Honouring The Past

This heritage home in Houghton,Joburg, gained a new lease on life with the addition of contemporary wings

- Lauren Delargy

The house was essentially uninhabitable – the previous owners had let it go to ruin so it had been condemned,” recalls the owner John Shelton. “However, it was a historic building on a most magnificent site in Houghton with beautiful views so we felt that it was worth saving.”

To give them the extra rooms they needed and the spaces their lifestyle required, the Sheltons turned to architect Gabriela Seco. “Gabriela has experience renovating historic and heritage buildings and we liked her meticulous approach and the airiness of her designs.”

Gabriela is no stranger to the allure of the past. While studying at the University of Pennsylvania, she worked on an archaeological project in Turkey, on the restoration of the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico, and for the Cultural Heritage Restoration Department, in Córdoba, Argentina.