LEISURE BAY 5084
The house is in Leisure Bay, a very special small resort town on the South Coast of Kwazulu Natal just north of Port Edward. It is built on a free standing beach front site, situated on the coastline with a shrub and tree covered dune in front.
Published in Habitat magazine (Feb 2017) as Infinity House.
The client was from Johannesburg and wished to have a holiday home in which to enjoy the relaxed family aspect and beauty of the South Coast. It was to be a house with a modern idiom, but very practical in terms of planning, design and material choice to be able to handle the coastal erosion. He wanted a house where his family and their many friends could relax, play and enjoy each other’s company in the natural setting of the coastal plot.
Sub tropical with typical coastal winds.
Situated on a steep vegetated secondary dune behind the front dune.
Overlooking the sea to the east, and between two houses to the prime bay/beach to the north.
The site was sub divided after the initial briefing and the existing house on the one sub division was refurbished and put up for sale. The sub division was then the site for the new house.
The site is narrow and on a medium slope in front to steep slope at the rear with some protected milkwood trees.
The site is subject to the coastal winds, but has magnificent views to the east and north.
The town planning scheme allows a maximum of two storeys above existing natural ground plus a basement which has to be 50% below ground level measured horizontally and not on a slope.
The roof height was restricted to 7.6 metres following the land.
A building line 100m above high tide restricted development on the site right to the very back of the property.
The house was designed on three levels stepping back to fit within the height restriction and the sloping natural ground slope.
On the top level are four bedrooms with two en suite , a shared bathroom, store, open roof terrace and a staircase which was later secured with security type glass paneling and glass door.
On the upper ground level are an open plan tv lounge, open plan dining room, open plan kitchen, large covered terrace with dining/lounge/bar/braai/spa bath all flowing into each other and with magnificent panoramic views of the ocean, beach and garden lawn below from all rooms.
These same spaces open up onto a protected courtyard in the rear used for braaiing and pizza baking on beautiful evenings or on windy days.
Below in the basement level, is a four car garage, staff living quarters, laundry and store. The entrance hall is on this level with a double volume space with a floating staircase linking the floor above.
Total area of the house is 496 msq and approximate building cost R5 000 000. Materials include clay imperial red face brick, smooth plaster painted, aluminium windows and doors, porcelain tiled floors, aluminium sheeted roof , natural grey balu decking. The house has rain water storage system and other energy saving installations.
The house with its very open living spaces works incredibly well with the family type holidays with the many friends visiting or sharing in the pleasures of the various parts of the house. The Client and family continue to enjoy holidaying as a large group in the style of a previous era – much to their pleasure.
The brief was received in 2011.
Full Architectural appointment with a Structural Engineer, Quantity Surveyor with a BOQ and a Tendered Contract Construction commenced in late 2012 and was completed in 2014.
An interior designer was used late in the project for softs and furnishing.
