HOUSE KEMP

Nature's Valley, Western Cape, South Africa

This seaside Holiday House, located in a beautiful indigenous forest reserve,
was designed to be shared between two separate families. The geography of the
spatial concept is not dissimilar to that of the Ndebele with detached timber
pavilions linked by roofed walkways.
Two detached bedroom wings and a main living area are linked by a verandah
enclosing an inner court opening onto a morning and arrival deck . The
primary access, internal and external areas are orientated along the transverse
axis. This is both contextual and an adaptation of the formality of the Ndebele
spatial model. There is an emphasis on the morning and afternoon decks as the
primary outdoor living and arrival areas.
The plan adheres to the idea of service and served areas with bathrooms and
kitchen areas treated as lean-to ‘saddlebags’ to the bedroom and living spaces.
The house has an informal indoor-outdoor relationship, the ‘loose fit’ of the
village concept ideally suited to holiday living.