COASTAL DWELLING

Perched along the rugged coastline of Hermanus, this residence was designed as both a retreat and an anchor, a place to look outward across the ocean and inward toward one’s own rhythm of living. The project responds not only to the intensity of the surrounding landscape, but also to the quiet rituals of daily life, framed by changing light, wind, and seasons.

Embracing constraintsFrom the outset, the brief called for a natural, open plan home with a modern language, rich in texture and closely attuned to its environmental conditions. The design needed to prioritise views of both the sea and mountains, allow for generous volumes, and incorporate robust materials able to withstand the coastal climate. The site itself presented a series of challenges: a narrow footprint just 10 metres wide and 33 metres long, accompanied by strict height limitations and severe exposure to the elements.

Rather than seeing these constraints as limiting, the design embraced them. The architectural response was to work with the terrain, not against it, by recessing the lower level into the earth, effectively creating a third floor that wouldn’t exceed the allowable building height. This move unlocked panoramic views while preserving privacy and softening the building’s silhouette within the landscape.

Sensitive yet robust

Internally, the aesthetic remains restrained and honest. Minimalist surfaces allow the material palette to speak: oak veneer floorboards, tactile light textures, finely detailed timber joinery, and moments of softness are set against the weight of concrete and stone. The interiors were developed in close collaboration with the clients. Under the guidance of Abon Studio, the look and feel was explored through visualisations and a design intent to unify the architectural and interior expression.

Beyond aesthetics, the home is self-sustaining. A rooftop photovoltaic system powers the property, while a borehole irrigates the indigenous landscape. Passive orientation strategies, generous overhangs, and double-glazed openings provide thermal comfort year-round without overreliance on artificial systems.

The story of earth and sea

At the heart of the design is a play between contrast and continuity. Off-shutter concrete, the home’s primary structural and expressive material, offers solidity and permanence. Its raw finish stands in purposeful tension with warm timber accents, creating a dialogue between the elemental and the refined. This interplay continues in the sequencing of spaces, where heavy thresholds give way to light-filled volumes and broad panoramic openings frame moments of intimacy and seclusion.

The lower level, sunken into the earth, becomes a private garden oasis, protected from wind, immersed in nature, and dappled in coastal light. This quiet zone contrasts with the upper levels, where living spaces unfold toward the sea. Here, large panes of glass slide away to erase boundaries between inside and out, offering the kind of openness that feels both expansive and composed.

Excavating into the site’s rocky substrate was both a necessity and a narrative opportunity. The stone removed during construction was not discarded; instead, it became part of the home, used to clad walls, define courtyards, and form a covering layer on the roof. This approach allowed the architecture to reuse its own land, binding the building back to the terrain it occupancies.