Gota Dam Residence
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Location: Zimbabwe
Scope: Private Residence
Area: 1,500 sqm
Stage: Completed 2012
Client: Private
Architect: Sforza + Seilern Architects
Local Architect: Architexture
Structural Engineer: Eckersley O’Callaghan
Local Structural Engineer: Marcussen and Cocksedge
Services Engineer: DSA Engineering Ltd
Contractor: Elevate

Sforza Seilern Architects, an artistic collaboration between Studio Seilern Architects and Muzia Sforza, completed their first African project – a house on a rock. This 1,500m2 building is situated atop a granite rock overlooking a large man-made dam for the extensive surrounding farmland. The area is, to say the least, breathtaking and deserved a piece of architecture that was equally awe-inspiring.

The house consists of three basic elements: two granite blocks that enclose the bedrooms and support spaces, an over-sized timber platform and cantilevering roof that frame the panoramic views and create shaded living spaces, and two glass boxes that enclose the winter living areas, emphasising the feeling of living within the natural granite. A small horizon pool at the lower level visually integrates the dam reservoir with the lower levels of the house.

All elements are orientated to create physical adjacencies and visual privacy. The house sits on levels ranging between 112 and 116 metres above sea level, with another 50 metre drop to the reservoir.

The project had to deal with issues of hyper-inflation and lack of available materials. All materials were sourced locally, except for specialist items such as the glass and the roof waterproofing. The granite used to clad the two anchor blocks were the ‘crusts’ cut-off that came from the granite excavation. The dynamite drill holes are still visible and tie the building to the area of excavation. Using the granite from the site also insured that the building blended harmoniously with its spectacular surroundings.

Inspired by the rich local culture of basket weaving, the garage cover was devised using different sized rebars and weaved to form a sun-shading canopy for over the cars. Supported by simple I-beams on one side and anchored to a large existing boulder on the other side, climbing flowering creepers were envisioned to cover the whole canopy, softening and greening the steel weave.

The owner, being a musician, required a place to retire and compose and record her music. Strategically placed windows, creating corners and band cuts into the granite cube, framed dramatic and inspiring views of the cliff and the jungle below.

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