Victoria 73 House / SAOTA

Victoria 73 is a stunning property designed by South African Architects SAOTA (Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects). The house was designed for a family in the city of Cape Town, South Africa. The Architects created an environment so the family can enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. The house is on a cliff, but protected from prevailing winds and enjoys spectacular sea views over Bantry Bay.

 

Project Brief

The property had an existing house, which completely under-utilized the site’s fantastic characteristics. The brief called for a dynamic response to capitalise on the site, creating an environment where the young family could enjoy an outdoor lifestyle offered by the site. This outdoor area is protected from the prevailing winds, and enjoys views of the sea, and more immediate views of large boulders to the South. The clients were eager to utilise every possible area of the site, yet ensure that they maintained privacy in this dense part of Bantry Bay, where sites are fairly small and owners typically maximise their allowable building envelopes.

The Site

The site tapers from the rear, being approximately 26m wide to the street boundary which is 17m wide and 16m below. This steep tapered shape complicated the design, and hampered the construction process. The budget restrictions implied that a component of the existing building needed to be retained, which also created consequential problems in design, documentation and execution. Due to variations in the Zoning Scheme – applicable when the original house was built in the 1950’s and the recently amended Zoning Scheme, portions of the existing dwelling were illegal. This, along with the imposition of the road widening strategy, applicable to Victoria Road (a scenic route), made for additional complications in the design and submission procedures for the house.

Design Layout

The design was primarily driven by the need to create a family home, which accommodated the kitchen, living room and dining room in one single space. These areas enjoyed all day sunlight with simultaneously framed views of the sea. The secondary living area was to be a dramatic entertainment space, located on the level immediately below the family level, where the clients could entertain large groups of friends. The pool terrace allows for covered and uncovered areas to relax around the pool. The entertainment lounge accommodates a generous bar, and is close to the outdoor braai area. A dramatic gazebo structure is perched at the Western edge of the pool deck, which allows the owners to enjoy the last hours of the setting sun on the edge of the pool deck.

Floor Plan

These 2 living levels are located centrally in the vertical arrangement of the house on the Fourth and Fifth floor. The Sixth floor above accommodates the main bedroom with 2 children’s en-suite bedrooms and a small children’s lounge. The guest room, a staff area and a private library are located on the second and third story below the entertainment level. The ground floor accommodates the entrance hall and a five car garage. A glass lift connects the building vertically, and an external service stair connects the levels externally.

Design Aesthetics

The house is strongly influenced by the Californian School of ‘Case Study’ houses. It also takes its cue from Miesien Planar Designs, demonstrated with the cantilever roof slab which is separated from the main off-shutter concrete roof soffit by a dramatic clerestory window. The slab is in turn supported by a marble clad wall plane, reminiscent of the stone walls of the Barcelona Pavilion.

Architects: SAOTA
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Interior Design: ANTONI ASSOCIATES
Structural Engineer: Tony Cooksey Structural Engineers
Project Area: 1,099 sqm
Photographs: SAOTA
 

xoxo LLD

Author: I.Style