Stunning mountain retreat in Cape Town

Mountain House was completed by Van Der Merwe Miszewski Architects and is located on a steep sloping site on the foot of Table Mountain bordering Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa. According to the architects, “the house is comprised of five pavilions which are tucked into the sloping terrain surrounded by the existing natural fynbos which stretches from the mountain slopes above the site to the road below. The five pavilions mimic the lie of the land and lie like leaves that have fallen down the mountain. The pavilions are in sympathy with the surrounding context in order to achieve as little visual impact as possible on the existing natural landscape.”

Open entering the interior of the home one would observe that the outdoors has been brought inside through “habitable spaces that have been created by using the age-old tradition of inserting stone walls into the landscape, thereby creating usable terraces and platforms. The colors of these stone walls emulate those of the cliffs of Table Mountain above and its presence anchors the design into the landscape. The wavy roof is like a piece of the site lifted off the ground, settling over the habitable spaces and platforms. The concrete roof curves in both directions and takes its cue from the curved nature of the cliff faces on Table Mountain above and the contouring slope of the site below. The roof therefore simulates the curve of the mountain face and the lie of the land. Glass is used to enclose these platforms to create habitable spaces within the indigenous natural surroundings.” What do you think of this incredible architecture and its peaceful environment?

Visit the website of Van Der Merwe Miszewski Architects here.

Tree House in the South African wilderness

The Tree House residence has been designed by Van Der Merwe Miszewski Architects and is located in Higgovale, Cape Town, South Africa.

From the architects: Trees are precious in Africa. They provide shelter for the elders at meeting time, for school children in the midday heat, for all to shield against the unrelenting elements. In a sense the tree has become iconic, almost mythical.

A commission to design a house on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town created an opportunity to test our concerns and searches for contextual responsiveness and connectivity. The site, adjacent to a valley and stream, has a canopy of magnificent spreading umbrella Pines. These trees, majestic and sculptural, provided the primary reference and ultimately the structural concept for the house. Five tree-like structures anchor the roof to the ground and provide shelter for the functions gathered under. These trees are surrounded by an entirely separate lightweight transparent steel and glass enclosure supported on a heavily rusticated stone base.

The design of the house incorporates themes of narrative, of layering and of expressed threshold. The visitor is invited to take part in a journey of discovery, requested to participate in the unlocking of experiences within the house, the unpeeling of layers. We tried to heighten the experience of unveiling and of delicate exposure, to create within the house sensuality and moments of intense intimacy – a folly immersed in, and closely linked with, the majestic beauty of the African landscape – a simultaneous dialogue between inside and outside and outside and inside, neither taking precedent over the other.

Visit Van Der Merwe Miszewski Architects website here.

Stunning renovation in the Cape Winelands

The project is a renovation of two existing structures on a farm; a 1920’s house and a barn dating from the 18th century. Designed by Van Der Merwe Miszewski Architects, the home is located in the heart of the Franschhoek Valley in the Cape Winelands, South Africa.

The scope of this project included the re-utilization of the barn, which is centrally located on the site and is surrounded by several magnificent and ancient Oak trees. The barn itself was repaired and inhabited to form the heart of the home – being the living, dining and cooking spaces. The long facades are covered with verandahs; one open and planted and the other covered over.

Two additional wings of accommodation have been placed adjacent to the barn (at the ‘short ends’) – containing the private spaces such as the bedrooms and bathrooms, creating an enclosed external space – the WERF. The WERF provides; (in 2 areas, which are separated by a level change, an arbor and a water feature), private open space and motorcar access. A long pool separates the barn from the vineyards, which together with new paddocks, surround the new house. Via

Visit Van Der Merwe Miszewski Architects website here.

Photos: Van Der Merwe Miszewski Architects