Stilkrans in 3D: From straight lines to curves
25 March 2026
"The straight line is for man, but the curve is for God." Gaudi
When I was a kid, I only drew straight lines. I wrote my name with sharp angles, even the S. Houses had pitched roofs and square windows. And stick figures had no bellies. Over time, I started to realise how little of the world behaves like that. Paths curve. Tree branches grow skew. And flower petals spiral.
Without curves, the world would have been too flat and predictable.
As you might have guessed, Stilkrans is leaning heavily into curves.
• • •
I previously shared our first sketches. When we met up with our architect, Penny, a few weeks ago, we went through them in detail. Lindl and I started to build a clear picture in our heads.
Mediterranean influence, stone, bricks, materials that age well and fynbos.
The 3D walkthrough
A few weeks later, we met again. This time, Penny presented her first proper plan and 3D walkthrough of what she envisions.
The week leading up to it, I felt a bit restless and would wake up in the middle of the night wondering if she fully understood our vision.
When the presentation started, I struggled to figure out whether she was actually presenting our house or someone else's. It was so different from the picture I had in my head. The shape felt different from the original drawings. Even the entrance to the house was foreign to my mind.
But as she panned around the house and into the building, going deeper from room to room, it became more and more obvious she had a deep understanding of what we were trying to make.
Lindl and I were blown away. 🤯
Arches, curves, steps & light
What struck me most about the house was the number of curves it had. We discussed arched doors and windows with her before, but the curves also showed up in outdoor decks and walls. The house also flowed remarkably well from public to private areas with loads of natural light, steps, and different ceiling heights.
Penny's direction was spot on and it certainly checked the not-boring box. It felt surprising but, in the end, not alienating.
Of course, it's not perfect. No first iteration is. The overall shape is close, but it’s still a bit too blocky, vertical, and perhaps masculine. The bedroom flow feels a bit off, so it needs a rework to be more practical.
We'll address these in our next iteration, but for now I’ll leave you on that cliffhanger and share more next week.
Stilkrans in 3D: From straight lines to curves
25 March 2026
"The straight line is for man, but the curve is for God." Gaudi
When I was a kid, I only drew straight lines. I wrote my name with sharp angles, even the S. Houses had pitched roofs and square windows. And stick figures had no bellies. Over time, I started to realise how little of the world behaves like that. Paths curve. Tree branches grow skew. And flower petals spiral.
Without curves, the world would have been too flat and predictable.
As you might have guessed, Stilkrans is leaning heavily into curves.
• • •
I previously shared our first sketches. When we met up with our architect, Penny, a few weeks ago, we went through them in detail. Lindl and I started to build a clear picture in our heads.
Mediterranean influence, stone, bricks, materials that age well and fynbos.
The 3D walkthrough
A few weeks later, we met again. This time, Penny presented her first proper plan and 3D walkthrough of what she envisions.
The week leading up to it, I felt a bit restless and would wake up in the middle of the night wondering if she fully understood our vision.
When the presentation started, I struggled to figure out whether she was actually presenting our house or someone else's. It was so different from the picture I had in my head. The shape felt different from the original drawings. Even the entrance to the house was foreign to my mind.
But as she panned around the house and into the building, going deeper from room to room, it became more and more obvious she had a deep understanding of what we were trying to make.
Lindl and I were blown away. 🤯
Arches, curves, steps & light
What struck me most about the house was the number of curves it had. We discussed arched doors and windows with her before, but the curves also showed up in outdoor decks and walls. The house also flowed remarkably well from public to private areas with loads of natural light, steps, and different ceiling heights.
Penny's direction was spot on and it certainly checked the not-boring box. It felt surprising but, in the end, not alienating.
Of course, it's not perfect. No first iteration is. The overall shape is close, but it’s still a bit too blocky, vertical, and perhaps masculine. The bedroom flow feels a bit off, so it needs a rework to be more practical.
We'll address these in our next iteration, but for now I’ll leave you on that cliffhanger and share more next week.
Follow along
Follow Stilkrans from early ideas and architectural plans to build progress, milestones, and setbacks.
(you'll receive no more than 1 email per week)