What is the outcome when combining a challenging brief and a great product with groundbreaking creativity? 

This Beautiful Fantastic, a double-storey house in the Eastern Cape coastal resort town of Kammabaai, Eerste River, that stands out for its innovative use of concrete roof tiles. 

Most architects specify concrete roof tiles exclusively as a roof covering, but on this project, they added concrete roof tiles as an innovative wall cladding material. 

The gable end comprises a well-integrated combination of the roof tiles, Balau timber cladding and plastered masonry facades.

Guidelines plus flair 

This timber-framed home abutting the beach was completed in 2022. It was constructed as a haven for a family who lives in Port Elizabeth. 

A main design driver was the architectural guidelines of the area, which recommend timber-framed houses. Instead of timber or fibre-cement cladding, the design team opted to use concrete roof tiles.  

The transition from roof covering to facade cladding is seamless.

Roof rationale 

Concrete roof tiles provide a robust, low-maintenance solution with inherent color, eliminating a repeated painting cycle allowing the design team to utilize this adaptable material for both roofing and wall cladding applications. 

The tiles are slate-grey shingles, manufactured by Eagle Roof Tiles at its George works. According to architect, Jacques Theron, they were specified for three compelling reasons: 

• Little to no maintenance requirements. 
• Durability and strength. 
• An extremely attractive wall cladding material, ideally suited to the Scandinavian barn-style design of the house. 

The slate-grey shingles are low maintenance and unaffected by moisture.

Seamless installation 

The tiles are fixed onto conventional trusses on the roof and supported with standard battens on the wall facades. The transition from roof covering to facade cladding is seamless.  

Securely fastened with nails and storm clips, the tiles can withstand storm winds up to 180km/h.  

One gable end comprises a well-integrated combination of the roof tiles, Balau timber cladding and plastered masonry facades. The tiles account for 80% of the facade covering, while the guttering is in aluminium and is concealed to not spoil the seamless flow of the shingle tiles from roof to wall facade.  

An external timber-framed entertainment area and a sea-facing wooden deck ensure high-quality outdoor living.

Design 

A minimalistic structural volume, efficiently integrating a compact accommodation layout while maintaining cohesive spatial interactions 

The home comprises an upstairs mezzanine, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It was built in three sections with an external timber-framed entertainment area and a sea-facing wooden deck situated on either side of the main structure, ensuring high-quality outdoor living. 

Theron explains that unlike most timber-clad houses, which must be sanded and resealed every five to ten years, roof tile cladding requires no maintenance. 

“It is not affected by rust or moisture and any moss that may accumulate on the tiles only serves to enhance its appearance over time. The homely beauty of concrete roof tiles does not diminish, but endures and improves with ageing,” confirms Theron.  

This Beautiful Fantastic is an entrant in the Aesthetic Excellence Category 2 for the 2024 Awards for Excellence (AFE) by the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA).  

The awards were first staged in 1985 to recognise excellence in the use of precast concrete across all applications.  

Project: This Beautiful Fantastic. 

Location: Kammabaai, Eastern Cape. 

Architects: Ontwerp Studio, Kaya Design and NMU. 

Precast manufacturer: Eagle Roof Tiles. 

For more information, contact Eagle Roof Tiles: 

Tel: +27 44 874 0290 / +27 21 931 3477 

Website: www.eaglerooftiles.co.za