Project Description

Smitswinkel Beach House

New residence
Photos SDKS Architects and Francois Oberholster, Home December 2021-January 2022

This 100% off-the-grid, solar powered beach house in Smitswinkel was designed as a family holiday home and AirBnB property. A small piece of land wedged between existing neighbouring buildings, the site is steep and presented the challenge of capturing views across the bay while remaining respectful of the local environment and the privacy of neighbours. We also needed to consider that the site is only accessible by footpaths – all of the buildings in the area are built of materials that can be carried down the slope. This limited how the project could be approached, and we are grateful to the building team at KT Constructs who dedicated themselves to taking small deliveries of materials incrementally down the 450m footpath by human chain.

In this place, protection from fierce winds is needed as much as opportunities to take in the glorious views. The design has provided a solution which is a spatial continuum of the indoor and outdoor spaces. The diagonal views through the living spaces connect these exterior spaces on either side of the house. The north-facing wind-protected courtyard and the deck which takes the views of the bay make outdoor living comfortable and enjoyable, almost no matter the weather.

All of the living spaces – kitchen, dining room and lounge – are gathered below an off-centre pyramidal roof, and are flooded with natural light through a glass lantern. This quietly interesting roof form is surrounded by a series of low roofs over the bedrooms, which tie the house back into the undulations of the  landscape.

Baboon troops regularly move through the valley. The house is equipped with tall baboon-proof ventilation slots on all sides which keep the house cool and which allow the remaining glazing to be fixed where necessary.

The natural light from the glass lantern, the glazing and the open-plan indoor layout of the house mean that, even when confined indoors due to stormy weather or high winds, one does not feel cut off from the outdoors. A relaxed, cosy hideaway, this beautiful home truly makes the most of this precious site.

Read more about this home on the Perfect Hideaways website: https://www.perfecthideaways.co.za/self-catering/lantern-tides/

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