The setting for this Miami house is on a pie shaped lot on the southern tip of Dilido Island with superb views of the islands, downtown and South Beach. The house spills out onto the longer, waterfront elevation and draws on the jet-set lifestyle of Biscayne Bay, to evoke the experience of being on the deck of a super yacht. Multiple events unfold on this versatile terrace whose defining characteristic – the harmonious merging of internal and external living spaces – is a theme carried throughout the house.

Entrance from the street is more restrained; a series of wall planes and volumes, held together by a curved screen of etched glass and the pre-oxidised copper roof signal a grand, double-volume entrance hall. Inside, masses of programme pull apart to form a dramatic canyon whose volume frames the view out into the bay. This central void comprises a bold spiral staircase, and a series of ceiling-hung bronze screens – an architectural element that separates the ground floor open plan space into two wings: the western with a double height dining room, kitchen and family space and the eastern one with formal entertainment areas.

All the principal living spaces -from the more intimate areas housing a kitchen, butler kitchen and a large family den, to the more open and expansive Great Room and Study- live out onto a semi covered collection of external living rooms verged by the curved arc of the bay-side, with deckchairs for sunbathing, shallow-water “martini” seating, a fully functional bar area and even a pop-up outdoor table on the water edge between two mooring docks (meeting all flood line requirements). Water meanders throughout the house from the entrance pond to a calm refection pool around the study, unifying the island-like outdoor areas, whilst creating smaller islands of space and linking the inside to the pool and the sea.

The upper level houses the sea-facing master suite complete with hot tub and pool, and three on-the-water suites. The roof top terrace – accessed by elevator – has a second bar, a fire pit, and a hot tub with unobstructed views.
The materials – white stucco, warm grey limestone, copper and bronze detail elements – combine with lush planting, resulting in an atmosphere of understated luxury and serenity.

SAOTA
KKAID (architect of record)

The post Residence in Miami was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Restio house is perched on the banks of the Buffels River, close to its mouth in Pringle Bay – a small coastal town less than 100km from Cape Town, South Africa.

The clean and robust architecture protects the three-storey holiday residence from salty winds, with materials resistant to the tough coastal climate, while letting in the sun and the natural beauty of the surrounding indigenous vegetation and mountain valley.

The house faces due north with a large stairwell that floods morning light into the centre of the middle level. Α seamless open plan space comprises the communal areas: the kitchen with a lounge is at the centre, in a direct relationship with the dining area and sitting areas on either side. Vertical elements, such as the open fireplace with punched brass cladding, delimit these areas with a unique dynamic, while continuous glass panels open out towards a perimeter external corridor that ends to a semi-outdoor courtyard with a lounge and BBQ. A black metallic staircase leads to the top level with the bedrooms and the master suite which opens out on a private terrace above the semi-outdoor courtyard. A lower level comprises an entertainment area, two more bedrooms and auxiliary spaces.

The colour white on walls complements the bare concrete ceilings. Finishes include the use of terrazzo floors and marble-layered panels that clad the bathroom walls. Interior design by ARRCC and Home Owner includes custom made furniture, a neutral colour palette, natural materials and rich textures, creating thus an immediate sense of serene euphoria, further enhanced by Deborah Poynton and Albert Coertse works of art. Restio house is technologically equipped with the latest audio, lighting and automated systems.

The lounge and terrace face westerly towards Cape Point, the most southerly tip of Cape Town’s False Bay, enjoying fantastic haloed sunsets in the early evening. Lastly, the landscaped surroundings incorporate indigenous vegetation and iconic South African trees – Milkwood, Coral tree and Waterberry’s – making the house a true-to-style South African family holiday home.

SAOTA – Philip Olmesdahl, Riaz Ebrahim,
Nasreen Larney & Werner Lotz

The post Restio river house was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.