritage requires that she, as the homeowner, must fix the final roof nail in place, but to get the nail she has to bargain with the building team who set the price according to how much beer they want!

We combined this celebration with the “Topping Out” ceremony which is maintained by our site foreman Clement Ketse, who raises a white flag on the roof during the construction period. The white flag is removed when the roof is completed and the house is water tight. Our team celebrate this with a classic South African braai.

As a company, and a team, we enjoy the celebratory nature of these moments. We feel that it’s important to take recognition of our role in building our clients’ dream home. And what better way to start a new home than with a celebration of it’s creation.

Looking for more information?

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