Cape Town’s most desirable addresses are often defined by their relationship to the mountain – and few are as intimately connected as Tafelhaus No.17.

With just twelve apartments, Tafelhaus No.17 is quietly confident in its scale. The architecture is composed and deliberate, shaped by gentle curves, depth and proportion – a contemporary interpretation that sits comfortably within Oranjezicht’s established character.

Designed by Bruce Wilson Architects with interiors by Maison & Marble and developed by Chapter, the project reflects a considered approach to contemporary living. Gentle curves, balanced proportions and a restrained material palette give the building a calm architectural presence that sits comfortably within Oranjezicht’s established character, with sustainability quietly integrated through responsibly sourced materials and energy-efficient water-cooling systems.

Inside, open-plan living spaces are shaped by arched thresholds and softened transitions that guide movement through the home. Walnut veneer cabinetry with fluted glass, satin brass detailing and carefully selected stone surfaces introduce warmth and tactility, creating interiors that feel both refined and enduring.

Each residence opens toward the surrounding landscape, with expansive private balconies extending living spaces outward. Here, panoramic mountain views are not a feature, but a constant presence – grounding daily life in something enduring and distinctly Cape Town.

Oranjezicht remains one of Cape Town’s most sought-after neighbourhoods, balancing residential calm with proximity to the city’s cultural energy. De Waal Park, neighbourhood cafés and landmarks like the Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel sit moments away, while Kloof and Bree Street bring the city’s restaurants, galleries and boutiques within easy reach.

Brought to market by Revo Digital and sold exclusively by Revo Property, Tafelhaus No.17 presents a rare opportunity to secure a refined foothold at the base of Table Mountain. Sales open Thursday, 30 April at 12PM via Connect, Revo Digital’s interactive price list, with launch-day pricing available for a limited time. Explore Tafelhaus No.17 at tafelhaus17-oranjezicht.co.za

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COMPILED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Dook; Jan Ras; Paris Brummer; Warren Heath; Greg Cox

From Brutalist masterpieces to modernist marvels, these homes channel the spirit of the past in bold, unexpected ways. Whether it’s sculptural forms, vintage palettes or era-defining details, each space is a celebration of retro design at its most striking.

Linksfield Ridge Home

Polish-born architect Frank Jarrett left a rather eclectic collection of landmarks across the city of Johannesburg, his works ranging from the offices of Chancellor House – the original home of Mandela and Tambo Attorneys – to the slightly less discreet Gold Reef City theme park development. In 1951, Jarrett was commissioned to build a private residence on the Linksfield Ridge for Greek timber merchant Manoussos Broulidakis, who clad the interior of the modern stone, brick and terrazzo home in glowing floor-to-ceiling wood. Thankfully, many of these features remain today. The front door is Burmese teak, the floors are covered in gleaming parquet. But perhaps most breathtaking of all are the richly varnished panels of sandblasted pine that line the eastern wall between the living area and the kitchen, and which enclose a Bond-worthy staircase leading up to the home’s bedrooms.

Read the full story on this Linksfield Ridge Home.

Modernist Home in Bishopscourt

Keurbos manages the clever trick of being both conspicuous and concealed. It stands out in the architectural sense: this Gawie Fagan-designed Modernist bungalow-style home bears no resemblance to the Neo-Georgian squares and contemporary concrete rectangles that occupy Bishopscourt’s streets. And it’s hidden both physically and conceptually: built on a steep slope, Keurbos sits well below street level on a verdant hillside. It’s a discrete structure in a discrete location, accessed via a descending panhandle driveway that requires very specific directional instructions to find. If you know anything about the late architect’s approach, you’ll know that’s all intentional. This giant of South African Modernist architecture had sense of place as one of his key design principles, and his structures all show a sensitivity to the landscape – Keurbos nestles into the hill, rather than dominating it.

Read the full story on this Modernist home in Bishopscourt.

Minimalist Joburg Home

Edoardo Villa’s journey had been a long one: from Italy to South Africa as a prisoner of war, and from classic realism to abstract modernism as an artist. After his release, he chose to stay on in Johannesburg and for a time lived and worked at the home of artist Douglas Portway in Kew, a suburb on the eastern fringe of the city.

Villa soon became a prominent figure in the local art world and in the great surge of creative innovation that lit up the middle of the century. He was able to buy the Portway house in 1959, and in 1968 commissioned Ian McLennan to design a house for him on the same property, giving him no brief and a very small budget.

Read the full story on this minimalist Joburg home.

Fresnaye Family Home

There’s something altogether contrary about designing a Fresnaye house that presides over the Atlantic Seaboard without giving a second thought to the views. But when it comes to this dazzling home, there’s no desire to follow the rules. You’ll find soft curves where you’d expect sharp right angles and, while you’re cleverly protected from onlookers, glass-walled neighbours find themselves exposed.

“They didn’t care a damn for the views,” says architect Robert Silke of Robert Silke & Partners about the homeowners’ brief. “It had to be a functioning family home – that it has views is a bonus.” But take one glance at the bleached-white, three-storey structure that looks a little like an abstract jigsaw puzzle from the outside and you know there’s more to this house than just a family home. Robert insists that “it’s a pragmatic family home, not a showpiece house”, then a moment later gleefully proclaims, “It’s a bit like a spaceship arrived in Fresnaye.” Then again, this architect has quite the contrary reputation, shunning the dominant vernacular for edgy takes on Art Deco and early minimalism that feel at once retro and fresh.

Read the full story on this Fresnaye family home.

Waterkloof House

A few years ago, when a handful of curious architects made a pilgrimage to this spectacular 1970s house in Waterkloof in Pretoria, one described it as a “time capsule”. “We’ve lived here for 48 years,” says its owner. As a result, the architecture and the furniture are perfectly preserved, looking just as she envisioned them nearly five decades ago. Everything has been meticulously maintained, and the house has an almost otherworldly, hallucinogenic quality that leaves you feeling transported in time.

It was designed by architect Petrus Paulus (Piet) van den Berg, a Pretoria architect who, while prolific, hugely versatile and tirelessly experimental over his 50-year career, seems little known outside of local architectural circles. “Piet was a great friend of ours,” says the owner. She and her husband simply wanted “something different” when they engaged him to do the design.

Read the full story on this Waterkloof House.

Art Deco Hotel

You can’t miss Tropicana – at least on paper. As you can see here, the striking hotel is a dreamy piece of confection that you could as much take a bite out of as step inside. Among its mostly monochromatic neighbours, the light-blue-and-pink Tropicana looks like it’s crowned by a permanent rainbow and staffed by My Little Ponies. Except it’s deceptively hard to spot in the flesh.

Rising from a small triangular plot of land where Sea Point’s Kloof Road forks, Tropicana’s pale blue-meets-pastel pink manages a trick of hiding in plain sight. Along with its curves and soft lines, the blue half of its exterior merges with the sea and sky for most of the day, while the pink folds it into the blush of sunset. Robert Silke, founder of Robert Silke & Partners – the architects of the building – describes it as having “an almost holographic appearance, like you’re not sure if it’s pink or blue or silver”. It’s genius… and a fortuitous stroke of luck

Read the full story on Tropicana.

Renovated Waterkloof Home

The five-bedroom house is located within a large garden in Waterkloof, a hilltop suburb to the east of Pretoria with views over the city and the Magaliesberg mountains. Although the property is not listed as a heritage resource by City of Tshwane, and is younger than 60 years so is yet to be protected by the National Heritage Council, it has been recognised for its strong architectural significance.

W design architecture studio worked with heritage consultant Nicholas Clarke to illustrate and justify all aspects of the renovation and allay concerns by local architects and the Pretoria Institute for Architecture who regard the property as being a strong representation of Pretoria Architecture.

Read the full story on this renovated Waterkloof home.

Kenilworth Home

You know, I counted every single brick in this house,” says architect Adèle Naudé Santos, smiling, as she stands looking around the main bedroom of the first house she ever designed – a solid Modernist four-bedroomer completed in 1967 and situated in a narrow, leafy avenue in Cape Town’s Kenilworth.

She may not actually be joking. Their modular layout, visible through the unplastered whitewashed walls, means you could conceivably measure the dimensions of the house brick by brick. US-based Adèle may now be a world-renowned architect, but back then she was just starting her career, and this was her first-ever build. And as if the stakes weren’t high enough, the client was her father, the late architect Hugo Naudé.

Read the full story on this Kenilworth home.

Forest Town House

The Colemans are not your average suburbanites – although chatting to the humble Audrey Coleman, now 90, you wouldn’t guess it. She and her late husband, Max, were active human-rights advocates during the apartheid years, both working for the Detainees’ Parents Support Committee, with Audrey also a long-standing and celebrated member of the legendary human- rights organisation, Black Sash.

House Coleman has major cred too. Built in the early 1980s, it’s a masterpiece of clean lines and geometric shapes and, though tailor-made to be its owners’ retirement home, it’s also a piece of South African design history. “Our son Colin was a student at Wits University and insisted that Pancho Guedes was the only person for the job,” says Audrey of their choice of architect.

Read the full story on this Forest Town house.

Pinelands Home

There’s a certain witchiness to Robert Silke‘s new family home in the Cape Town suburb of Pinelands. A darkly dramatic front gate framed by a brick archway reading Caverswall opens onto a narrow garden path, which leads you to a house that’s equal parts imposing and intriguing, with a steeply pitched, clay-tiled roof, spiral chimneys and brickwork finish – all in the same burnt-honey shade. “It’s basically a gingerbread house, right?” says Robert, taking in the facade of the 1938 Arts and Crafts Revival structure he shares with partner Gideon and their one-year-old daughter Lilith.

“Pinelands was established in the 1920s, when there was a big push around the world for an approximation of English country living,” says Robert. “There was a planner in the UK called Ebenezer Howard, who invented the suburb, which he originally called a garden city. The idea gained global traction in reaction to the Spanish flu – people felt that the way they lived in cities wasn’t healthy. Pinelands was actually the third garden city in the world.”

Read the full story on this Pinelands home.

Johannesburg House

What Toni Twidale wanted even more than a house was to live among the trees. “I wanted to see green all the time,” says Toni, who owns this home with her partner Graeme. “I wanted the outside in.” And so they decided to build a house that would, more than anything, be about the site.

The couple enlisted the help of architect Gregory Katz, known locally for his creative, experimental and often unconventional approach. Toni wanted to keep all the indigenous trees; Gregory’s brief, therefore, became something of a mathematical puzzle around fitting the dimensions of a house between the trees. In the end, he settled on two long, slim “bars”, with alternating strips of open space on either side and between them for the driveway, central courtyard and swimming pool. The two wings are connected by what Gregory calls an “umbilical cord” – a glazed corridor that steps down slightly with the slope of the site. The branches of the trees reach up and over a flat concrete roof, which is planted with wavy grass, essentially lifting what would have been on the ground up a level, and adding to the greenery.

Read the full story on this Johannesburg house.

Modernist Durban Home

On first encounter, House Shaw is brutally simple: a series of three-dimensional boxes, positioned beside and on top of one another on a long, triangular site cut into one of the steep slopes that characterise Durban’s forested university suburb. It is made of face brick, concrete, louvre windows, shutters and a bit of aluminium; no need for paint, wallpaper, air conditioning – not even curtains.

The house belongs to Colleen Wygers, who lived here with her late husband, fellow architect Paul Wygers. Sadly, Paul passed away shortly after we photographed the house; with Colleen’s permission, we’ve included his observations from that interview.

Paul liked to describe the home as Modernism morphing the heritage Durban veranda home – and, when it went onto the market in 2013, the couple bought it within hours of their first viewing. Designed by Hallen and Dibb Architects in the 1960s, it had been commissioned by legal luminary Douglas Shaw. “Douglas Shaw was sitting in an Eames chair in the lounge,” recalled Paul. “We chatted briefly about art and architecture. I don’t think he wanted to leave.”

Read the full story on this Modernist Durban home.

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WORDS AND PRODUCTION Steve Smith PHOTOS Jan Ras

Keurbos manages the clever trick of being both conspicuous and concealed. It stands out in the architectural sense: this Gawie Fagan-designed Modernist bungalow-style home bears no resemblance to the Neo-Georgian squares and contemporary concrete rectangles that occupy Bishopscourt’s streets. And it’s hidden both physically and conceptually: built on a steep slope, Keurbos sits well below street level on a verdant hillside. It’s a discrete structure in a discrete location, accessed via a descending panhandle driveway that requires very specific directional instructions to find. If you know anything about the late architect’s approach, you’ll know that’s all intentional. This giant of South African Modernist architecture had sense of place as one of his key design principles, and his structures all show a sensitivity to the landscape – Keurbos nestles into the hill, rather than dominating it.

These were all elements that held great appeal for the house’s owner of the past 48 years, Lana Hudson. Gawie had designed Keurbos in 1951 for his parents – Chief Justice H A Fagan and his wife Jessie – while he was a final-year student. After Justice Fagan’s passing in 1963, the home stayed in the family until it was put up for sale in 1978.

“We were interested in a house in Nettleton Road above Clifton, but our bid was R5 000 short,” recalls Lana. “It was a lot of money for a house back then, so before we put in another bid, I thought I’d have one more look around. I knew about Keurbos – it had been on the market for a while and there had been an auction, but the family had deemed the bids too low. They put it back on the market, where it sat for a few months again. We then put in an offer that was accepted.”

That final short statement holds much within it. It speaks to great foresight and more than a small degree of bravery to be spending a large sum of money on a house whose architecture was not just progressive for its time, but also an aesthetic challenge to others in the neighbourhood.

But then, Lana does have an impressively canny eye: just cast your own over her wonderful collection of modern art. Her bookcase is filled with works on art and architecture, but her choice of home (and of art) was never an intellectual one. “I buy art because I fall in love with it. If I walk into a gallery and a piece makes my heart beat faster, I know that’s the one to get. I only buy one piece of art per year, so my collection has been gradually built up over the time I’ve lived here.”

Lana’s heart also happens to be astute; her emotionally driven purchases have turned out to be shrewd investments. You don’t want to know what she paid for the Erik Laubscher abstract – my favourite piece in the house – in the ’90s. It’s that same instant emotional connection that made her choose Keurbos. With an innate, instinctual sense for design that is both progressive and timeless, Lana’s radar is joy – and Keurbos elevated her heartbeat more than anything the lofty Clifton sea views had to offer. And it continues to do so. As she walks us through her home, sharing the last five decades of living here, her love for Keurbos and her appreciation for the impact it’s had on her is wonderfully evident. “Great architecture never dates, and I honestly believe that a thoughtfully designed space improves the experience of your life. I appreciate living at Keurbos every day.”

Along with this joy, though, comes an element of responsibility – one she has held close since owning the house. A deep awareness of its architectural provenance means that Keurbos’s bones have been meticulously maintained. Everything from the beautiful brass-edged front door to the wooden ceilings and bespoke built-in furniture that Gawie designed remains; even the kitchen cabinetry, with its yellow wood drawers and brass handles, is original.

One thing that Lana has modified is what used to be an open stoepkamer to the right of the entrance hall. It was a change inherently sympathetic to the home’s architecture, and one that has improved her experience of living here. “Because it was open to the outside, the weather had to be right to use it. At night, it tended to be a bit chilly, and obviously you couldn’t sit out there when it rained. By taking out the breeze blocks and enclosing it with sliding doors, it became a sunroom – and the space in the house that I’ve used the most. It’s warm, it has a wonderful view of the mountain, it’s close to the kitchen and, if I do want to sit outside, it leads straight to the little courtyard.”

It’s in this courtyard, sitting on mauve-and-purple-striped cushions, that Lana and I are chatting. The conversation flows between the story of the house, her love of art and travel, and The Rest Is History podcast that we’re both avid listeners of. She looks happy and content – something Lana attributes much of to living at Keurbos.

Gabriël “Gawie” Fagan (1925-2020)

Gawie Fagan was celebrated for blending Modernist principles with a deep respect for local climate, landscape and vernacular building traditions. Together with his wife and partner Gwen Fagan, he founded Gabriël Fagan Architects in 1963, producing influential work across Cape Town, from Die Es, his own home in Camps Bay, to sensitive heritage restorations, including the Castle of Good Hope. His architecture is marked by warm materials, human-scaled spaces and elegant simplicity, leaving a lasting imprint on South Africa’s built environment. gabrielfaganarchitects.com

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WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Del Rio Bani

Designed by Impepinable Studio, Agrosemillas’ new offices reflect both the company’s industrial roots and its shift towards technological innovation and environmental responsibility.

Situated within an industrial complex defined by large vehicles, logistical infrastructure, and production processes – and bordered by vast agricultural fields – Agrosemillas required workspaces capable of supporting concentration, meetings, and technical development despite an environment dominated by noise, dust, and logistical intensity.

Here, work rhythms follow the cycles of the harvest, alternating quieter periods with phases of continuous activity. As such, the building’s design had to accommodate a wide range of users – from warehouse workers to engineers involved in research and innovation – whose tasks and schedules shift throughout the year. At the same time, the architects were required to maintain a direct relationship with the surrounding warehouses, establishing formal continuity with the industrial complex.

Constructed from four reused shipping containers and simple systems crafted locally, the building draws on industrial pragmatism. The architecture responds to the company’s transformation by balancing continuity with its legacy while introducing a more open, youthful, and informal identity. This shift is expressed through the unapologetic use of the company’s corporate colours – green and yellow – applied directly across the building.

Arranged beneath a saw-tooth roof, the containers channel soft, even daylight deep into the interior, producing a surprisingly rich spatial atmosphere. The north-facing orientation of the open planes ensures a constant and controlled entry of natural light.

Workspaces, service areas, and laboratories follow a clear grid to accommodate the shifting patterns of activity throughout the year. Entrances are separated according to logistical flows and workflows, while the intermediate roof surfaces incorporate strips for experimental crops, physically linking research, production, and architecture within a single framework. | impepinable.studio

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WORDS Annette Klinger PHOTOS Paris Brummer

It’s safe to say that most of us want our own slice of paradise. What that slice looks like, however, is up to the individual. For one single-minded woman, the ideal spot was beside the ocean – on the rocks, next to the high-water-level mark, above a 20-metre drop into its swells, to be specific. “The site is on a smallholding in the Kogelberg Biosphere between Pringle Bay and Rooi-Els, and required extensive environmental impact assessment,” says the owner. “We finally got permission to build on two sites, so I took my folks and brother on a walk to decide on one of them. It was spring tide, and the waves were crashing spectacularly against this specific rock in the ocean, and we said, ‘Clearly, this is it!’”

A design graduate, the owner had a clear vision of what she did and didn’t want from a residence. “I wanted something that felt like a cabin, not something fancy with glass and marble,” she says. “The house needed to accommodate me, and my brother and his family, and we wanted to be able to close it off into private areas with their own entrances.”

Taking the specifications on board, architects Matthew Beatty and Saskia Vermeiren of Beatty Vermeiren drew up plans that were practical but sensitive to the pristine surrounds. “The key was to design something robust enough to withstand being that close to the ocean, yet lightweight, because casting concrete wasn’t permitted for environmental reasons,” says Matthew. “We decided on timber, which would weather and let the house blend into the environment, and a rectilinear design that was close to the landscape,” adds Saskia. As no foundations could be poured, the house is anchored with elevated point loads, which also allows wildlife to go about their business undisturbed under the building. “The whole idea was to touch the earth lightly.”

In terms of flow, the floor plan is oriented around a large boulder, with two private wings on either side of it and a large open-plan living area beyond, which opens up to that ocean view. “We essentially created two spaces: the sort-of Zen, rocky courtyard that’s sheltered from the wind; and the front of the house, which is more ocean-dramatic,” says Saskia. With 360 degrees of gorgeous views, the obvious temptation would be loads of floor-to-ceiling windows, but the architects instead carefully curated window placement to create a space geared towards calm contemplation. “That way, the view becomes an artwork,” says Matthew. “When you frame something, you emphasise it more than if you were to walk into a sheer glass space.”

Beyond its site, one of the most remarkable aspects of the house is that the owner oversaw the building process herself. “I like to have a certain level of control – and I also have a budget that’s never quite as big as the architects would hope!” she says. When it came to the wood cladding, for example, the owner’s ingenuity led her to a local contractor tasked with removing invasive cypress wood, which she then had cut to size at a local sawmill. She also did the interior design herself. “I wanted an interior that wasn’t too cluttered, and that used a lot of wood,” she says. “My father used to have a furniture manufacturing business; I designed most things, and he made them. Often, what I wanted didn’t exist – which is how I ended up designing all the basins…”

So what does it actually feel like to live in an oceanside wood cabin, at the mercy of the elements? “I love the quiet isolation – far removed from the maddening crowd,” says the owner. “Because it’s built on stilts, when the waves crash on the rocks, the whole structure shakes. It was initially rather scary, until I realised that the house is not going anywhere. In 2020, there was an incredible storm, and Clarence Drive was shut for a long time. After the house survived that, I thought, we’re definitely going to be okay!” | beattyvermeiren.com

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WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Alexander Dobrovodský

Nestled in the trendy Holešovice district of Prague, this small 1950s apartment was completely gutted by B² Architecture to create a new open-plan layout for a young family.

Taking advantage of the apartment’s generous floor plan, the architects reconfigured the layout, removing partitions to open the space and allowing the exposed system of columns and beams to become an integral part of the interior. However, the use of colour, which defines distinct ‘zones’ within the apartment, emerges as the interior’s defining feature.

At the heart of the space lies the pastel-green ‘core’, housing the kitchen on one side, with a walk-in closet and a bathroom tucked within. Around it, the main living area unfolds towards the square, opening to views of the city, while the bedroom and children’s room face the quieter courtyard. Blue built-ins in the study and library further delineate the open-plan living area, while transparent partitions define a workspace. White built-in cabinetry provides generous storage while discreetly concealing an additional closet.

An additional layer of character emerges through B² Architecture’s material palette, which works in harmony with the colour scheme to create a lively atmosphere. Copper details recur throughout the apartment – in fittings, door handles, and bespoke lighting fixtures – complementing the green, blue, and pink tones of the interior.

Although the original concrete beams were not part of the client’s initial vision, they were unified with a cement screed. This intervention visually lifts the low ceilings, imbuing the space with a greater sense of openness. | b2architecture.eu

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WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS The Aficionados

There is no better study in restrained drama than the traditional architecture on the Greek island of Santorini. Half of it comes courtesy of the geography – living on the lip of what’s still an active volcano tends to add some spice; the other half is the whitewashed cubic volumes, soft barrel vaults and terraced retaining walls that seem sculpted from the volcanic escarpment itself. Perch that on the edge of a blackened cliff with the deep-blue Aegean stretched out before you, and it’s all pretty dramatic.

Yet there’s an oasis of serenity among this that goes by the name of Aenaon Villas.

Built between the villages of Imerovigli and Oia on the caldera’s northern horn, the villas are situated on an ancient connecting path overlooking the beaches that span the east coast of the island. Conceived by engineer-owner Giorgos Alexiou and his wife Alexandra, together with architect Giorgos Zacharopoulos, the buildings are carved into the island’s rugged contours. Walls of volcanic stone, olive trees, and traditional Cycladic lines frame terraces, while interiors embrace the minimalist grace of Santorini’s white-on-white vernacular.

Behind this purity of form lies a narrative of identity and locality. The buildings seem to emerge organically from the rocky slope, sculpted by the cliff rather than imposed upon it. Windows and terraces are carefully arranged so that each view is framed: sea, volcano, sky. Pergolas made of timber and reed provide shade, while the volcanic stone offers texture and earthy contrast. Each villa has its own veranda; many feature infinity pools at the edge of the caldera so that water becomes a visual extension of the sea itself.

Interiors are generous in scale, yet proportioned so that no space feels cold or cavernous, with small stairwells, terraced floor plates and gentle curves softening the geometry. The decor embraces a pared-back aesthetic with sweeping windows that invite the Aegean light inside. The interiors preserve the sense of serenity and simplicity with walls, floors and much of the built architecture in layers of brilliant white, letting natural light bounce deep into living spaces. The furniture reflects this, restrained and designed for ease with deeply cushioned sofas, wooden pieces, often local craftsmanship and modern fixtures. The palette is almost ascetic; where colour enters, it’s in natural tones – warm wood, muted stone, soft fabrics.

This thread of serenity as the true luxury is also evident in the villa’s service. Instead of a restaurant, the owners designed a thoughtful room-pool-service concept: simple tastes of the island, served wherever the mood takes you. From breakfast on a private terrace overlooking the caldera to Greek salads by the pool and pre-sunset bites, dining here flows in step with the natural rhythm of the island. Some villas include kitchenettes for self-catering; there’s also a list of Giorgos and Alexandra’s favourite nearby tavernas and restaurants, ensuring guests will be welcomed like locals.

As a member of The Aficionados – a travel resource of more than 90 hotels, guesthouses and designer homes for those seeking lodgings that meld luxury, design and authenticity – it’s the villas’ name that captures the spirit of this retreat. “Aenaon” means “flowing continuously, unstoppably, eternally”. It’s a circular rhythm of timeless architecture, elemental design and quiet luxury. It’s design that respects silence, scale and tradition, but doesn’t shy away from modern comfort. For lovers of understated elegance and natural drama, Aenaon is both a sanctuary and a stage. theaficionados.com | @theaficionados

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WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Montse Capdevila

Casa Al Pradet is anchored in the history of its site and shaped by the cycles of the seasons. Conceived as a self-build by architect Clara Crous and her partner, Carles, the house rises on a triangular plot framed by the agricultural plains that define the Alt Empordà and echo Carles’s own farming heritage.

The build was intentionally aligned with the rhythm of the land, beginning at the end of the corn harvest, when local labour was available to join the project. What might have seemed a practical coincidence quickly became a guiding principle, tying the cycles of agriculture to the pace of construction.

The house is structured around a light timber frame, prefabricated in Carles’s own workshop to optimise time and effort. From this framework, Casa Al Pradet unfolds as a series of modules of varying shapes and heights – its staggered volumes responding to the triangular geometry of the plot and the fragmented layout of traditional country houses in the area, blending naturally into the rural landscape.

Because of its location, the house reflects Clara and Carles’s considered approach to blending traditional elements with modern solutions. Shutters have been motorised and are controlled by a smart system that responds to sun exposure and wind, while a perimeter of ceramic gravel manages drainage.

Local and natural materials shape every aspect of the project: cork, lime mortar, adobe, hydraulic tiles and handmade ceramics are used across floors, skirtings, exterior surfaces and delicate architectural details. Inside, wood defines both structure and furniture, weaving a sense of continuity and warmth. The result is a home built from within, one that captures the spirit and rhythms of Catalan life in every detail. | claracrous.com

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WORDS VISI PHOTOS Kent Andreasen

Cape Town-based architecture studio The MAAK is all about social impact architecture. Founded by Ashleigh Killa and Max Melvill, its mission is to use design as a tool for dignity, connection and positive transformation. The practice specialises in public, cultural and community-oriented projects, which have included early childhood development centres, performing arts spaces, libraries and testing clinics.

With a mission to bring “world-class architecture to those who need it most”, The MAAK’s work is rooted in materials, process and participatory practice, integrating research, community consultation and innovative construction methods. And the latest example is the Rahmah Library at Rahmaniyeh Primary School in Cape Town’s District Six – a vibrant new facility that celebrates how architects and learners can work together to build user-oriented educational spaces.

The approach

True to their methodology of user engagement and co-creation, The MAAK worked with child-centred designer Xanelé Mennen from the Otto Foundation (the operational partner of the scheme), hosting a series of workshops during which the learners essentially became co-authors of their future library. Inviting them to be part of the architecture team provided the team with valuable user insights and informed unique project details. “The workshops helped to gain trust, foster a sense of agency and build excitement for what was coming,” says Xanelé. “Subsequently, the children are deeply invested and well bonded to the library.” The “Rahmah-Rama” bookshelves, for example, were imagined by students and brought to life by local furniture designers Pedersen + Lennard.

To honour the sensitive geo-political history of District Six – an area reshaped by apartheid-era forced removals – The MAAK worked with artist and land researcher Zayaan Khan to transform clay from the neighbourhood (sometimes embedded within the rubble of homes demolished in District Six) into a series of door push plates and decorative tiles. The same clay was used to create custom “District Six bricks”, which were laid into the floor of the entrance lobby and in front of an external drinking fountain.

The structure

The building is defined by a simple mono-pitched roof that rises towards dramatic mountain views to the south and provides shading from the hot sun to the north. A curving glass-block wall leans out beneath the triangle-shaped eastern elevation, creating a welcoming entrance and covered play zone. The exterior is articulated through variations in brick bonds, colour and texture, echoing the material language of the original school building – the oldest remaining school in District Six.

Inside, the library opens as a single, generous volume, with service areas tucked away from view. Echoing the slope of the site, gentle changes in levels subtly organise the interior into its key library zones: a reception area, sunken reading pit, central library core, classroom area, and conversation lounge. Playful details define these spaces and create opportunities to embrace different “postures of reading” throughout the facility – sitting, lounging, alone, in groups.

The result

Rahmah Library is a sanctuary for reading and imagination that symbolises what’s possible when different generations and disciplines design together. It marks a significant milestone for the school, which until recently had no dedicated library facility for its 500+ learners. The completed build stands as a beacon of learning and joy – a space to fall in love with reading and stimulate young minds for many years to come. As school principal Shireen Jaff er says, “It is a home away from home.” themaak.co.za | @the.maak

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WORDS Annette Klinger PHOTOS Paris Brummer

When Jankel Nieuwoudt was a young and broke final-year architecture student, he approached a family friend with a proposition: sponsor his outstanding study fees, and Jankel would design him a house one day. Fast-forward 20-odd years, and it’s clear who got the best out of the deal: Jankel’s family friend now owns a striking home on a stretch of prime real estate overlooking the beach in the coastal village of Onrus. “The brief was to build a typical Onrus house, and I thought to myself, ‘What on earth is an Onrus house?’” says Jankel. “Many of the houses were built by farmers as beach getaways, using whatever material was left over from their projects, so the styles are quite… ad hoc.”

That’s not to say there aren’t gems among the area’s idiosyncratic buildings. Perched on a hilltop amid a milkwood grove, a small limewashed chapel with a barrel-vaulted facade captivated Jankel’s imagination – not just with its built form, but with its backstory. St Luke’s Greek Orthodox Chapel was designed by architect Jack van Rensburg on commission from artists Maxie Steytler and Tertia Knaap, who wanted a concrete reminder of their memorable residency in the Mediterranean. Which is how they ended up with an architectural landmark – one in which a former state president was married, no less – on their property.

“It’s a super-interesting story of Onrus’s heritage that not many people know about – so I thought, let’s tell it, but on the main beach,” says Jankel. “I think when you design something that’s perhaps more daring than the local market is used to, a narrative helps to ground the building in its context much better than any ethereal architectural talk and jargon can.”

The resultant residence reads as both a direct translation and a deconstruction of the original source material. Beyond the obvious reference to the barrel vault, Jankel’s contemporary reimagination makes other nods to the original, like the pitched braai chimney that echoes the chapel’s spire, and the irregular white plaster finish evocative of the original’s limewashed walls. The technology used to get to this point, however, is far removed from that used for the 1980s structure. Traditionally, barrel vaults are built from brick, but the external walls that remained after Jankel gutted the site’s existing residence could not carry the weight of the arches. This prompted an idea: “We created a light steel structure, and clad it with Wedi board – an interior waterproof building board that’s very lightweight – which we scored and bent across the shape, before plastering it,” says Jankel. “It was a super-interesting, super-scary process; the product had never been used like that before, and I had to get sign-off from the manufacturer in Germany so that its warranty wouldn’t be voided… It was way more risky than I was willing to admit at the time!”

Equally stressful was the plastering process, which also utilised novel technology to achieve a traditional aesthetic. “In collaboration with plaster specialists Plaster Art, we formulated a mix that contained the traditional lime, but also white fibre and latex reinforcement, which can accommodate some movement of the lightweight vaults caused by the wind,” says Jankel. “As we were finishing our project, the house next door started a big renovation that included cutting bricks, the dust of which blew onto our plasterwork. We had to repaint the entire house.”

Completing the exterior, the bright white, textural finish of the curves is juxtaposed against two rectilinear walls finished in stone cladding, also visible in some areas of the interior.

By day, the interior is bathed in sunlight thanks to arched windows following the curves of the vaults. “The house faces east, which means it really heats up in the mornings,” says Jankel. “We couldn’t exactly put curtains on the barrel vault form, so we worked out a pattern that could cut out 50% of the direct sunlight, and printed it on the glass in ceramic.” By night, the space is illuminated by soft light emanating from the periphery of a bulkhead – which, again, was largely a function of the barrel vaults. “Hanging pendants from a four-metre ceiling would be ridiculous, so we opted to create an ambient circuit of light that not only makes for a relaxed atmosphere at night, but also accentuates the architectural form.”

Also designed by Jankel, the interior architecture speaks to a barefoot modernist sensibility, letting the space and materiality of the fittings and fixtures do the aesthetic heavy lifting. “I like to keep interior architecture almost anonymous, because I want it to be timeless,” says Jankel. “As soon as you bring fads in, it becomes temporary, locking you into a renovation cycle.”

Asked to single out a favourite vantage point of the house, Jankel’s answer is unexpected. “I like observing the house in its background state,” he says. “When it was just finished, I searched Onrus Beach tags on social media to see how it looked in people’s beach photos, out of focus. I really enjoy looking at that perspective, because it’s important to see how a house sits in its context.” It’s a thing – and #onrusbeach is definitely levelling up with the addition of this rising Instagram celeb. @_jankel | @_nieuw

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