When we were approached by the client to develop a multi-residential housing scheme on the outskirts of Somerset West, we were keenly aware of the need to provide an antithesis to the monotonous residential developments that has become a common feature of the extending urban sprawl.

The proposed site is an existing wine farm on that overlooks the Helderberg Mountains all the way to False Bay.  

We framed the brief in three main principles: to capture the simplicity of vernacular farm style buildings in contemporary expression, to develop a set of design principles that ensures quality living spaces, and lastly to create a sense of uniformity without repetition.  The brief was set to develop a gate house, together with four main typologies: townhouses, group houses, single residential units, and larger free standing residences. In order to provide individual clients varying options, we developed a system where a floor plan was developed based on street orientation, north-south orientation, and unit size. This provided us with at least sixteen different units only for the townhouses. All units are developed in such a way to provide maximum northern light to main living spaces, whilst providing protected courtyards for the unforgiving South-Easter. Enclosed garages were set back at least six metres from the street boundary, thereby tying in with pedestrian oriented urban design principles.

Material choices were limited to provide a sense of uniformity, and includes stone and roughly textured face brick walls, white natureplast walls, and slate or corrugated roofs.