Three14 Architects square up in Cape Town with a mountainside house
![Kim Benatar and Sian Fisher, co-founders of Three14 Architects](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/e5SA7YNd6kLpAs43FcWwZP-415-80.jpg)
Kim Benatar and Sian Fisher, co-founders of Three14 Architects, persuaded their client to demolish his home of ten years to create this calm, contemporary cuboid in Bantry Bay, Cape Town. In with the new! We say. Looking for an open-plan home that was elegant, yet easy, a peaceful backdrop to his routine and a space that would transform easily to entertain guests, their client made a brave decision, yet a life-changing one with House OVD525.
Using exposed off-shutter concrete, the architects created strong vertical flanking walls to define ‘voids’ of living space, then slotted in a series of horizontal slabs, which extend as platforms for the gardens, decks and pool.
Take an interactive tour of House OVD525
‘The exaggerated thickness [of the concrete] provides a sense of privacy, containment and intimacy whilst creating a strong visual framing for the spectacular views beyond,’ says Fisher, principal architect at Three14, whose main challenge was to balance privacy and openness.
The house sits on a steep mountainside, looking out across views of Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard, Robben Island and into arresting ocean sunsets. The house responds in its form to the views, particularly with the master bedroom: ‘We worked very hard with our engineers to achieve the aggressive cantilever of the master bedroom suite which hovers over the external entertainment and pool area in order to capitalize on the views. From the living room, this is experienced as the planked concrete soffit stretches out towards the horizon,’ says Benatar, principal architect.
The architects designed the home to be open to the striking ocean views
The house is a contemporary contrast to the neighbouring architecture. From the street view, a double-layer of laser cut perforated aluminium sheeting, suspended over an entry forecourt below, can be seen, lightly shielding the house.
‘Locally, punched aluminium screening is not an unusual material, especially in the commercial realm, but is far less prevalent in the residential arena,’ says Fisher of the material, which acts as a smooth and speckled shell, protecting the serene environment within. ‘On the screen one can see the pixelated form of a tree, which was specifically selected, and held meaning to our client. This screened façade offers privacy from the street whilst allowing interesting light penetration over different times of day and glimpses out towards the mountain from the internal spaces behind.’
House OVD525 designed by Three14 architects is located in Bantry Bay, Cape Town.
A protective screen of a double-layer of laser cut perforated aluminium sheeting encases the home at street level like a shell
The house sits on a steep mountainside looking out across views of Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard and Robben Island
The house is built of vertical massy, exposed off shutter concrete walls and horizontal concrete slabs
The home is defined by open-plan spaces which are designed for entertaining
The client required a home that was a 'peaceful backdrop' to his lifestyle
Exposed concrete inside provides a textural design fetaure for the home
Outdoor decking is sheltered by the cantilever of the master bedroom above
The interior concrete has been designed with features such as storage and a fireplace
‘The house is conceived, detailed and finished in an understated and unadorned manner, creating calm, flowing spaces that are easy to live in,’ says Kim Benatar, principal architect at Three14
The design of the upstairs bathrooms continues the restrained and calm aesthetic
Horizontal slabs extend to contain the decking and swimming pool
At dusk, the house can be lit to show the patterned perforations of the aluminium screen
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Three14 Architects website
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
Phaidon’s new Graphic Classics is a lavish greatest hits of graphic design
Graphic Classics is a compendium of seven centuries of visual culture, from the everyday and ephemeral to visionary works that reshaped our world
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Birley Chocolate hits the sweet ’n’ chic spot in London’s Chelsea
The new Birley Chocolate shop, a sibling to Birley Bakery, is a confection of colour as delicious as its finely crafted goods
By Melina Keays Published
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
Into the woods: a Hampshire home by Alma-nac is the perfect retreat
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Noiascape’s refined co-living digs for generation rent in London
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated
-
Hot stuff: a Chilean house draws on its volcanic landscape
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
A Hampstead home by Groves Natcheva brings art deco into the 21st century
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
A San Francisco live/work space plays with opacity and transparency
By Sarah Amelar Last updated
-
Victorian minimalist: inside Gable House’s pared-back Scandi interior
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Studio Saxe’s twin villas in Costa Rica make for the perfect tropical retreat
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Disco fever: a dynamic duo reinvents a London townhouse
By Christopher Stocks Published