Some houses are merely places to live. They provide shelter, but little else. Others become something more: a living biography of their owners, an expression of lifestyle, identity, and the art of hosting.
A home that fully embodies this philosophy is Louis Jansen van Vuuren and Hardy Olivier’s EcoSpace. Located in the small artistic town of Riebeek-Kasteel in South Africa’s Swartland, their extraordinary residence is an architectural triumph of both sustainability and style. Here, builder Johan Coetzee has achieved something truly unique: the world’s first private residence constructed entirely from commercial ZeroCrete waste. Thousands of kilograms of fabric, plastic, and glass have been transformed into resilient, striking building materials used to construct the home.
Over the past 27 years, the couple have owned five homes in France, from a modest matchbox house in Lapeyrouse to a château in the countryside. Each space has carried its own narrative, shaped by its distinctive vision. Now, they have returned to South Africa to write a new chapter.
Choosing Riebeek-Kasteel for EcoSpace was never accidental. The couple were drawn to its quiet majesty. “It’s situated at the foot of the Kasteelberg, which opens onto a beautiful valley embraced by vineyards and olive groves,” they say. “From certain vantage points, you have a view of the majestic Groot Winterberge in the distance.”
But it was the village’s dual nature that truly seduced them. “The village itself has an artistic and lively spirit that we enjoy. Over weekends and holidays, it can be quite vibey with hordes of visitors. After the trendy influx, Riebeek-Kasteel turns into the quiet country village that we love.”
When it came to building the world’s first private residence from commercial ZeroCrete waste, the biggest surprise for Louis and Hardy was the material’s sheer versatility. “The sky is literally the limit,” they say. “You can make absolutely anything from it.
“You can shape it into any imaginable surface that resembles ancient stone, veined marble, or even a shimmering, glass-like surface created by pulverising abalone shells into the mix,” they explain. “You can precast walls, craft beautiful panels and bricks. We even designed a series of outdoor furniture pieces and pots.”
In fact, hidden somewhere within one of EcoSpace’s walls, though impossible to find without guidance, is a tiny fragment of a Shoprite shopping bag. “This little jewel is secretly hiding behind a magnificent Aubusson tapestry,” the couple explain. “It gets revealed to visitors with great ceremony as we peel back the tapestry like a curtain to reveal the star of the show sitting quietly amongst a few splinters of mirror and glass.”
When asked how you furnish a home made from industrial waste, Louis and Hardy do not shy away from the material’s roughness. “The furnishings are a heady mix of ZeroCrete tables and stools, all in dialogue with some of our antique French and contemporary pieces.
“Working with the vast range of ZeroCrete surface possibilities, we purposefully set ruggedness against polished areas, creating exciting layers of contrast in both colour and texture,” they explain. “Imagine the rich and lively surface of a ZeroCrete wall, made of recycled industrial waste, including plastic, glass, and fabric, against silk and velvet.”
For Hardy, a house becomes a home when it’s filled with objects that carry meaning. He and Louis often travel, he explains, and they “return with objects and art that give us great pleasure and hold beautiful memories.” With Louis being an internationally renowned artist and writer, and Hardy a collector and restorer of 17th- and 18th-century Aubusson tapestries, their home becomes a living storybook. Their art collection and tapestries, Hardy says, are undoubtedly the duo’s most prized possessions. “That makes our homes places where we can live out our dreams.”
Almost three decades and five French homes later, the couple have certainly learned a thing or two about constructing their perfect property. When asked about a design mistake they learned from, it’s not about a particular colour or piece of furniture, but simply about time.
“Patience is no doubt a major factor,” they say. “It is sometimes difficult to remind yourself that Rome was not built in a day. Your home is not merely a building that gives you shelter; it’s a destination that takes time and patience to bring into being. We’ve learned not to compromise on space and also not to cut corners because you are in a hurry to move in.”
But would they ever consider renting out EcoSpace? After all, the home is remarkable, newsworthy, and will undoubtedly appeal to curious travellers. “We love entertaining and having people in our homes,” they say, “but the thought of renting these spaces out is not a consideration. The idea of packing up and storing some of our personal collections is bewildering.”
