Kemp House / Evenhuis
Natures Valley, 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 veranda 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.