Tucked into a rocky hillside in Johannesburg, the original House Millar—designed by Stan Field and winner of a 1974 SAIA Award—is a bold piece of Brutalist architecture. The renovation respects that legacy while combining and continuing the concrete theme.

The new design leans into biophilic and site-driven thinking. Natural elements like rocks, trees, and topography became strong design generators. A mature tree now grows through the living space. There’s an indoor forest atrium. Green roofs blurs lines between landscape and architecture. The ethno-botanic landscaping draws spiritual and medicinal meaning, tapping into ancient knowledge and ‘place’.

Water became important in the narrative. A waterfall over exposed rock defines the entrance threshold, backed by a quiet reflective pond that softens sound and shimmers with natural light. Near the main bedroom, an indigenous bio-filter lily pond merges seamlessly with a natural eco-pool and the outdoor living areas integrating views, and indoor-outdoor spaces with sensory experience.

Concrete remains the predominant theme for new additions. The original, red-pigmented concrete is echoed in new pavilions, paired with elements like pre-cast stairs, polished terrazzo floors, in-situ roofs, and textured plaster. The material speaks to context, to craft, and to a tactility. Existing and new spaces were opened to surrounding views, with large frameless glass panels, maximising natural light in combination with skylights. Existing underutilised spaces were transformed by demolishing walls and extending spaces into the landscape.

It is a palimpsest of architecture— respectful of its past yet transformed into a 21’st century home for contemporary living.