In case you missed Jeremy Maggs’ enthralling interview of the strategy behind the Stand 47 case study which aired on Maggs on Media last week, here is an overview of the interview.

Gavin Rooke of The New Order agency, outlines the intention of the case study. That is, to change perceptions about hi-tech or eco-friendly homes by getting South Africans to reconsider how they build their houses.  This is a hi-tech home that doesn’t feel hi-tech. It is a home that feels and works better, without feeling intimidating.

So how do South Africans adopt this type of home? Firstly, by building a real life example that can be experienced by discerning consumers whose stories are shared. Secondly, by making this home attractive, familiar and desired. This is achieved by resonating with people’s desires for their own home… a house that is warmer, quieter, healthier and makes you feel better. Simply put, if you are someone that believes homes can be better, then this is the home for you.

The full interview is available on the link below:

http://www.enca.com/media/video/maggs-media-stand-47

Test pilot No. 9 gives her feedback on living the Stand 47 way…

Nadine Theron is a digital producer at News 24 and also our 9^th Stand 47 #WinterTest test pilot. As winter has begun to fade away and temperatures have started to rise, we invited Nadine to put the house to the test over the weekend.

Stand 47 : What was your first impression of the house and did anything specific catch your attention?

Nadine : The sense of spaciousness in the house immediately caught my attention as I arrived. The house is very light and airy, and I felt comfortable with the natural rock wall and the inviting interior. It felt cool, but cosy. My first impression of the house was great and I remained impressed by it throughout the weekend.

Stand 47 : How does the real thing compare with your expectations?

Nadine : As expected. I had no idea a home like this could be built without bricks.

Stand 47 : Tell us about a night at Stand 47. Give us details!

Nadine : At 1AM, it was a chilly 10 degrees outside while indoors it was a cosy 20 and the temperature was just right. My friends and family visited with my sister’s baby, and we had an amazing relaxed weekend away – in the city. During the day we swam and opened all the doors while it was 29 degrees outside! It stayed cool inside where the baby could nap. At night it got chilly and we gathered inside where we lit the Morso fireplace. I loved how I always felt at ease and relaxed in the open space – often my love for minimalist spaces means a room can feel very cold and empty, but the atmosphere at Stand 47 is cheery. I wish I could take writing (and reading!) sabbatical weekends here and my sister says she wishes she could set up a studio here to work on her art.

Stand 47 : What is your opinion of the home next morning?

Nadine : I slept with the windows open and was surprised at how quiet it was. After the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time, I woke up and the temperature felt just right. I was extremely comfortable in this home all weekend and I definitely could feel productive here.

Stand 47: Could you describe your favourite aspect of the home?

Nadine : My favourite aspect was how it let the outside in, the light, the trees, the surrounding slopes, the sky…. We spent most of our time in the living room area, but it felt like we were outside except for one important point: we were out of the sun and nice and cool.

Stand 47: And finally, we have to know, would you live here?

Nadine: Hell yes! I can so live here!

The dinner formed a backdrop to a conversation about embracing sustainability or rather, sustainable ways of living in our day to day. Small changes can go a long way without losing quality of life.

The tone of the evening centered around enjoying sustainable living – the dinner was vegetarian and as we all know the house is designed and built to embrace sustainable principles. Details were shared about the sophisticated technologies that make up the house, yet feel comfortable and familiar.

Those present spoke passionately about embracing sustainable living ideologies and the event was a means of experiencing a bit of the lifestyle, first hand.

Following the event, Sam Cowen interviewed Evan Lockhart-Barker from Saint-Gobain on her Weekend Breakfast show with Africa Melane. She shared her experience of the house with her audience and asked Evan about the broader ideas behind the project: its design, its technologies and most importantly, the benefits.

To find out more about Sam’s impression of the house and the event and Evan’s insight into the project, you can listen to the 702 interview by clicking the following link:

Sustainable-living-made-sexy-with-sam-cowen

Test pilot No. 8 reviews a night at Stand47…

Johannes Basson recently took part in the Stand 47 #WinterTest. He has a background in the construction industry and is the operations director at Central Developments.

Stand 47 : What was your first impression of the house and did anything specific catch your attention?

Johannes : I was continually impressed by the house throughout my time there. The spaciousness, beautiful finishes and the sense of calm inside the home caught my attention.

Stand 47 : How does the real thing compare with your expectations?

Johannes : Nice…above expectation

Stand 47 : Tell us about a night at Stand 47. Give us details!

Johannes : At 9 PM, it was chilly outside at 10 degrees while indoors we felt we were ‘cooking’ at 24 degrees without any help from electrical heating. In fact, we had to open a few of the windows in the home to get some cool fresh air inside the house. The house always felt surprisingly warm even though its design is really open and spacious.

Stand 47 : What is your opinion of the home next morning?

Johannes : I felt really comfortable in this house. After a great night’s sleep (in a home that is much more quite than a traditional home), the temperature in the home the next morning was just right, at 18 degrees.

Stand 47 : Could you describe your favourite aspect of the home?

Johannes : The house is well designed. Its simplicity and its relationship with the natural surroundings is another highlight. Inside, it has lovely finishes and provides a relaxed, quiet and calm atmosphere in a non-cluttered or over-decorated space.

Stand 47 : And finally, we have to know, would you live here?

Johannes : Definitely! I love the feeling of comfort I have in this beautiful and quiet home. I know that I could be very productive in a home such as this one and if I could, I would move in tomorrow!

Test pilot team No. 7 reviews a night at Stand47…

Sean and Maria Pearce recently spent some time at Stand 47 for the Winter Test. Sean is an architect and Partner of MDS Architects where he has used Saint-Gobain products in commercial buildings, but not yet experienced them in the residential scale.

Stand 47 : What was your first impression of the house and did anything specific catch your attention?

Sean and Maria : We were very impressed by the house from the outside and continued to be so when we went inside. It exceeded our expectations. We were also struck by the warm internal temperature and by how quiet it was. It gave the impression of being peaceful and tranquil.

Stand 47 : How does the real thing compare with your expectations?

Sean and Maria : Nice…above expectation. We had no idea that homes could achieve this level of quality without using bricks. This experience has positively influenced our idea of a home built with this technology.

Stand 47 : Tell us about a night at Stand 47. Give us details!

Sean and Maria : At 10 PM, there was a 15 degree difference between indoors and out, with a lovely 25 degrees indoors. The temperature felt just right – the experience was liberating where we could shed all the winter layers and enjoy the home fully. We did not need any electrical heating, and we felt extremely comfortable inside the home.

Stand 47 : What is your opinion of the home next morning?

Sean and Maria : We slept better than we had in a long time and woke up next morning with the inside temperature being just right. The house is surprisingly quieter than a traditional home.

Stand 47: Could you describe your favourite aspect of the home?

Sean and Maria : We feel intimately connected to the home! A sense of peacefulness and tranquility allows us to feel at home – we can definitely relax and just let go.

Stand 47: And finally, we have to know, would you live here?

Sean and Maria : We are certain that we could be productive and happy living here, where the constant internal temperature means we can shed our usual winter layers and be truly comfortable.