My clients wanted a large family home on the Zevenwacht wine estate that is completely self-sustaining.

For the house to power itself, we needed solar roof panels to run the heat pumps, cooling, underfloor heating and water pumps.

Building on this estate came with many rules. How much can be built, how far from the road, exactly where cars can come in, the boundary lines and privacy between neighbours, to name just a few. I had to coordinate every decision with the homeowners' association on the clients' behalf.

Working within those limits, the home successfully wraps around the land in an L shape, opening it up as much as possible to the mountains in the distance. The whole ground floor flows onto outdoor living areas with an impressive balcony running along the entire first-floor level.

The property also includes a self-contained guest area, allowing guests to come and go without landing in the middle of family life.

The terracing of levels did the quiet work of settling the building into the land.