Perched on the banks of the Buffels River, close to its mouth in Pringle Bay - a small coastal town less than 100km from Cape Town, South Africa - this house has an easy living permanence that shakes off the salty winds and lets in the sun and the natural beauty of the surrounding indigenous vegetation and mountain valley.

© Adam Letch

Architects: SAOTA

Location: Pringle Bay, South Africa

Architects In Charge: Philip Olmesdahl, Riaz Ebrahim, Nasreen Larney & Werner Lotz

Consulting Engineers: Moroff & Kühne

Interior Designer: ARRCC and Home Owner

Area: 300.0 m2

Project Year: 2015

Photographs: Adam Letch

© Adam Letch

Text description provided by the architects. Perched on the banks of the Buffels River, close to its mouth in Pringle Bay - a small coastal town less than 100km from Cape Town, South Africa - this house has an easy living permanence that shakes off the salty winds and lets in the sun and the natural beauty of the surrounding indigenous vegetation and mountain valley.

© Adam Letch

The architecture is clean and robust. It has a gravitas to it. The materials are hard wearing and resistant to the tough coastal climate and its winds that periodically sweep the bay.  The planning of this SAOTA-designed family holiday home is nuanced and sophisticated, built to fully grasp the daily rituals of holiday living.

© Adam Letch
The individual open-plan rooms flow seamlessly, forming one extended living zone and central space. The welcoming kitchen and lounge area is at the centre, with a sofa in the kitchen large enough to seat the entire family. The living rooms have a direct relationship and the flow between these spaces add a unique dynamic to the house. A sense of mystery is created through the various spaces glimpsing each other.

© Adam Letch

© Adam Letch

Five years of living on the property before building, presented insights to the complexities of the site. This came with an opportunity to study and carefully consider the relationship of the house to the sun in path. The house faces due north with a large stairwell that floods morning light into the kitchen area. The westerly facades of lounge and terrace look towards Cape Point, the most southerly tip of Cape Town?s False Bay, and offers fantastic haloed sunsets in the early evening.

© Adam Letch

The character and interior architecture of the kitchen area demonstrate a fresh approach to living. With the addition of some custom made pieces from ARRCC interiors - including the sofas and dining table in neutral tones - the house is geared to the enjoyment of weekends away. There is a sophisticated eclectic mix of easy-living and comfortable furniture. Shades of white and grey fabrics are accented with original Moroccan Berber rugs and colourful kelims, complimented with solid French oak coffee tables and lacquered rou...