ArchitectureRemote Family Home in Cape Town Glows Like A Lightbox Among Trees
Remote Family Home in Cape Town Glows Like A Lightbox Among Trees
Perched on a hill in one of the most beautiful regions of Cape Town, South Africa, this extraordinary residence is one of the most recent and most amazing projects completed by the architects at SAOTA. It’s a family home unlike any other you’ve seen not just because of its rather odd appearance but also because of its wonderful connection with nature. One of the ways in which this is achieved is very obvious and has everything to do with the inverted pyramid roof. This design allowed the architects to frame the top floor of the house in glass, creating a clerestory window around the volume.
View in galleryThe glazed upper floor glows at night, being the only exposed part of the houseView in galleryAlthough the house looks very contained and simple on the street side, at the back it unfolds and embraces its surroundingsView in galleryThe rear of the house opens towards the garden, featuring large sliding glass doors
The building is organized on three floors. The lower level contains a guest room, a cinema room, a gym and the garage. The one in the middle houses the bedrooms and the work spaces while the one at the top holds most of the social areas: an open plan kitchen, a dining space and a lounge area. What very interesting is the fact not the upper floor is one the only one which has a close relationship with the outdoors. Each level is in fact connected to its own set of gardens and courtyard spaces.
View in galleryA stone wall conceals most of the house on the street side, offering privacy for the bottom floorsView in galleryThe front door is large and made of metal and it has a pivoting systemView in galleryThe entrance lobby is visibly connected to the outdoors through a large window facing the courtyardView in galleryThe clerestory windows which frame the upper floor allow natural light and views of the sky and the nearby mountains inside the houseView in galleryIt’s quite amazing and also a bit curious how the spaces manage to feel so open and so intimate and cozy at the same timeView in galleryThe living spaces clustered on the top floor enjoy panoramic views of the city and the wonderful landscape surrounding the houseView in galleryThe kitchen, in spite of having an open floor plan, looks and feels like a separate, cozy nookView in galleryA secret courtyard is contained between the house and the stone wall. It’s the link between the internal areas and the outside worldView in galleryThe spectacular, uninterrupted view of the city is the living room’s main focal pointView in galleryIn order to allow the focus to remain of the views and the connection between the house and its surroundings, the color palette is kept simpleView in galleryThe lounge area is framed by seamless, panoramic views and features two eye-catching and comfy armchairsView in galleryThe house also featuring this amazing infinity edge pool and a small wooden deckView in galleryThe infinity edge swimming pool stands between the living space and the city skylineView in galleryThe artwork and decorations in general are minimal throughout the houseView in galleryA large and sophisticated home office occupies a section of the middle floor and features an entire wall of bookshelvesView in galleryThe interior courtyard is fully exposed and can be admired from the areas of the house that frame itView in galleryEach of the three levels is connected to its own set of garden and courtyard spacesView in galleryThe bathrooms are as stylish as the rest of the house, featuring white marble walls and glass enclosuresView in galleryThe palette of materials and finishes used throughout is reduced to only a few natural onesView in galleryThe lighting throughout the house is perfectly on point, highlight the best design features in every space