(Western Cape Province, SA)
Covid, and the resultant lockdowns, had a devastating impact on the building and construction community. However, if there was a glimmer of goodness that emerged, it was illustrating the resilience of the very same community in continuing exciting collaborative design work remotely. This project is testament to that vision-building dialogue and involved collaborators from across the globe. Local structural engineer, Martin Crous, Lucid Architecture, and Swedish architect client held regular design charettes for the exciting
project in Scarborough, Western Cape.
Studio Scarborough offers a strikingly narrow profile against the rugged landscape. The site falls along a sharp South slope with exhilarating views overlooking the tiny coastal village of Scarborough, and the wild Atlantic sea. The structure’s wedged roof echoes the slope of the site. The design itself offers wonderful visual contradiction: The house emerges out of its heavy concrete base, and tapers off as a light corrugated cube.
The garage can be found on the ground level, with direct access into the home though a spiral staircase that leads, as an artery, through to all levels of the house. The first floor offers a single bedroom with prime access to warm North-East light. The open-plan living area capitalises on South-West sprawling panoramic views of Scarborough brush and sparkling sea. The second floor offers a unique extension to the house: two micro guest rooms. The second floor remains visually connected to the bustle of life below through the double-volume space.
The aesthetic of the Scarborough home offers a kind of textual brilliance: between the raw concrete of the external base work, and the crisp corrugated sheeting of the sloped roof – the internal warmth is equally striking. The client has drawn upon his Scandinavian roots by using shutterply cladding for the interior. The richness of the cork walls cocoons the dwellers from the wildness of the elements beyond.
