Stellenbosch couple Louise and Spike Erasmus, with the help of son Arn, have created a sustainable home to retire to. It’s like living in a mountain cabin, they tell MARGUERITE VAN WYK.
AT NIGHT, Louise Erasmus, wife of orthopaedic surgeon Pieter (aka Spike), can see the moon and stars from their bedroom window. The couple have recently moved into their retirement home, Villa Spike, and say it feels much like living in a cabin in the mountains – a safe space.
Not in the mountains but next door to the home they had lived in for 22 years, their new, sustainable house was designed by their youngest child. Arn, a director at Stellenbosch-based VKDB Architects and Interior Design, is pleased with the outcome. “My parents’ brief was easy,” he says. “No steps, a slanted roof and a small footprint with only two bedrooms – but not a coffin.”
In denims, a flowing white cotton shirt and Birkenstocks, Louise, with her grey bob and understated look, exudes flair. She defines their home as ‘uncomplicated and minimalist’, and there is indeed an almost Scandinavian feel to it: lots of glass, wood and natural light.
The ambience created at Villa Spike suggests a design that is authentic and mindful of the environment.
Arn, a graduate from Nelson Mandela University, is usually tasked with designing high-end homes. He is open to any challenge, though, and recently completed a 100m2 home on a tight budget for a friend. It took him and his team two-and-a-half years to complete this labour of love. “He invited us to be part of the process and always prioritised our needs,” says Louise.
The small footprint requested by Spike and Louise speaks volumes. As Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci said, “Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind; large ones weaken it.” In the 21st century, it’s not only size, but also eco-responsibility that is front of mind.
Doris Viljoen, director of the Institute for Futures Research at the Stellenbosch Business School, points out that among retirees there is a trend towards a lifestyle of greater eco-awareness and sustainable housing.
“Responsible living as well as affordability in the long run influences their decisions,” she says. “Three factors work in confluence towards this: the evolving energy and water crises; a growing focus on using resources in a more responsible manner; and the maturing of technologies that make such an endeavour possible.”
Classical music drifts through the air as Louise offers an array of teas. She introduces their three hunting dogs: two vizslas, Sewentig and Shatz, and a teckel named Scheckel. They greet me with friendly licks and merrily bob along, apparently well settled in their new domain.
Louise shows a 3D model of the house, explaining that it was inspired in part by their farmhouse in Somerset East, which Arn designed and his brother Jak built in 2009.
“That’s only 100m2 big, and actually a hunting lodge that sleeps six to eight people, which makes it rather cramped. Pieter enjoys taking our sons and grandchildren there and the family has spent many holidays enjoying the tranquillity and panoramic landscapes.” The couple have four children – Pieter (47), Stella (44), Jak (40) and Arn (37) – and eight grandchildren.
They wanted to create something similar in Stellenbosch, looking out onto the mountains. In the lounge, where we start our tour of the house, it feels as if nature drifts in through the huge timber-and-glass doors and inside and outside merge. “That’s the feeling I wanted to create,” says Arn.
Outside, the Stellenbosch mountains frame the view and there is the sound of birdsong. Louise and Pieter are fond of the outdoors and keen hikers, gardeners and birdwatchers. Come sunrise, one would expect to find them in the mountains with the dogs, admiring nature. Louise is looking forward to early morning swims in an elongated swimming pool in the garden. A sensible, healthy lifestyle is part of their DNA. Every room in the house gets sun. Large overhangs prevent the harsh summer sun from entering but allow the winter sun to pour in. To complement the abundance of natural light, Arn used materials that are natural, such as timber, slate and copper. “Timber retains heat better than aluminium,” he explains.
Modern sustainable systems such as a gas geyser work well and the underfloor heating, which uses a water-based system, keeps room temperatures cosy. The water-based system is cheaper to run than electricity-based underfloor heating in the long term, explains Arn. And, he adds, it is more environmentally friendly.
Fourteen solar panels deliver sustainable electricity, and the house is oriented to take full advantage of the sun’s power. “But you can never go completely off the grid,” cautions Arn.
into the garden.
The 200m2 living space comprises two en-suite bedrooms, a kitchen, a living-cum-dining area that includes a tiny study for Pieter, a guest bathroom and an outside terrace. High ceilings, a minimalist decor and the clever utilisation of space add to a sense of spaciousness. “There are no passages. Every room leads off another, so we don’t waste space,” explains Arn as we enter the main bedroom.
“Initially we wanted rammed-earth walls, which would have been more sustainable, but we panicked a bit that they would deteriorate as they are more suitable to a drier region. So instead we opted for ‘bagged-and-painted walls’. And the white-painted bricks look good,” he grins.
Architecture is Arn’s passion because it constantly challenges creativity and requires so much problem solving. He enjoys brainstorming with clients and collaborating with those who work on site. One of the biggest challenges on this project, he admits, was building brick walls a metre thick. “Everything – cupboards, a television set, stove, lights, you name it – ‘fits’ inside the walls to create less clutter.”
Louise enjoys the quirky touches like the unique ‘dressing island’ for storing clothes that also serves as a focal point, and the interesting ‘brick’ niches for soft light at night in the main bedroom. “Next to the window where I bathe, a plumbago on the wall outside creates the impression of being in a forest,” she adds.
If it was up to Pieter, they could have built a home with only one bedroom. But Louise reckons philosophically that the extra bedroom may come in handy for a carer one day. And Pieter admits it works well for guests.
“But we are still active. Being 75 is not the same as being 90, when you probably need special care,” she points out.
Pieter will soon retire from the knee clinic that he started more than 20 years ago. “I can’t imagine being in a retirement village or old age home, with lots of rules and regulations. I’m now devising an irrigation system for the garden,” he says.
Louise adds that they play and enjoy having fun together. Villa Spike seems to be the perfect haven. V