The clients requested a 6-bedroomed family home
with understated elegance and quiet grandeur, indoor / outdoor living spaces and
uninterrupted views, with a ”lived-in beach-house” feel.
The
beach-front site falls within a pristine and unique environment, nestled at the foot of the Robberg. With direct
access to a strip of idyllic beach, it is characterized by its rolling
dunes and the dense indigenous vegetation of extraordinary variety, including a
well establish Milkwood thicket. The site is subject to hot summers and moderate winters, with a cooling
on-shore breeze, from the North East. Taking advantage of the large dune across
the majority of the site, the views were maximised by elevating the living
levels to above natural ground level, terracing built forms down the dune.
The design incorporates large glazed areas and
extensive use of outdoor spaces, with each aspect of the house having a terrace
or deck. The linear open plan composition of the interior spaces allows views
from every room. To take advantage of the sea and distant mountain views, while
providing protection from the extremes of climate, the living spaces were
designed with South West/North East orientations. Sculptured rectangular forms, linear elements, large areas of horizontal
glazing, timber cladding and expansive external terraces are the principal
elements of the design.Externally the natural fynbos was brought up to the house
achieving a feeling that the house is set in nature and does not disturb the
natural beauty.
The simple
choice of materials complements the sculptural form of the house. The flooring
is of large format leather finish Neo Sardo Granite throughout the house,
alongside painted walls and ceilings. The principal neutral elements are complemented
by the natural timber shutters, screens and pergola. These will mature in time to
a silver-grey colour. Each bathroom is characterised by walls clad in granite
to match the floors, frameless glass shower enclosures and white Corian
vanities. The master bedroom is finished with white oiled Oak flooring with
feature granite, tying it back to the rest of the house.
The key to this retreat is its simplicity in
terms of the relationship between spaces. Its floor plan is structured, sparse
and uncluttered.