When Jim Brett and Ed Gray decided to launch a sister property to their exclusive-use Villa Maison Noir in Hout Bay, Cape Town, it was with the intention of creating yet another sanctuary-like space that was inspired and informed by the natural beauty of the bordering Oudekraal Nature Reserve and surrounding areas. To bring this vision to fruition, the couple earmarked a plot of land right next door to Villa Maison Noir and dreamed of replacing the drab 1970s-style building housed on the site with something much more memorable.
Article source: Daffonchio and Associates Architects
This house in Monaghan Farm, an eco-estate in Lanseria, was principally shaped around its natural context – it is situated on an undisturbed hill with savannah grasslands with an expansive view of beautiful rolling hills and a river below – as well as the ideas and requirements of the clients.
The stylishly designed guest house is located on the west coast 90kms north of Cape Town – bordered by a nature reserve adjoining the ocean. Taking full advantage of the ocean views and responding to the coastal dune context, Gavin Maddock has designed a private get-a-way with a sense of calm, understated luxury. The project was awarded Winner of Best Guest Houses 2019 in South Africa.
The brief called for a three unit guest house with all suites taking advantage of the fabulous ocean views and to be achieved on a restrictive budget.
An engineer, his wife and two teenage children, needed a home where the kids could stay on after finishing school and while at varsity, (and maybe even longer). They purchased a steep and relatively small site before appointing us as architects. There are beautiful views, over the roofs of the neighbours across the street, from the upper part of the site. Building lines are tight so the other three neighbouring houses are right up against the boundaries. The family wanted three garages at street level, an open plan living area walking out on a North garden with pool, and family bedrooms high up where they could feel secluded, private and safe. The house needed to be fairly maintenance-free and ‘future proof’ by catching rainwater and generate its own power. Because of the tight and steep site, we decided on a ‘tower’ form, placed as far south towards the street as possible to allow for the maximum amount of North facing garden, making it possible to be at street level at the front but walk straight out into the garden at the back. The bulk of the building could be ‘broken’ up through the use of different materials and ‘pulling and pushing’ at the facade to give it depth and definition.
Situated in the prestigious Zimbali Coastal Forest resort 45 minutes north of Durban, located on the east coast of South Africa, this three level structure is home to a young family of four.
With the architecture being subject to stringent estate design guidelines, dictating traditional roof forms, the design sought to create a vision that was in harmony with the neighbouring properties yet represented the individual taste and aspirations of the new home owner and desire for a progressive and dynamic architectural aesthetic Further considerations such as views, orientation, privacy and the prevailing sub tropical climate contributed to the detailing and overall finished product.
Fuchsia house was designed for a recently retired couple with a large close knit extended family.
Located on the east coast of South Africa, on a modest lot within a gated golfing estate, this spacious home graciously asserts itself on the gently sloping square shaped site in a way that the allowable build area is maximized and all the specific living requirements are included.
Architecturally the home takes on a contemporary feel with simple forms and a palette of light materials.
The arrival point is a spacious double volume three sided courtyard area with access to 4 garages and guest parking.
The front entrance door directly off the courtyard opens onto a 180 degree unobstructed view over the swimming pool, towards the golf course fairway in the foreground and sporadic distant sea views.
The site purchased by our client for their dream home was a “ green field” site in an established section of Zimbali Coastal Forest Estate. Thick natural coastal forest vegetation covered the site, with a mature Flat Crown tree situated on the front boundary. The site enjoys views of Holy Hill, which is a protected section of natural coastal forest within the estate, to the East.
Many characteristics of Tropical Modern Architecture, including an elemental roof form with large eaves, overhanging upper storey, timber screens and pergolas, flow of spaces including an un-interupted indoor / outdoor flow and lush landscaping, fundamentally influenced the design approach.
C Offices is the fit out design for the executive offices of a multinational company based in Cape Town. The design distorts the rigid and unfunctional given layout to create dynamic environments in constant relationship with each other. The aim to break the traditional office scheme of isolated rooms is reached by the introduction of comfortable co-working spaces and common rooms.
A meticulous research on materials and cladding solutions has been carried out together with a careful study of light and shadows to provide the new environment with a sophisticated but comfortable value.
OKHA’s latest interior project, Clifton 301, is a seasonal two-bedroom apartment in a sophisticated contemporary complex designed by SAOTA. Flanked on either side by Table Mountain’s legendary Twelve Apostles, it looks out over breath-taking panoramic views of the Cape Atlantic Ocean and is in equal parts luxurious getaway, relaxed coastal retreat and entertainer’s dream.
The architects designed the complex with deliberately pared-down, monochromatic interior shells.
In the heart of Cape Town’s bustling CBD, the property at 118 St George’s mall is not one building, but a consolidation of two. A “Cape Edwardian” building, estimated to have been completed in the early 1940s, stands on the corner of St Georges Mall and Longmarket Street, and is flanked by an Art Deco counterpart which was designed by the architectural firm Walgate & Elsworth, who designed the Table Mountain Cableway stations, for the offices of the United Building Society and completed c1938. While the characteristic external elements of the existing buildings have remained unchanged, like the Edwardian teak windows, the Art Deco granite façade and the noteworthy bronze portal doors framing the entrance, the interiors were sadly destroyed in the decades of reuse and reinvention of the space.
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