This house in Bishopscourt was built in 1955 for Gabriel Fagan’s parents, and designed while he was a final year student at the University of Pretoria.

 

The design was a simple response to the relatively steep site. He placed all of the accommodation on an upper level where spaces were defined by wooden fittings. The lower storey accommodated the entertainment area with a fireplace and a view down across the garden to Kirstenbosch. A ramp was used rather than stairs for ease of movement and speaks to the influence of Le Corbusier on Gawie’s work.

 

His mother loved gardening so an indoor garden at the entrance created a welcoming play of light under a retractable shade mechanism to control the sun.