Collection by David Woodruff
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The kitchen is defined by a black “box” made from Mica board that contrasts with the birch plywood cladding used elsewhere throughout the interior. “We couldn’t put a wall in so we defined it with texture,” explains architect Leon van der Westhuizen. “It was intentionally kept really simple and honest.”
The designer furniture—much of which is by local South African makers and brands—elevates the cozy retreat, and offers an element of surprising contrast to the rugged landscape and remote site. It was also essential that anything transported to site was of high enough quality to stand the test of time, as transporting replacements would be logistically challenging.
The compact weekend retreat has been designed to withstand the elements and for longevity—an approach that resulted in an overall cost of more than $300K. “We had to overengineer some elements as it’s such a remote location that repairs and replacements would be difficult,” says architect Leon van der Westhuizen. “In the end, that all added up.”
Three of the four decks—the two bedroom modules and the front of the living room module—open up almost entirely to a staggered deck that is cantilevered over a rocky ledge, immersing the inhabitants in the vast landscape. A substantial “bridge” system of stairs and walkways connects the three timber decks.
The remote site is only accessible via a 4x4 vehicle, and doesn’t have mobile phone reception—which made construction challenging as any queries needed to be relayed to the architects using a satellite phone for emergencies or by driving to the nearest point with reception. “It was a real mission,” says architect Leon vad der Westhuizen. “We had to plan everything meticulously and the construction team relied heavily on our CAD data and the building information we shared.”
The decks and pergolas are attached to the shipping containers and were folded around the modules during transport—an approached that informed the way the modules look. “It’s kind of like the moon landing,” says architect Leon van der Westhuizen. “There’s all the mechanics of actually getting the capsule up there and that drives the aesthetics. A lot of engineering went into that and there were a lot of intricacies.”
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