Charcoal frame, white blades. A freestanding louvre roof in Bellville.

The brief

A Bellville home wanted to turn an open paved area beside the house into a covered, all-weather entertainment spot. Freestanding, so it didn't depend on the house structure.

The build

A freestanding aluminium louvre roof on its own columns, with a charcoal powder-coated frame and white aluminium blades. The two-tone finish keeps the structure crisp and bright underneath while the dark frame holds the lines. Pitched and guttered to manage the Cape winter rain.

The result

A defined outdoor room that stands on its own in the garden. White blades keep the underside light and airy in summer; closed, they shed rain off to the side. The charcoal frame ties it back to the home's windows and trim.

Freestanding over the Bellville paving

Building this one freestanding was the key decision. The paved entertainment area sits beside the house rather than against a wall you could hang a roof from, so it stands on its own columns and carries its own loads. Nothing hangs off the home's structure at all.

The rest is set up for Cape winters. The roof is pitched and guttered so closed blades send rain off to one side instead of sheeting down the edges of the paving, and in summer the white blades open for air while keeping the underside bright. Charcoal on the frame picks up the window frames and trim, which is what stops a freestanding structure looking like a carport in the garden.