An Inverted Pyramid Roof Tops This Stately Retreat in Cape Town
Clerestory windows and gardens on every level help this architect’s home feel integrated with its spectacular, mountain setting.
Home to Greg Truen, director of South African architecture and design firm SAOTA, Kloof 119A is a 9,150-square-foot residence in Cape Town that takes advantage of mountain and city views while de-emphasizing the street and neighboring homes.
The inverted pyramid roof of Kloof 119A glows at night, creating a giant light box effect.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Building on a steeply sloping site was a challenge, but it also provided Truen and the SAOTA team with many opportunities to use level changes to articulate the space. Wanting his new home to harmonize with its mountain site while maintaining privacy, as it sits near a prominent road, Truen incorporated a street-facing, stone facade built in the traditional Cape Town style. The wall keeps the house hidden from viewed from the road.
A swinging entrance door makes a bold first impression.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Get the Pro Newsletter
What’s new in the design world? Stay up to date with our essential dispatches for design professionals.
Each level opens up to green space, creating a breezy, indoor/outdoor connection. Furniture by OKHA—the Hunt Sofa, the Nate, Nicci Nouveau, and Vince and Miles Armchairs—outfit the living spaces.
Photo: Carmel Building & Design
Distinctively, the roof of the house takes the form of an inverted pyramid with clerestory windows that capture the peaks of Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. These windows draw in the sky, sun, and moonlight, enabling natural light to shift and complement the cyclical rhythms of the seasons, and the days and nights.
Internally, colors are muted, and the use of a washed oak gives the spaces warmth.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Walking through a large metal entry door located between the house and the stone wall, one arrives at an entrance lobby that’s connected to a courtyard garden.
The dark exterior breaks down the mass of the building, pushing it into the background.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
The spaces are simple, and zones are articulated by level changes in the floor and ceilings.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
From this peaceful garden, a short flight of steps leads up to the main living space, which presents a breathtaking panorama of the city below.
The To Be One and Lean On Me floor lamps in the lounge area are by OKHA.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
The topmost level of the home, spread over three tiers, enjoys the best views and is where most of the main living areas—the open-plan kitchen, dining room, and lounge—are located.
The Planalto Dining Table by Alessandra Delgado creates a focal point adjacent to the second-floor courtyard, which is used as a working/personal space.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Kitchen joinery was done by Roma Casa Kitchens. Clerestory windows allow mountain views and light to drench the space.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
The infinity pool seems to stretch into lush views.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Urban landscapes abut natural ones.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
The middle level contains the family’s sleeping and work spaces, while the garage, gym, cinema, and guest room are located on the lower level.
Libra flooring outfits the library.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Exquisite Bathrooms supplied the sanitary ware and chromeware.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
"Each level has its own set of gardens and courtyards," says Truen. "These gardens extend from the mountain surface down against the house, screening the neighboring buildings and intensifying the relationship with nature; allowing light and air into spaces that would otherwise be dark and isolated."
There are gardens on every level, contextualizing the home within its mountain landscape.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Glassman Westcoast glazing and aluminum windows help orchestrate the indoor/outdoor connection.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Franchesca Watson Garden Design spearheaded the landscape design.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
OKHA furniture used throughout imbues the interior spaces with a level of sophistication that complements the house’s dramatic setting.
The sophisticated spaces were furnished using OKHA furniture.
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Courtesy of Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle
Related Reading:
7 Peaked Structures With Pyramid-Inspired Roofs
Project Credits:
Interior Decor: OKHA
Builder: Gossow & Harding Construction Pty (Ltd)
Structural Engineering: Moroff & Kuhne Consulting Engineers
Landscape Design: Franchesca Watson Garden Design
Published
Last Updated