CAPE TOWN BLISS - Contemporary with striking views

David Scholtz is an architect who lives with his wife Mia and their two children in Llandudno beach in Capetown, South Africa. He designed and built their home with the vision of taking full advantage of the striking surrounding nature and the ocean, with each room and etage show casting the most striking views.

What was your vision behind the project?

I wanted to create a house that flew in the face of the typical beach house clichés. Although the house is located near the beach with great beach and sea views, It had to acknowledge the mountain it’s sited on. I wanted the house to be terraced into the slope to reduce excavating and destroying the granite boulders that are so integral to the Llandudno landscape. The various terraces contain different programmatic elements of the building, each unique in their tectonic language. 

Key features or space in the home you like the best : 

The living areas have always been the hub of the house and most of the social activity takes place there. Entertaining in the large open plan spaces is great. There are different views of sea and mountain to take in as well as quieter retreat spaces to relax in when you have the house to yourself.

What inspires you? 

Design that is sympathetic to its surroundings and enhances the user’s connection to the world around, whether urban or rural. Cape Town as a city has always inspired me as it is very rare to have a city with such a close connection to nature. We live surrounded by sea and mountains.

Thoughts in regards to the interior?   

In trying to avoid the beach house aesthetic as well as the sterility of so many contemporary homes I chose to go with a darker, almost monochromatic palette with lots of natural wood to offset the harder Industrial materials of the steel, concrete and glass. 

Dream project?

Any project with a great brief and adventurous clients!

David is currently working on another house in Llandudno and involved in some large projects around Cape Town. I am excited to hopefully show some more of his upcoming projects shortly.