Finch

A house designed for a steeply sloped site bordering, bordering the mountain reserve, overlooking the bay of Scarborough, south of Cape Town.

In a wild and exposed landscape, this home was designed to create a strong sense of place and rootedness to its site. Conceived as an encampment, with separate structures /sleeping units arranged around a central gathering space with sheltered outdoor courts between.

The components of the building (Walls, pillars, stairways, spaces) refer to the natural landscape elements of the mountain, offering and forming dramatic spaces to view the surrounding sea and mountain-scapes.

The ground plane of the site is shaped into various terraces, using sandstone from the site as massive retaining and side walls. In places the stone walls project into pillars, defining the spaces between. This matrix is then enclosed with a light weight elegant steel structure which contrasts the heavy masonry elements.

Parking is created by carving a space into the base of the site at street level, the side walls of which would be planted with the indigenous coastal Fynbos, a discreet camouflaging.