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House Goldman
Dewetshof, Johannesburg, Gauteng
Julian D FISHER: Architect
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Contact Artefacts | MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | House Goldman Julian D FISHER: Architect | | ||||||
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| House Goldman is situated on a difficult stand in what is probably Johannesburg's fastest developed suburb - Dewetshof. Houses in this area mushroomed up overnight and this stand was one of the very few remaining sites available after two years of the suburb's existence. The site happens to be one of the smallest in the whole area. With a narrow street frontage of 60 ft. [18 m] on the east side sloping towards a dramatic view and the back of the house forming the long 150 ft. [45,7 m] north boundary, the general inclined terrain becomes a major factor governing the design of the layout. The house had to face north with privacy and yet embrace the panorama of wooded hills, undulating countryside and infinitely varied landscapes stretching for miles to the east as far as Jan Smuts Airport [Oliver Tambo]. The layout was divided into two zones - sleeping and service zone facing north and south and living zone facing north and east with the entrance hall as the fulcrum not only as the physical division between the two areas but as a transition space for the aesthetic character greatly influenced by the limited budget for the project. The one side of the entrance hall has a very high wall which forms a distinct division between the living and sleeping areas. An approach driveway links the main road to a triple car port under the house with three, shaped columns supporting the living area on the east giving this area a spacious light base from which it appears to reach out to the view beyond. A pedestrian approach joins the driveway to the house and winds up stairs to the entrance hall at the upper level on the north. The house is set well back against the south boundary and as it stretches from east to west, gives an adequate north garden and privacy from the house to the north. From the entrance hall one turns to the east to approach the lounge/dining area and is greeted with the view, as full use has been made of glass on the whole of the north and east and portion of the south walls, punctured only by the hardwood posts forming the windows right round and a fireplace breast in the centre in pyramidical facebrick. The ceiling over this area is of woodwool panels supported on laminated timber rafters, sloping steeply from the entrance hall towards the view and leading the eye of the observer into the depths of the vista. An aquarium has been built into a bookcase below the windows to the east and forms a sharp contrast to the restless view. The roof over this area is a large monopitch. Pyramidical facebrick painted white has been used extensively throughout the interior of this section and gives a pleasing effect with the woodwool ceilings. The sleeping and service zones stretch off to the right westwards, the character of this area being considerably different from the former making use of standard steel windows, flat ceilings and double pitched roof at right angles to the monopitch roof. Another feature of the house is the spacious kitchen divided into its various use zones, great emphasis being laid on a large space for table and chairs for informal daily meals. The finish generally is in rough plaster painted white with the structural element of beams and columns emphasized in a smooth finish. The roof is of dark brown "Coronation" tiles and great use has been made of hardwood slats as an external finish. The whole sits very comfortably on the edge of the slope and gives a pleasing restful atmosphere. [Wale 1962:131,133] Books that reference House Goldman
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