Mar 21 - Ballito Umhl

here is nothing dull
or ordinary about this
bold, unique home,
which sits on the border
of a protected greenbelt
in a boutique estate just
outside of Ballito.
The beautifully positioned abode
in Brooklyn Estate was designed by
David Nelson and his team from
Umhlanga-based Bloc Architects,
which was started eight years ago
and has since become one of the top
architectural firms on the North Coast.
Daring, modern and discreet (on the
outside anyway), the home presents
a wonderful balance of privacy and
carefully planned open areas and
courtyards, allowing for maximum use
of all the available space.
“It is an absolute dream to work with
clients like this,” says David. “They are a
young couple who were completely
willing to push the boundaries and
just wanted ‘a really cool house’.”
Situated in what appears to be a
classic, family-orientated boutique
estate, the entrance to the house is as
original as the rest of the residence.
In keeping with the owners’ desire
to have maximum privacy, the
entranceway and garage doors are
tucked away behind a massive, black
steel sliding door. If it sounds quite
dramatic, it is ... but in an enticing,
classy way, that makes you want to
take a peek at what’s going on behind
it. “So often in estates you just see one
garage after another, often all looking
the same. This home stands out. It
was built first and foremost for privacy
and the oversized screen door was
integrated into the entire design.”
We wanted to maximise the use of all the
space we had by blending the outside with
the inside as much as possible.
The lounge opens up to a
manicured garden and pool
This quaint courtyard area allows natural light
into the home while maintaining its privacy
There is a strong emphasis on tactility
and the use of raw, natural materials,
and it’s a theme that is seamlessly
carried through from the outside to
the inside of the home.
There isn’t really a ‘front door’ as
such, but rather, as you enter the
steel exterior door you are led, via a
marvellous, quaint European-styled
courtyard, through glass sliding doors
into the open-plan lounge, kitchen
and bar areas.
“We were working with quite a narrow
site, so we wanted to maximise
the use of all the space we had by
blending the outside with the inside
as much as possible,” says David. “All
March 2021 Get It • Ballito Umhlanga 25