Winelands Villa designed by ARRCC and SAOTA is situated in the Gentleman?s Estate at Val de Vie in the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley, a luxury smallholding concept along the banks of the Berg River offering views of the Drakenstein, Simonsberg, and Paarl Rock Mountains within a landscape of rehabilitated fynbos. The estate?s aesthetic guidelines specify a contemporary interpretation of Provençal and Cape vernacular architecture, prescribing pitched roofs, exposed timber rafters, and a material palette of timber cladding, off-shutter concrete, and natural stonework offset with white plastered walls. Photography by Adam Letch.

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Within this framework, ARRCC refined the original client brief for an H-shaped footprint to create a cruciform arrangement of five overlapping squares: one central square for the living and dining areas with an interlocking square on each corner for the bedrooms, plus one for the kitchen and utilities.
The geometry of the floorplan opens the interior to views in all directions. It also creates sheltered terraces on either side of the central living area so that at any given time, at least one would be sheltered from the prevailing winds.

Floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors pocket into the walls so that, when the weather allows, the views ?flow? right through the living space as if it were a pavilion. At the same time, it creates a series of green pockets and courtyards around the house, so that it appears ?sti...