When Bill Rawson, Chairman of the Rawson Property Group, was asked recently what significant changes had taken place in the designs of upper middle and upper bracket South African houses, he replied:
“Well covered by such architects as Gordon Hart and Quentin Miller, it has been shown that there has been a radical re-orientation of homes so that today, almost without exception, they face north whenever possible and there has also been a big increase in the use of skylights for rooms with a south orientation. Today the kitchens, living and dining rooms tend to be open-plan and a concerted effort has been made to eliminate or decrease ‘useless’ corridor space. There has also been a huge emphasis on creating indoor/outdoor layouts and mezzanine floors are now catching on. On the conservation front, heat pumps and solar heating are now becoming almost obligatory.
“What has not often been mentioned but is taking place all the time is an increased call for indoor braai areas, often complemented by a further such facility outdoors. Our Durbanville franchise recently sold a home which not only had an indoor braai and pizza oven, but also had a patio braai and an outdoor garden braai. It seems that with many South Africans today, the braai is now almost a hallowed ritual and a way of life.”
Is there a lesson to be learned from these remarks?
Rawson said, “Yes”, and added that if a home owner wishes to upgrade his home, the installation of an indoor braai will probably add more to its value today than many other such traditional extras as a swimming pool or an extra garage.