Location: Umhlanga, South Africa

This house was created for a professional couple with no children. Although they needed very little space for themselves,  they enjoyed entertaining, and were inspired by the simplicity of some rather modest mid-century modern houses from California.

Unlike all of its large multi-storied neighbours which had been built as high as possible in order to get a glimpse of the distant ocean horizon, the couple wanted a single storey house that was far more inward focused. The plan is L-shaped and wraps around a central protected garden and pool area.

Rather than creating a large veranda and then doubling up on the living areas, the entire 12 meter length of the north facing kitchen, dining and living room opens up to the garden with full height glass sliding doors. 

So in an instant the internal living spaces can be transformed into a veranda space, that is bathed in soft north sunlight in the winter months.

In the summer months the harsh KZN sunlight is shaded out by generous 2 meter wide roof overhangs, which also allow the doors to remain open during the typical summer rains.

The southern edge of the living space opens onto a much smaller ‘zen-like’ timber screened courtyard, which provides a far more intimate external space.

The bedroom occupies a slightly elevated position on the short length of the L, which adds to a feeling of privacy, yet maintains an interesting dialogue between the private and social spaces.