Fin Whale Way House is a project designed by SALT Architects. 5 Fin Whale Way is located in a tranquil coastal village called Kommetjie about 40km south of Cape Town, South Africa. It is halfway down the mountainous Cape Peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. The coastal towns around has an architectural heritage that stems from a combination of Cape Cottage architecture ? a domestic form derived from the European medieval ?longhouse? tradition, and Victorian architecture ? adopted according to the climate and materials available at the time the settlers started arriving from Europe. Photography by Lindsay Rae Michael.

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The dwelling is a three bedroom single family home situated in a private residential estate in the village. The magnificent coastline, mountains and fynbos flora provide for a warm, inviting and relaxed atmosphere, no matter what season. This environment was the lens through which the estate?s design guidelines were interpreted. The guidelines intend to create an environment inspired by the principles of the Victorian timber beach cottage tradition of the Southern Cape Coast. This resulted in the form giving devices like the double pitch roof, dormers, and lean to roofs of the building. These are assembled around the primary focus of being connected, firstly to the outside environment – so that one can be at home without re...