THE BRIEF

This project was to alter an existing Camps Bay cottage. The existing cottage comprised a series of small rooms around a narrow internal passage, which little natural light. The front door opened directly into the clients lounge & studio. At the back of the house, a roofed terrace had been enclosed and incorporated into the house, which further restricted natural light into the home. Its roof was really low and restricted ones view of the garden, which was 1.5m above house level.

WHAT WE DID

We opened up the centre of the house, got rid of the long passage and created a new entrance. This made all the spaces feel more generous and allowed lots of natural light in. We reconfigured the kitchen, which then opened up onto a new kitchen garden. The back terrace was turned into the lounge with a new raised floating roof with clerestory windows and enlarged openings to the back. This has allowed views of the mountain and the garden behind, plus lots of light. This new pavilion was conceived to be a new entity with its own language. The cottage is a traditional timber building and the pavilion is meant to be very modern, built in plastered masonry and painted white, with a thin, floating timber roof.