‘This was never going to be a glass box,’ says Noero,
when asked about the design concept. Cookie-cutter
glass boxes with expansive terraces proliferate along
the Cape coastline. ‘This approach makes no sense,
especially since, along with the view and the sun, come
the strong South-Easter winds,’ he explains. ‘We decided
to create a glass roof and an internalised space where
the clients could retreat. So when the wind blows and
it is impossible to stay on the beach, one can retreat
into the house, close down all sea-facing openings and
open the roof, creating an opening to the sky that is
protected from the wind.’ The mechanised glass roof is
large – 6m x 3m – and has a bespoke solar shade system,
which provides additional sun protection and preventsinternal heat gain. Thickened walls, which contain
all the services, wrap around three sides of the house,
with the fourth (glazed) elevation opening up to the
view and the beach. However, it’s the roof mechanism
that’s the most dramatic gesture. The two curved,
concrete beams, which support the steel tracks of the
roof, mimic the outstretched arms of a swimmer about
to dive into the ocean. ‘They express the pressures
of the roof pushing upwards and outwards,’ says Noero.
‘A thrust towards the sea.’
Programmatically, the house is straightforward
in its layout. Leveraging the sloping topography of the
site, Noero has created a split-level space. From the
entrance, you can ascend to the bedrooms on the »Architecture
A GLAZED WALL OPENS UP TO
GIVE VIEWS OF THE BEACH
(TOP), BUT WHEN THE STRONG
SOUTH-EASTER WINDS BLOW,
THIS CAN BE CLOSED AND THE
MECHANISED GLASS ROOF
(BELOW) OPENED, OFFERING
SUN AND WIND PROTECTION
WITH ITS BESPOKE SOLAR
SHADE SYSTEMPhotography: Dave Southwood (top), Uno Pereira (bottom)
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