Construction World Septemer 2017

WOOD CONSTRUCTION

NEW ERA for pioneering timber CONSTRUCTION company Rustic Homes, forerunner of timber home design and construction in South Africa and leader in the field since the 1980s, has recently undergone a change of ownership. Werner Slabbert, timber construction industry stalwart, will carry the company torch well into the future, building on the enduring Rustic Homes legacy.

a board member. Slabbert is the chairman of the working group of the SANS (South African National Standards) 10082 document at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), lectures on the subject of timber frame construc- tion at various universities and has presented numerous papers on the subject at various conferences. Setting the standard A Rustic Home is a high-value investment underpinned by the work of master craftsmen using the best available building materials under the guidance of experts in the field of timber construction. “Every Rustic Homes build is a testament to the company’s standard-setting reputa- tion for building homes that last many a lifetime and can withstand the harsh climate of the Cape,” Slabbert remarks. Rustic Homes uses a unique and formidable bracing system that goes beyond the requirements of current South African building regulations. The end result is that all the walls – including interior walls – are sheathed on both sides and densely packed with insulation, keeping the ambient temperature inside the house moderate, thereby saving tremendously on heating and cooling costs. The system renders the walls even more solid, dense and soundproof than conventional timber frame construction, making Rustic Homes’ method ideal for commercial buildings, like hotels and B&Bs as well as residential construction. Rustic Homes uses a space-enhancing system of flitch beam construction, a combination of timber and steel, which affords longer spans without increasing the depth of the beam. This makes wide open, voluminous spaces a possibility and is also ideal for large door openings. A cut above Rustic Homes prides itself on its holistic approach to timber frame building that includes intensive client consultation, in- house design and planning, construction of the client’s home and final handover. For Rustic Homes, the client’s feedback and input on site is as important as their design brief. “We put tremendous effort into considering the landscape upon which each home will be built, so as to optimise on the views, topography and any number of design possibilities afforded by the site,” says Slabbert. To save on time, fabrication of the timber

completed a number of courses with a local timber construction association and spent a great deal of time with the late Victor Booth, a well-respected timber frame engineer, considered a ‘guru’ of his trade in South Africa,” says Slabbert. “Given that almost all my early commissions were from people who had been defrauded by unscrupulous builders, it was important to me to play my part in elevating the standing of the trade, not only from an ethical perspective, but in the line of good and legally compliant building practices as well,” he adds. Giving back Apart from building the successful and well-renowned log home building business, Eco Log Homes, Slabbert has played an active role in promoting timber construction throughout South Africa by contributing time and expertise to various non-profit projects. Acting as vice chairman of what was known as the Institute for Timber Frame Builders (ITFB) for two years, Slabbert took to the helm of the Institute for another four years, during which time the ITFB merged with the Institute for Timber Construction South Africa (ITC-SA), of which he is still

Since its inception in the 1980s, the Rustic Homes brand has embodied solid, high quality timber construction for the discerning homeowner. With a change of hands at the end of 2016, Rustic Homes is now under ownership of timber construction industry leader, Werner Slabbert. Humble beginnings Slabbert's holiday home construction fell into the hands of unscrupulous timber frame builders, prompting a career change from broadcast engineering to timber frame building. He is passionate about his trade. “I took a month’s leave from work and finished the construction of my house with the help of a carpenter,” remarks Slabbert. “During this time, I was approached to build another log home, which I was reluctant to do, given my lack of experience at the time. But thanks to my growing reputation for solid building practice and sound business ethics, the orders kept coming in,” he says. Slabbert’s hard-earned experience was complemented by his efforts to educate himself on the subject of timber frame construction. “At the time there wasn’t much going on in South Africa in terms of timber construction, so I read up a lot about how the Australians were building with timber,

Rustic Homes approaches every project with as much attention to detail to interior finishing as it does to the exterior.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD SEPTEMBER 2017