Modern Concrete House Design With A Feel of The Past Offers Iconic Panoramic Cityscape

Architect Philip Olmesdahl, principal at SAOTA in Cape Town, transformed a steep corner site with an unremarkable 60s ranch-style house into a unique family home. As his own client, he merged practicality with experimentation, creating a five-bedroom family home on the upper section and two four-bedroom rental apartments below. Inspired by the city's densification strategy, the design references historical row houses while pushing boundaries. The main house features a podium on lower levels with garages, a gym, and utility rooms, while upper levels showcase living spaces with panoramic city views.

The exterior blends mid-century references with bold red-pigmented concrete screens, drawing from memories of a trip to Mexico. Terracotta breezeblocks from the old boundary wall add texture. Internally, the open-plan living area embraces contemporary design, clean geometries, and tactile finishes. Soft lighting, filtered through screens, creates a warm ambiance. The seamless connection between interior and exterior, facilitated by floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors, defines SAOTA's design philosophy. The wild landscaping, influenced by architect Ricardo Bofill, blends architectural and organic elements.

Materials in the interior engage with artisanal heritage, including polymer concrete floors made from a byproduct of historic copper mines. Paarl granite features prominently in furniture crafted by JA Clift, while heritage finishes like the hessian wall evoke the 50s and 60s. Quirky touches, like repurposing the old dining table as a breakfast counter, reflect the home's exploratory engagement with materiality and heritage. This creative solution not only adapts to the city's changing urban context but also makes a striking addition to the suburban landscape.
Project Name: Upper Albert Residence
Architects: SAOTA - https://www.saota.com/
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Area: 942 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Adam Letch - http://adamletch.com/
Lead Architects: SAOTA
Interior Designers: ARRCC
Structural Engineers: Moroff & Khune
Main Contractors: Red Sky Projects
Lighting Consultants: Martin Doller Design
Landscaping: Reto Mani Garden Services
Saota Project Team: Riaz Ebrahim, Anthony Whitaker, Michelle Mills, Casey Hunter
Arrcc Project Team: Mark Rielly, Nina Sierra Rubia, Anna Katharina Schoenberger, Amy King
Copy By: Graham Wood
Quantity Surveyors: Meyer Summersgill

Inner Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300021

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

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