Rustic Berg holiday cottage for four

My wife and I have bought a place in the southern Berg and would like to build a small-to-medium rondavel for two adults and two infrequently visiting adult kids to spend pre-retirement long week holidays.
Issue date: 6 February 2009

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Dear Jonno,
I read some articles in the 2003 to 2005 Farmer’s Weeklys giving excellent advice on designs of different dwellings.
My wife and I have bought a place in the southern Berg and would like to build a small-to-medium rondavel for two adults and two infrequently visiting adult kids to spend pre-retirement long week holidays.
We have access to unlimited amounts of medium-to-large river stone and sand from a nearby river, as well as thatch. We do not have electricity at this stage. We’d really appreciate some advice of how to go about building with the above materials and receive a design/plan.
The design you published in the April 2005 edition is similar to what we have in mind – we’re just thinking of something a little bigger. Please let us know what the costs involved are.
Kind regards,
Francois

Hi Francois,
Based on the sketch in Farmer’s Weekly of April 2005 and your specific requirements, I’ve constructed a cottage that should only cost you cement, doors and windows for the bulk structure.
I have a unique way of building with river boulders which I will detail in your final plans. Being a holiday/eventual retirement cottage, it includes the essentials for daily living.
Construction-wise, the arched windows eliminate lintels.
The void roof area over the bedroom and bathroom areas below lends itself to the use of an extra room, always handy, at very little additional cost.
With a quaint little cottage like this, the infrequent visits should definitely increase and there’s space for the next generation, too.
Jonno

Author John Smith, better known as Jonno, can be contacted at Hillbilly Homes, PO Box 255, Estcourt 3310, tel (036) 352 3178, fax 088 036 352 3178, cell 082 412 4459 or e-mail [email protected]. Please provide details of the proposed development and any building materials to which you have access.

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