Context and Brief
This existing two storey house built in the 1980’s, is located in Camps Bay on the slopes of Table Mountain. The house had a narrow open plan arrangement, with low ceiling heights and standard aluminium doors and windows.
The clients priority was to rework the entertainment areas and to create better relationships between internal, external and adjacent garden areas. Although in a beautiful setting, the mountain views were neglected, the house was very exposed to the harsh elements and it had very little privacy.
The client wanted to incorporate personal memorabilia and requested that the house better reflect the upmarket, contemporary nature of Camps Bay.
Design Solution
A number of architectural interventions were used to improve the spatial planning and give the house more depth, better shelter from the elements, improved privacy and provide a more welcoming environment from which to appreciate its beautiful setting.
The front door was relocated and new linear staircases link the living and services spaces, improving the general circulation between spaces and, being positioned on the outer edge, allow the living spaces to connect seamlessly to the adjacent outdoor areas, while also maximising the mountain & sea views and improving natural light penetration into the house. New steel and timber roofs and pergolas reduce the scale of the existing façade, while sliding shutters introduce greater privacy and sun protection for the bedrooms.
New large openings in the existing envelope along with glass balustrading help blur the threshold between indoor and outdoor spaces . New sandstone walls and timber decks help nestle the home into the landscape. Horizontal slate elements are introduced as features in various locations and the clients personal art pieces were incorporated to add a personal touch.
2017