House Kelly is a minimalist masterpiece that balances thoughtful design with effortless living. Every detail of this home has been carefully considered to maximize its stunning surroundings.

The entertainment area, where a striking bay window frames sweeping ocean views, creates the perfect backdrop for gatherings. The bathroom takes relaxation to the next level, featuring a spacious window that invites you to soak in the serene ocean vistas while enjoying a luxurious bath.

Designed for both comfort and connection, this home offers an inviting open-plan living space where each area is perfectly positioned to highlight the surrounding beauty. Stack-away doors open seamlessly onto a lush fynbos landscape.

The interiors, brought to life by Rozanne De Villiers (@rdv.designs), embody the “less is more” philosophy, blending sophistication with warmth to create a home that feels both elegant and welcoming.

House Kelly isn’t just a home,it’s a lifestyle, offering effortless living, entertaining, and endless moments to savour the beauty of nature.

Photos by Jacques Oosthuizen Jordaan

Kanonkop, a renowned name in the world of wine, emerged through a rich history and commitment to excellence. Situated in the esteemed wine region of Stellenbosch, South Africa, Kanonkop’s origins trace back to the late 17th century. Its story began when a fearless man named Jan Ernst Louw settled in the area and planted vineyards on the slopes of the Kanonkop hill. Through generations of dedicated winemaking and a steadfast adherence to traditional methods, Kanonkop steadily gained recognition for its exceptional wines, particularly its iconic Pinotage. Today, Kanonkop stands as a testament to a legacy of passion, expertise, and a deep understanding of establishing its well-deserved reputation as a world-class wine estate.

The brief entailed alterations to the interior which included the tasting room, elegant private tasting room, new Vinoteque and access to the gallery. The brief also expressed the need for additions such as the new outside tasting deck and new E-commerce extension where guests can enjoy the wonderful wine blends.

The design approach for the Kanonkop tasting deck and E-commerce extension is centered around creating an immersive and enjoyable experience for guests, allowing them to savour the wonderful wine blends. The New tasting room and Vinoteque was exquisitely designed to elevate the presentation of Kanonkop wines on elegant shelving, illuminated by tasteful LED strip lights, creating a captivating focal point for visitors to admire. In addition to that, one of the rooms also houses an art gallery, accompanied by a cosy lounge, providing guests with a delightful space to unwind and reveal in the artistic and wine-filled experience.

The design incorporates organic elements such as wood, rustic bricks, and sleek concrete, creating a harmonious blend of natural textures and contemporary aesthetics. The entrance arch walkway acts as a threshold when entering the wine cellar. The historic Kanonkop building holds a fascinating story, with its small windows mimicking the strategic openings for shooting during early settlements. However, these windows now play a beneficial role in maintaining a cool temperature inside, which is ideal for the production and storage of exceptional wines. The space is enhanced by the captivating aesthetic of the organic-shaped ceiling boards adorned with elegant LED lights, adding a touch of visual allure to the ambience.

The aim for the Kanonkop renovation was to preserve all the historical elements intact, ensuring that none of its rich heritage was lost in the process.

Photographer: 3sixty photography

SOURCE: SCAPE MAGAZINE

A site visit to the bustling campus helped to crystallise Dries and Phoebe’s concept. The only available space to build was a narrow rectangle of lawn hemmed in by the admin building’s entrance on one side and the church’s processional entrance on the other. Using this parcel of land would also serve the additional function of obscuring the admin building’s adjacent courtyard, which was used as a storage area. In response, Phoebe drew up a floor plan based on the contours of two mirroring Roman numeral sevens – a symbolically significant number in the Christian religion – which she then extrapolated into two curved folds.

Translated into three dimensions, the chapel consists of two curved walls, slightly offset from each other, with two narrow apertures – one at the entrance and the other at the altar – which are respectively referred to as the Alpha and the Omega. In an elegant nod to the conventional church tower, a floating roof culminates in a dramatic cantilevered shard, jutting out among a leopard tree and a water feature.

“Because of the shape of the building, we had to use a specialist contractor in ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems) to construct a lightweight steel frame. We then clad it in Terraco board, with a textured plaster finish,” says Phoebe. “The chapel is on a prominent site on campus, with a lot of movement around it, so we introduced light and cross-ventilation to the building with two narrow slit windows – one at floor level, and the other below the roof on the opposite wall. There is also a skylight in the roof that mimics the form of the building.”

A design feature in their own right, slivers of rectangular sunlight are an ever-evolving presence in the chapel, tracking over the interior’s gleaming epoxy resin floor and birch wall panelling and slats to great captivating effect. “We wanted the interior to be a contrast to the clean, white exterior, so we opted for something warmer and more approachable,” says Phoebe. “The furniture is movable so that the space can be adapted to whatever is needed, whether it’s for prayer, small services or even weddings.”

At night, the chapel is illuminated from the inside, neatly inverting the light streaming through the horizontal and vertical fenestrations during the day. “It was important to illuminate the chapel at night, as the space is meant to be used at any time,” says Phoebe. “In the evenings, when you’re driving around the area, you can see this glowing beacon from afar.”

It’s a guiding light, if ever there was one. And it couldn’t be more mesmerising.

SOURCE: SCAPE MAGAZINE

A site visit to the bustling campus helped to crystallise Dries and Phoebe’s concept. The only available space to build was a narrow rectangle of lawn hemmed in by the admin building’s entrance on one side and the church’s processional entrance on the other. Using this parcel of land would also serve the additional function of obscuring the admin building’s adjacent courtyard, which was used as a storage area. In response, Phoebe drew up a floor plan based on the contours of two mirroring Roman numeral sevens – a symbolically significant number in the Christian religion – which she then extrapolated into two curved folds.

Translated into three dimensions, the chapel consists of two curved walls, slightly offset from each other, with two narrow apertures – one at the entrance and the other at the altar – which are respectively referred to as the Alpha and the Omega. In an elegant nod to the conventional church tower, a floating roof culminates in a dramatic cantilevered shard, jutting out among a leopard tree and a water feature.

“Because of the shape of the building, we had to use a specialist contractor in ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems) to construct a lightweight steel frame. We then clad it in Terraco board, with a textured plaster finish,” says Phoebe. “The chapel is on a prominent site on campus, with a lot of movement around it, so we introduced light and cross-ventilation to the building with two narrow slit windows – one at floor level, and the other below the roof on the opposite wall. There is also a skylight in the roof that mimics the form of the building.”

A design feature in their own right, slivers of rectangular sunlight are an ever-evolving presence in the chapel, tracking over the interior’s gleaming epoxy resin floor and birch wall panelling and slats to great captivating effect. “We wanted the interior to be a contrast to the clean, white exterior, so we opted for something warmer and more approachable,” says Phoebe. “The furniture is movable so that the space can be adapted to whatever is needed, whether it’s for prayer, small services or even weddings.”

At night, the chapel is illuminated from the inside, neatly inverting the light streaming through the horizontal and vertical fenestrations during the day. “It was important to illuminate the chapel at night, as the space is meant to be used at any time,” says Phoebe. “In the evenings, when you’re driving around the area, you can see this glowing beacon from afar.”

It’s a guiding light, if ever there was one. And it couldn’t be more mesmerising.

SOURCE: VISI MAGAZINE

A site visit to the bustling campus helped to crystallise Dries and Phoebe’s concept. The only available space to build was a narrow rectangle of lawn hemmed in by the admin building’s entrance on one side and the church’s processional entrance on the other. Using this parcel of land would also serve the additional function of obscuring the admin building’s adjacent courtyard, which was used as a storage area. In response, Phoebe drew up a floor plan based on the contours of two mirroring Roman numeral sevens – a symbolically significant number in the Christian religion – which she then extrapolated into two curved folds.

Translated into three dimensions, the chapel consists of two curved walls, slightly offset from each other, with two narrow apertures – one at the entrance and the other at the altar – which are respectively referred to as the Alpha and the Omega. In an elegant nod to the conventional church tower, a floating roof culminates in a dramatic cantilevered shard, jutting out among a leopard tree and a water feature.

“Because of the shape of the building, we had to use a specialist contractor in ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems) to construct a lightweight steel frame. We then clad it in Terraco board, with a textured plaster finish,” says Phoebe. “The chapel is on a prominent site on campus, with a lot of movement around it, so we introduced light and cross-ventilation to the building with two narrow slit windows – one at floor level, and the other below the roof on the opposite wall. There is also a skylight in the roof that mimics the form of the building.”

A design feature in their own right, slivers of rectangular sunlight are an ever-evolving presence in the chapel, tracking over the interior’s gleaming epoxy resin floor and birch wall panelling and slats to great captivating effect. “We wanted the interior to be a contrast to the clean, white exterior, so we opted for something warmer and more approachable,” says Phoebe. “The furniture is movable so that the space can be adapted to whatever is needed, whether it’s for prayer, small services or even weddings.”

At night, the chapel is illuminated from the inside, neatly inverting the light streaming through the horizontal and vertical fenestrations during the day. “It was important to illuminate the chapel at night, as the space is meant to be used at any time,” says Phoebe. “In the evenings, when you’re driving around the area, you can see this glowing beacon from afar.”

It’s a guiding light, if ever there was one. And it couldn’t be more mesmerising.

SOURCE: ARCHDAILY.COM

T he name, Lagom derives from the Swedish term – “not too much not too little” The concept of the Lagom cabin draws inspiration from the Protea Fynbos in the form of a fragmented (bract) structure, allowing the building to “breathe” within the landscape. The semi-detached rooms allow the fynbos to seep through the exterior walls to become part of the interior spaces. The fragmented architecture allows for views, light, and nature to occupy the space, connecting the dweller with nature and the unique fynbos landscape of Romansbaai.

The challenge of the project was the limitation of a 90m² footprint required by the clients. The use of fewer materials in a compact-footprint dwelling is increasingly relevant with the ever-expanding carbon footprint in the world. The design approach was to integrate the interior and exterior spaces and to create a seamless transition between the indoor and outdoor areas. Once you open the cabin the interior seems larger than 90m², and natural light infiltrates the space to enhance the intimate connection with the natural landscape, becoming a pavilion of refuge in the vast fynbos landscape on a summer day, but at the same time the cabin ensures for Hygge- The Swedish concept of coziness, contentment, and well-being found through cherishing little things, which can be experienced on a winter and or rainy day. The windows incorporated between the trusses allow for the dweller to have a visual connection to the atmosphere (sky) while being protected by the structure. This connection was manifested by fragmenting the structures to create the voids and crevasses that allow the landscape to flow through the house, providing a constant connection with the outside.

SOURCE: ARCHDAILY.COM

Inspired by the closed loop cycle concept of Ecopolis and the breath-taking Garden Route forests of Knysna, South Africa. The concept of the design mimics the forest anatomy, that of an ecosystem that has survived in symbiosis for thousands of years. The word Ecopolis means a closed-loop system, where there is no waste in the settlement as a whole, all materials and substances are derived from one type of activity, used as a raw material in other activities. The Ecopolis house embodies the meaning of autonomy and self-sufficiency by utilising the abundance of all necessary resources in the surrounding area. It encompasses a set of systems that utilises all resources at its disposal to produce quantity and sufficiently in order to maintain a steady balance.A river breathes live into the forest, it is the life source for both fauna and flora, which in turn is no different when it comes to the sustainability of a living house in the forest. By locating the Ecopolis house on the river, it provides the house with an almost endless source of water.

The programme of the house in the forest is distributed alongside the edge of the cliff connected with a single suspended bridge structure. The spaces (living room, bedroom and kitchen ) are arranged according to their hierarchy, placing each function independently next to each other, optimizing views and indoor-outdoor flow. These spaces incapsulate the forest vantage point from each corner. These independent spaces/rooms can also be used as pavilions or sanctuaries. The architecture not only mimics the forest anatomy but also respects the site by touching the ground as lightly as possible, creating mass from a small footprint upwards. The result; a structure that anchors itself alongside the rest of the forest, nestling among the canopy of the trees. The materials are mostly timber from the surrounding area, with a concrete base submerged below the water level, supporting the structure as it ‘’tip-toes’’ across the water adjacent to the river banks.

The entire design functions in a loop cycle whereby various methods of energy harvesting, water collecting and waste treatment is implemented. Energy is harvested through turbines located at the base of the structure that harnesses the currents flow in the river. The open air nature of the river in conjunction with the large roof design, allows the cabin to make full use of solar panels positioned on the roof. Plumbing and water purification are done by means of gravity whereby purifying containers located just below the floor level, slowly decompose and run through various layers of substrate (silica and charcoal). The result, clean water that can be reused within the system of the Ecopolis house in the woods.

SOURCE: HOUSE IN THE FOREST

House Morkel is a contemporary farm style house designed according to the clients brief to be true to its use of different raw materials and provides different open spaces for entertainment and comfortable living. Set in between dated Tuscan “styled” houses this house speaks the language of the vernacular climate with a central roof garden over a covered patio, protected from the weather yet opening up towards the garden and swimming pool.

The roof garden provides a well-insulated entertainment area and softens the structure with landscaping elevated from ground level to the floor above. The bedrooms overlook this roof garden for a tranquil bushveld effect. Throughout the design internal vistas were created to experience the landscaping and external areas to give the house an airy and light feel. The front door is on an axis defined by a wooden deck that extends from the front door straight though the house to a green wall outside. The open plan kitchen and dining room have views to both the entertainment patio with swimming pool and the boma, a client request for socializing around a campfire. The high rock cladded wall at the boma is a reoccurring detail on the street elevation. In this case the rock wall provides privacy to the main entertainment area from the street as privacy was also an important factor in the design.

The entrance courtyard, privately tucked away from the street view, is a play area for the kids and creates a covered approach, by means of the extended roof garden, to the foyer. This design proofs that contextual and vernacular architecture is achievable and a greater success for comfortable living even in estates where the norm is to conform to inappropriate adapted foreign styles of architecture.

SOURCE: ARCHDAILY.COM

Built on a peaceful family estate in the middle of residential Potchefstroom, House Van der Walt offers a private retreat that’s intrinsically connected to nature.

The first new house on the plot was built some five years ago for Van der Walt’s brother Stefan, establishing a new era of contemporary architecture on the estate. Its success set the tone and palette for future houses. But Van der Walt wanted his own take on the design to distinguish it from the other homes. ‘I wanted something with the same feel – contemporary, clean-lined and functional, a bit industrial but still a bit “bushveldy”, with some stone and timber,’ he says. ‘And I knew exactly how many rooms I wanted and where. Four bedrooms upstairs, for a family someday and guests, and a big open-plan downstairs area for entertaining, with views of the estate with our little dam and the impala.’

The brief suited Verbeek. ‘It was comprehensive … right down to the total square metres for the house, storage space requirements and specific amenities. And it was welcomed as it gave me a clear directive for the design. It was also challenging, as design flexibility was limited to the brief requirements. But apart from these, the client allowed me a lot of freedom with regards to the architectural language and finishes of the building.’

One of the challenges was the orientation of the house – the rooms had to be designed to avoid as far as possible looking into the surrounding properties outside the estate. ‘These are now very densely populated with little greenery, and I wanted the client to feel connected with the “sanctuary” inside the estate at all times,’ says Verbeek. Tied in with this awareness of the importance of nature and interacting with it sensitively, one of the primary requirements of Van der Walt’s brief was a ‘green’, energy-saving design. ‘He wanted the house to function as the solar power hub on the estate,’ says Verbeek. ‘The roof had to be designed to accommodate photovoltaic panels, coupled with a utility room to house a UPS unit, which can be used to store power that can be distributed to the rest of the house and the estate.’

SOURCE: GARDEN & HOME