Architectural Designation - Waterfall House 1, also known as House Coertse, is designated as KeyPrice Signature Architecture in recognition of its highly individual architectural language, sophisticated integration of technology and landscape, and its exploration of what contemporary South African residential architecture can achieve. Designed by Earthworld Architects & Interiors, the residence was conceived for an aeronautical engineer who wanted technology to become an integral part of the architecture rather than an afterthought. The result is a highly articulated modern home in which steel, concrete, timber and glass are composed around dramatic cantilevered forms, controlled views and a strong relationship with the surrounding Waterfall landscape. The project was completed in 2017 and has subsequently been documented in architectural publications and professional architectural literature.

The architecture is particularly compelling in the way it separates private and social experiences while maintaining a continuous relationship with the outdoors. A double-volume patio, eco-pool and planted pond form the social heart of the residence, with the landscape extending visually towards the communal lake and wetlands. Aluminium sliding doors and automated blinds allow the spaces to shift between intimate family living and expansive entertaining. Behind the visual sophistication is an equally deliberate technological infrastructure: rainwater harvesting and borehole filtration supply toilets and irrigation, while blinds, lighting, underfloor heating, air-conditioning and audiovisual systems are integrated into a central automated system controllable from mobile devices. The result is not simply a luxury home, but an architectural experiment in how technology, environmental responsiveness and residential comfort can operate as one system.

If the data leads—what would you be prepared to invest to secure this property?

Courtesy

Architect: Earthworld Architects & Interiors

Architecture & Master Planning: Earthworld Architects & Interiors

Interior: Earthworld Architects & Interiors / Inside Interiors

Earthworld identifies Waterfall House 1 within its residential portfolio as a project combining brick, concrete, interior architecture, steel and timber.

KeyPrice Estimated Market Value (2026)

R28 Million – R40 Million

US$1.6 Million – US$2.3 Million (estimated)

€1.4 Million – €2.0 Million (estimated)

KeyPrice's architectural estimate reflects the residence's exceptional scale, bespoke construction, architectural authorship, technological integration, Waterfall Country Estate location, landscaping, environmental systems and scarcity value as a recognised architect-designed residence.

Current Waterfall Country Estate listings provide useful market context, with contemporary homes around 700–1,300 m² currently being marketed from roughly R15 million to R30 million+, while exceptional architecturally designed residences can extend beyond R30 million. A distinctive 1,465 m² designer residence is currently marketed at R32.999 million.

KeyPrice therefore places Waterfall House 1 toward the upper end of the estate's luxury residential market, with additional architectural premium attached to its provenance and design significance.

International & Professional Recognition

Waterfall House 1 has received meaningful architectural exposure beyond conventional property marketing. VISI featured the residence in an extensive architectural profile, describing the home's relationship with its surrounding landscape, its floating roof forms, dynamic geometry and carefully controlled relationship between privacy and openness.

The project has also been documented within South African architectural scholarship and professional publications. Architecture SA describes House Coertse as a north-facing residence organised over two levels, with a perforated folding screen protecting the private bedroom areas above contrasting with a highly glazed living level below. The architectural strategy is noted for creating a deliberate opposition between introverted and extroverted spaces.

Featured / documented by

• VISI
• Earthworld Architects & Interiors
• Architecture SA
• University of Pretoria architectural research
• South African architectural publications
• Professional architectural and design media

Signature Features

• Distinctive architect-designed residence within Waterfall Country Estate
• Designed around the client's background as an aeronautical engineer
• Strong inside–outside architectural integration
• Dramatic cantilevered and floating roof architecture
• Sculptural combination of steel, concrete, timber and glass
• Double-volume entertainment patio
• Eco-pool overflowing into a planted pond
• Visual relationship with the communal lake and wetlands
• Extensive use of automated aluminium sliding doors
• Automated roll-up blinds allowing spaces to transform between openness and privacy
• Fully integrated smart-home automation system
• Central control of lighting, blinds, floor heating, air-conditioning and audiovisual systems
• Smartphone and strategically positioned control-panel operation
• Rainwater harvesting system
• Borehole filtration station
• Recycled water used for toilet flushing and garden irrigation
• Architecture carefully balancing private and social zones
• Strong relationship between built form, landscape and orientation
• Highly bespoke architectural detailing
• Contemporary residential technology integrated into the architectural concept rather than added afterward

Architectural Recognition

While Waterfall House 1 is not presented primarily as an awards-driven project, its significance is strengthened by the reputation and continuing recognition of its architects.

House Coertse received a GIFA Commendation, and the project has subsequently appeared in professional architectural literature examining Earthworld's approach to materiality, technology, geometry and residential design.

Earthworld Architects & Interiors has developed a substantial award-winning portfolio across residential, commercial and institutional architecture. Its recent recognition includes PIA Awards and Commendations, COROBRIK SAIA recognition and the Herbert Prins Colosseum Awards, among other professional distinctions. The practice's principals, André Eksteen and Braam de Villiers, were also recognised as Sophia Gray Laureates in 2024.

Selected recent Earthworld recognition

• 2025 – PIA Award of Excellence – Plywood House
• 2025 – PIA Award for Architecture – Lucky Bread Company Castle Gate
• 2025 – PIA Commendation for Architecture – Le Roux-Marais House
• 2025 – PIA Commendation for Architecture – Lucky Bread Company Menlyn Maine
• 2025 – PIA Commendation for Architecture – Capital Radiology Life Groenkloof
• 2024 – Herbert Prins Colosseum Awards Commendation – House Le Roux Marais
• 2024 – COROBRIK SAIA Award of Merit – House Potgieter
• 2019 – GIFA Commendation – House Coertse

Market Track Record

Development Completion

Completed in 2017 as a bespoke private residence in Waterfall Country Estate, Midrand.

Architectural Provenance

Earthworld Architects & Interiors is an established South African architectural practice founded in 2000, with a substantial portfolio spanning residential, commercial, institutional and interior architecture. The practice's residential portfolio continues to identify Waterfall House 1 as one of its significant projects.

Market Position

Waterfall House 1 represents a particularly strong example of South African contemporary residential architecture where architectural expression, technology and environmental responsiveness are deliberately intertwined. Its significance lies not simply in its scale or luxury specification, but in the intellectual ambition behind the design: a residence conceived as a responsive technological environment while remaining deeply connected to landscape and everyday living.

The perforated upper-level screen, expansive glazing, dramatic roof planes, planted water elements and carefully choreographed indoor-outdoor spaces give the house a recognisable architectural identity. Combined with its rainwater systems, borehole filtration, extensive automation and sophisticated environmental controls, the property demonstrates an unusually integrated approach to modern residential design.

For KeyPrice, that combination of architectural authorship, technological innovation, professional recognition and scarcity within the South African luxury market elevates Waterfall House 1 beyond an ordinary high-value residence and firmly into the KeyPrice Signature Architecture collection.