Project Description

Lagoon Retreat

Location: West Coast, South Africa

This off-grid home rests on a small promontory, where panoramic vistas of the lagoon meet the green and grey tones of the surrounding fynbos. The retreat offers a peaceful escape for mountain and seaside walks, birdwatching, picnics, boating and a variety of water sports.

A series of individually roofed volumes wrap around a collection of terraces, orienting the home toward outdoor living. The architecture is carefully detailed, taking a restrained, minimalist approach to the West Coast vernacular style, using structural steel, timber, crisp white walls and expansive glazing. 

Replacing an aged asbestos structure, the house retains the original footprint to minimise impact on the protected flora. Within two years, the fynbos has slowly begun to reestablish itself under the watchful eye of the plant rehab specialist. Closer to the home, a grove of lemon and shade trees relates to a curated, living landscape.

Off-grid features include full solar power, self-irrigation through rainwater harvesting and passive sun shading.

Photography: SDKS Architects

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