House Abo Beats the Heat in South Africa With Natural Cooling Techniques

Located in South Africa, House Abo is a stunning residence that balances energy-efficient green building strategies with gorgeous design. <a href="http://www.nicovdmeulen.com/" target="_blank">Nico van der Meulen Architects</a> designed the house with a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/natural-cooling-system/" target="_blank">natural cooling system</a> that counteracts the region's extreme heat through a series of pools and water features.

The studio installed a staircase that changes the dynamics of the site.

They aimed to connect the lower and upper levels of the house.

The residence is surrounded by areas of steel and glass.

The outside pool is encased within a timber wall.

Lighting is another important feature of the design as a whole.

Designer lighting highlights the staircase while making light bounce off the reflective swimming pool.

<a href="http://www.nicovdmeulen.com/" target="_blank">Nico van der Meulen Architects</a> incorporated a pool into the residence.

Their large glass windows allow the winter sunlight to seep in during darker days.