COVE 3 HOUSE by SAOTA | KNYSNA, SOUTH AFRICA

Along the South African coastline outside the town of Knysna, architecture office SAOTA in collaboration with Antoni Associates designed the ‘Cove 3′ house.

Nestled in the cliff-top estate “The Cove” in Pezula, Knysna, in South Africa, the Cove 3 house was designed by the architecture office SAOTA to be integrated into the topography & natural colour of the fynbos, maintaining a seamless connection with landscape and ocean.

Originally designed  for a Johannesburg based family, the Cove 3 house can be used as a family home but is also the perfect place for holidays.

Contemporary architecture

Designed to optimize views and openness to the ocean, the architecture office SAOTA‘s primary idea was to create a single living space with a single roof element floating over it that responded to the slope of the site.

The Cove 3 house boasts an incredible roof set at a sufficiently high level, creating the illusion that one is sitting in the landscape rather than in a room. To reinforce the connection with the sky, the roof features a large triangular cut-out.

Moreover, the architecture office SAOTA undertook a very detailed solar analysis of the building to get direct sun out of the building. As a result, a midlevel horizontal sunscreen was added to the double height glass façade and the skylight is protected by a timber screen that hangs into the space to mitigate the scale of the double volume space.

Care was also taken in selecting performance-glass that would minimise the impact of direct sun.

To fade Cove 3 house into the landscape, the architecture office SAOTA mainly chose natural materials such as off-shutter concrete, Rheinzink roofing, timber cladding, stone and exposed aggregate.

All these elements, the high and sloped roof, the tall glass walls, the outdoor deck, the infinity-edge pool and all these natural elements, contribute to the residence’s south-facing orientation, to fade it into the landscape for complete intimacy and to preserve the natural environment.

Outstanding interior design

Inside the Cove 3 house, a spiral stair connects the living level to a private lounge and the master bedroom on a mezzanine level. This stair was conceived as a sculptural element in the large volume to again mitigate the scale of this space. This spiral drops through the floor to a lower level which houses a guest bedroom, a home theater and a living room.

“The interiors are uncluttered and reflect the easy living requirements of the clients. Spaces are sparse, and have been furnished minimalistically which emphasize the strong architectural lines and volume of the architecture. The furniture is modern, and a number of bespoke pieces were sourced from the designer’s retail outlet OKHA. A neutral palette of ivory, stone and shell complement the natural architectural timber and concrete finishes selected throughout,” says Mark Rielly of Antoni Associates.