Timber
House:
Suurbraak, Swellendam
This small house is extremely compact at its core and opens up to allow the various activities of its inhabitants to unfold informally and in touch with the natural surroundings.
Designed for a writer and an editor and located at the foot of the Overberg Mountains in the village of Suurbraak the house is used as a retreat for solitary stretches of time as well as family holidays. The clients camped on the site for several years before erecting a beautiful wooden deck between existing trees. They wanted to retain something of the informal feel of camping while upgrading into a comfortable and elegant structure. What the clients aspired to and what was affordable were two different things, so we searched for examples outside of the fashionable cabin blogs.
We took inspiration from the single-room fire lookouts in Desolation Point (where Jack Kerouac spent time writing) as well as the flexibility of camper vans. Because the budget and footprint were limited, we came up with a compact core with a loft and two generous verandas. Together these spaces can sleep six adults. The loft serves as the main bedroom and a study, the seating nook is fitted with standard mattresses and the veranda contains two big sofas. Depending on the weather, the house opens or closes by means of sliding glass doors and screens.
