The clients bought a plot of land a couple of years ago, adjacent to an historic farm homestead in the Cape winelands  region of South Africa.

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They are realising their dream of moving to this region and they hired a local architect to draw up plans for their new house. ​While excited with the results they asked me for a second opinion.

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Based on my understanding of the site and their needs, I reshaped the proposal.

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 I elongated the building to ensure that all the habitable rooms of the house and the garden benefit from the view of the historic homestead and an ancient camphor tree on the site. The house is also orientated to get maximum light from the north east, assuring the garden frontage is bathed in light, avoiding the scorching late afternoon sun. All existing trees on the site were preserved.

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The overall shape and arrangement of the building is very simple and linear, reminiscent of the historic Cape Dutch homesteads, an example of which the new house faces across the garden.

 

​This scheme was a strong departure from the previous proposals but the clients loved it. My ideas of the overall shape and internal arrangement for the house were adopted by the local architect in a successful collaboration.