Nestled among the trees in the heart of Bloemfontein, Phoenix Rising is more than just a house. With its striking mix of concrete, glass, steel and exposed brick, the intimate space has become a sanctuary for creativity, connection and healing.
Phoenix Rising is a space that feels worlds away from the city around it. With its striking combination of concrete, glass, steel and exposed brick, the house is an architectural statement, but beyond its design, it has become something more personal to those who have spent time within its walls.
For owners Mario Lategan and Andreas van Aswegen, it is the realisation of a vision that was once considered impossible. For others, including internationally acclaimed music director and composer DuPreez Strauss, it has been a place of creativity, inspiration and even healing.
Mario describes Phoenix Rising as the perfect escape while still remaining in the heart of town. But bringing the vision to life was not without its challenges.
Looking back at the inception of the property, Mario says his journey began in 2018 while he was working as a singer in Spain. He had a very specific vision for the house, but finding architects who understood what he wanted proved difficult. “During that time, I had four architects who were supposed to help bring my vision to life.”
“One of them said, ‘No, it’s not possible. The space is too small.’ The others gave me plans that weren’t aligned with my vision. Then I found this amazing couple who are architects, and they gave me exactly what I wanted, which is what we have here today.”
Mario wanted to create a home that felt spacious despite its relatively compact footprint. The result is a 92-m² house that combines practical living with bold architectural choices.
Although intimate in size, Phoenix Rising includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a scullery, sitting room, fireplace and an outdoor braai area. The design also makes use of double-volume spaces and expansive glass features, creating an openness that makes the house feel considerably larger than its floor plan might suggest. “We are in the middle of town, but you can hear the birds and see that we are surrounded by trees. It’s like you’re on a farm somewhere,” Mario says.
That connection between city living and nature is one of the qualities that sets Phoenix Rising apart. It offers convenience without sacrificing tranquillity which is a rare combination for a property located within the city.
For Mario, however, the most distinctive feature of the house is not necessarily its size, finishes or location. It is the feeling it creates. “This space gives a feeling I can’t describe. It’s nature, it’s in town, it’s convenient and it has this wonderful vibe to it.”
That feeling is something DuPreez came to know well during the year he lived at Phoenix Rising. The internationally acclaimed music director and composer describes his first experience of the house as something almost immediate and instinctive.
“The first time I walked into house Phoenix Rising, I immediately felt it was my dream home,” he says. “And almost every one of my friends I have had over at one of my many soirées says the same thing.” The house, he says, often becomes the subject of conversation among guests.
For him, however, the setting is what makes Phoenix Rising truly special. “But for me, the setting of it, bordering onto a huge inner-city private forest right in the middle of my beloved Bloem, where I grew up, is just perfect,” he says.
One of the most striking aspects of the house, according to DuPreez, is the contrast between its raw industrial design and its carefully selected interior elements.
“What strikes me the most about the house is the stunning juxtaposition of the stark industrial features – raw brick, steel, concrete and glass – with the most delightful collection of mid-century furnishings,” he says.
Despite its modest size, Strauss says the architecture creates a remarkable sense of space.
“For a house that is actually quite small in square metres, it feels unbelievably spacious with the double volume, open-plan sleeping arrangements upstairs and the glass walls facing the private forest,” he says.
For a creative professional, the flexibility of the space also became an important part of his experience.
DuPreez used one side of the upstairs open-plan area as a sleeping space and the other for his music and fine arts projects. The home’s open design also allowed it to become a performance venue of sorts.
“If I position my piano just right upstairs, we’ve had the most stunning musical performances, with audience members being able to see the piano performance from literally everywhere in the house,” he says.
For DuPreez, Phoenix Rising became more than simply a beautiful place to live. He describes it as a space that played a meaningful role during a transformative period in his life. “This has been an inspirational and healing space for me,” he says, adding that it inspired some of his most exciting creative projects, including The Big Christmas Singalong.
The house, he says, has lived up to its name. “House Phoenix Rising has embodied its name in my life by helping me emerge stronger and happier. It is extremely rare for an architectural space to change one’s life for the better.”
For Mario, the house began as a vision, one that several people initially believed could not be realised within the limitations of the site. Today, Phoenix Rising stands as proof that thoughtful design can transform even a relatively small space into something expansive, expressive and deeply personal.
And for those fortunate enough to spend time there, it seems the house leaves a lasting impression.
Text: Clement Matroos Photographs: Supplied
