G R O T T O   B E A C H 

Residence - Hermanus

2016

​

Situated on the outer edge of Hermanus, the site overlooks an untouched stretch of Milkwood Forest and the natural beauty of Grotto Beach, the lagoon and the ocean beyond. The site invokes a feeling of being isolated in a natural setting, even though it is situated among a handful of other houses peppered along the narrow beach front dirt road.

The client wanted a dwelling with four bedrooms, ample space for entertaining and a way to maximize the views of both the mountains to the North East and Grotto Beach to the South West.

In order to maximize the views from the site, the decision was made to place the bedroom level on top of the garage level below and allowing the main living spaces and kitchen to be located at the top most level, embracing the panoramic views over the trees towards the beach and over the roofs of the neighbouring houses towards Voëlklip. A strict height restriction had been allocated to the site and the remaining accommodation and garage had to be sunken into a semi-basement in order to achieve the volume of a three storey residence.

The bedroom spaces and living spaces are arranged around a semi-enclosed court yard with tall timber screens that can be mechanically opened and closed to manage the exposure to the western sun. The courtyard contains a lush garden on the ‘roof’ of the garage below with a mentis grating deck above that provides a permeable semi-enclosed outdoor space to the living areas.

The building was conceived as an off-shutter concrete frame and slab structure with infill panels of painted bagged brick and full height glazing. The nature of the materials and construction method are clearly legible with a ‘floating’ steel and timber staircase connecting all three levels. The interiors are made up of broad boarded timber floors, off shutter concrete soffits and painted bagged brick. The exterior of the building is fitted with timber and aluminium shutters which are used for both privacy and sun control by the occupants.