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Located on a fantastic site within the Gentleman’s Estate in the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley, a luxury smallholding concept along the banks of the Berg River with magnificent views of the mountains, this villa is characterized by a specific contemporary interpretation of Provençal architecture and natural materials.
The architectural studio ARRCC designed the villa, creating a redefined cross-shaped floor plan consisting of five overlapping squares: one central square containing the living and dining areas, overlapping squares in each corner containing the bedrooms, and an additional square containing the kitchen and utility spaces.
The geometry of the floor plan opens the interior to views in all directions, while also creating sheltered terraces on either side of the central living area, ensuring that at any given time, at least one is protected from the prevailing winds. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors pocket into the walls, allowing views to "flow" through the living space like a pavilion when the weather permits. Simultaneously, it creates a series of green pockets and courtyards around the house, making it appear "stitched" into the landscape.
The high, pitched ceiling creates a grand, double-volume entrance and a spacious interior for the living room, which, together with clerestory windows, responds to the vastness of the surrounding landscape. Variations in ceiling height balance the proportions with sensitivity to the human scale, creating cozier, more intimate spaces within an interconnected open-plan layout, resulting in a casually luxurious sense of interior space.
The living room centers on a bespoke, hand-chiseled sandstone plinth for the fireplace. Its raw materiality is complemented by simple, natural materials such as timber and screed floors, and raw off-shutter concrete. In other instances, ARRCC intentionally refined the aesthetic requirements. The exposed roof beams are clad in timber in a sleek, modern interpretation of rustic beams, and the pitched ceiling has a dynamic, asymmetrical detail near its apex.
The relationship between the living space and entertainment terraces has a resort-like quality, with a floating island over the swimming pool and a long, elegant canopy that folds down to provide shelter and privacy while framing views of the landscape and sky. Such extensions emphasize the horizontal lines of the architecture and balance the high central volume.
The en suite bathroom off the master bedroom is designed to create a sense of unmediated connection with its natural setting. Here too, the symmetrical design creates a balanced interior that emphasizes the view as a focal point.
While this home remains respectful of the estate guidelines, its complex response to its setting and the client’s lifestyle requirements demonstrates that stylistic limitations need not hamper a rich and unique architectural response.
