There's no place like this home

A HOUSE that has broken new ground in the world of green technology has welcomed its first tenants – German students who will study its inner workings over the next six months.

House Rhino, on the Crossways Farm Village near the Van Stadens bridge, which has cost R8.5-million so far, has adopted latest technologies and materials to be a totally environmentally friendly family home, with no compromise on comforts.

Three environmental engineering students from the Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe (German Green Building University) will put the home to the test as part of their theses.

"We will analyse all the systems working within the house. If we find any bugs, we will determine the problem and try to fix it," Jan-Hendrik Kupfernagel, 31, said. - Riaan Marais