Brief: Our clients required a house that was first and foremost a “home” for their family and friends. The site location is adjacent to a large area of open greenbelt and part of the brief was for the home to embrace its surroundings. The house was to be a backdrop to their lifestyle of much entertaining and enjoyment of the outdoors. Specific requirements called for intimate external living / dining areas, a family room complementing the large kitchen, study areas for both husband and wife and various guest suites.
Concept: The brief and site determined the design of this 3-storey house, which hugs the slope. The abrasive wind conditions and proximity to the street – to the South - suggested a solid rear façade punctuated with windows facing certain views, with the North elevation a contrast of an all glass façade with deep overhangs, and semi-covered outdoor spaces. The site determined an extended arrival procession from the street side down a landscaped outdoor space, to a large entrance landing and hall on the midlevel. This hall then forms the double volume space at the centre of the plan, dividing the ground floor living spaces from the private bedrooms and guest rooms of the first and second floor.
The building was conceived as a response to the specific environment of Llandudno in a ‘Cape-African’ idiom, both embracing our Clients enjoyment of South African lifestyle, and creating a character, which would nestle into the site as though it belonged there. The robust materials used complement this idea, from the natural slate roofs, extensive external timber in decking, screens and roof structure, textured plaster and off-shuttered concrete finishes.
The natural aggregate driveway, and pavers, as well as crushed stone covering to flat concrete roofs, add to this palette. The street façade was intended to reduce the expansive house to a few cubic forms that framed the distant beach view and contrasted with the other more animated elevations.
Programme: The house is as much about external spaces as internal. The plan is divided into two, along the axis of the entrance hall, with the ground floor of communal living space to the southwest, and the more intimate family room, kitchen and outdoor dining spaces to the northeast. Terraces extend across the entire front façade to unify these spaces, while the rear of the lounge and dining puncture through into a magical enclosed courtyard, giving light, ventilation and depth to the spaces. The first floor contains bedrooms, guest rooms and two study areas for our clients. The second floor is divided in two, with the master en-suite bedroom to the northeast, and the staff accommodation towards the street at the southwest with separate access.
Spatial Strategy: The steepness of the site informed the layout of the house to be divided over 3 storeys. The spatial strategy is quite legible and simplistic with ground floor divided into formal areas to the North West side and the more informal family areas to the North East, separated by the generous double volume entrance wall which further connects the first floor. The first floor and second floor accommodates bedrooms and study areas. All external terraces at ground and first floor are accessed directly from adjacent rooms in direct manner. Utility spaces are relegated to the rear basement areas at ground floor.
“Inserted into Site”: Again the steepness of the site has a striking effect on the section through the house with the building appearing as a 2 storey elevation from the arrival elevation and the entire rear face of the ground floor is buried into the hillside. The large building area has resulted in full allowable coverage being utilised on the site, creating quite limited side spaces at the East and West elevations. The cut to fill exercise was – broadly speaking – balanced on the site with terracing of fill below the pool terrace limiting the quantity of soils to be removed from site.
Retailing Strategy: For the large building the budget was relatively modest and detailing was kept to a simple and legible nature. The roof and timber pergola structure is most notable with robust laminated beams and laminated columns, unadorned galvanised mild steel connections and lightly stained Iroko hardwood ceilings and cladding. In sympathy to the beautiful area the finishes are natural and uncomplicated including; - off shutter concrete, - slat roofs, - bleached solid Oak floors and joinery and Balau external decks. Detailing is discrete with recessed cornices, jamb linings without architraves, recessed grips to joinery and doors to produce an uncluttered simplicity to the interiors. “Continuing Body of Work”: The office is busy with work in the 3 main centres of South Africa being, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town and many projects abroad- especially West Africa. Various projects in Cape Town have reinterpreted a vernacular Cape architecture with a distinctive modern edge – to which this house belongs. Various projects since have been informed by lessons learned from this project.
Ecological Features: Building Re-Use: The owners chose to retain basement portions of the existing building.
Building Layout: o The building is arranged to capitalise on the sun at all times of the day, to ensure an abundance of natural light. o Most rooms have a substantial amount of opening windows to ensure effective cross ventilation. o Various rooms open out onto planted courtyards.
Building Materials: o Timber o Wall finish o Tiles o Timber in floor finishes / joinery o Natural slate roof tiles
Technical Details: Limited a/c – building relies on deep overhangs to provide cooling to interiors.
