Seasons in the sun
Built over three cleverly stepped levels, this holiday home on South Africa’s pristine Garden Route combines sculptural architecture with simple, pared-back interiors.
WORDS Robyn Alexander PHOTOGRAPHY Greg Cox
Constituting a considered balance between context and function, this coastal holiday home enables the sea at its front and the indigenous milkwood forest at its rear to feel continually present throughout its spaces. The dwelling responds to its location superbly well: it is situated in Buffelsbaai (Buffalo Bay), a tiny holiday village on the coast of South Africa’s beautiful Garden Route. Surrounded by a conservation park, with its shoreline a marine protection area, the wide curve of the bay hugs a pristine beach that is a major attraction during the summer months, when this tiny enclave – there are just 200 or so houses, on small stands – swells enormously in population size as holidaymakers converge on the area.
The typical building style here is a version of American clapboard. This new home, however, does something very different. Both client and architect Guillaume Pienaar know the area intimately: the client had “spent many holidays in the original house over many years and knew exactly what they wanted” from their new home, Guillaume explains. As for himself, he has “spent time at this beach surfing since childhood – and I love this street”.
As a result of this local knowledge and experience, the initial brief made complete sense to both parties. The plot has an east-west axis, with the beach views on the eastern side at the front, which in turn means that summer’s prevailing south-easterly wind also predominantly strikes this elevation of the home. Outdoor living at the front of the previous house was therefore often an unpleasantly windswept experience and the client was “looking for solutions” to this problem, says Guillaume, adding that they nevertheless “wanted as many spaces as possible in the house to have a view of the ocean”. Finally, the brief included five ensuite bedrooms, plus a large garage-workshop-storage area, required to house vehicles and trailers, as well as solar power storage equipment.
To fulfil this multidimensional brief on the narrow site, says Guillaume, “scale was of the utmost importance from day one”, to prevent the building from seeming out of proportion in its modest locale. Also, key was his sense of the necessary connection between the sea and the indigenous milkwood forest located directly behind the plot. It was very necessary, Guillaume felt, to “push the house as far back from the street into the indigenous milkwood forest and the sloped site” as possible. He adds that following the build, “A collaboration with a local horticulturalist allowed us to plant further coastal thicket plants and milkwoods, with the aim of re-establishing the vegetation around the house, and between it and the public realm.” In essence, the house will gradually “disappear” into the rejuvenated natural forest. Additionally, to keep the scale of the dwelling under control, given its beach-village context, the building has minimum 2400 mm ceiling heights throughout, with roof parapet walls omitted, and stepped massing used in order to mimic the site’s natural topography. The façade is raised above the garaging, immediately generating a level of privacy from the public beach and is split between a patio area and a large, angled bay window. This picture window “allows for a 180-degree view of the shoreline” from right inside the house, says Guillaume, creating “a very successful space internally” that is perfect for use all year round, and in every kind of weather.
PARED-BACK PALETTE Simplicity and clarity of line characterise the house as well as all of its furnishings and décor.
With public spaces at the front and “degrees of privacy and silence increasing towards the rear”, plus a large garage and storage space tucked underneath the living area, the house is built over three stepped levels, and is noteworthy for its sculptural aspect and thoughtful yet striking detailing. Light, views and sea air are drawn through the building from east to west, assisted by the placement of two concrete “ears” – one on either side of the building, and serving the two bedrooms placed at the rear.
At the home’s centre is an internal courtyard atrium, which allows its occupants to keep all the interior doors open (day and night), enabling the building to naturally ventilate. The courtyard space is also very useful on days when the wind from the sea is particularly strong. Throughout all the interiors, too, a restricted materials and colour palette results in a marvellously pared-back aesthetic, as well as keeping seaside maintenance to a minimum. “I love leaving building materials as close to their original state as possible,” says Guillaume. “We used off-shutter concrete to create a textured feel and allow the owner the least amount of maintenance on the building, while the warmth of the wood used for doors and windows is an ideal contrast.”
Likewise, the interior-design choices have been kept resolutely minimal and practical, while of course also meeting the requirements of holiday comfort. Custom designed décor elements – built-in lounge seating; a round table created especially for card games or puzzle building; and a 10-seater dining table combine with items that are either effectively fixed in place or easily moveable, as best suits their function and situation.
The lighting design is another strong point, with off-the-shelf fittings deployed in ways that add up to much more than the sum of their parts. Explains Guillaume, “I prefer to limit the use of expensive imported lighting – you can use an everyday fitting, but design around it to give it a bit more ‘substance’.” For example, he asked the building contractor to use curved plastic salad bowls to create the concrete formwork for simple round glass wall lights: the resulting smooth, reflective, integrated concrete indentations in the walls might house very basic fittings, but the lighting throughout the home has a luxe, contemporary feel.
Combining a resolute commitment to architecture that respects its context with clever detailing and minimalist interiors, this house already has the air of a building that will become a landmark of the area. Its overall form is, as Guillaume says, rather reminiscent “of an old Land-Rover: very rugged and ‘boxy’, but functional”. And just as in that classic piece of design, here the air of honest practicality is overlaid with a simple and genuine charm.
COMMANDING VIEWS The sea-facing veranda at the front of the house is the ideal spot from which to enjoy panoramic beach views on wind-free days.
