NEW DEVELOPMENT AT BOSJES ESTATE BLENDS EFFORTLESSLY WITH THE ENVIRONMENT
A creative collaboration between Londonbased architects Steyn Studio and Square One Landscape Architects at the Bosjes Estate has resulted in the effortless fusion between architecture and landscape . Gardens wrap over new buildings , which in turn are woven back into the landscape with intricate trellis structures . It ’ s a subtle celebration of the Breedekloof Valley in South Africa ’ s rich cultural history , and draws its inspiration from the San who first inhabited the valley and who were later joined by early Dutch settlers .
The client ’ s brief called for the new development , which included gardens , a small restaurant / café called ‘ Die Spens ’ ( The Pantry ) and gift shop (‘ Winkel ’), on the Bosjes Estate to be relevant and contextual , providing an inviting and inspiring journey between the two key attractions on the estate : the well-known Bosjes chapel and the manor house .
In order to hide ± 750m 2 of building , it was decided early on to have two separate buildings . Steyn Studio worked closely with
Square One to not only position the built structures in the landscape as curiosities , but also as anchors around which the landscape was then designed . The seamless integration of the landscaping elements with the built structures was an essential design objective from the start of the project . The gardens are spread across three sloping terraces , connected by a curving pathway that provides universal access . Both buildings are partially built into the slope , the roofs overlaid with soil and planted with indigenous grasses and succulents to blend seamlessly into the landscape .
The simple architectural forms of the buildings were inspired by the huts of the San called a ‘ Matjieshuis ’ ( Mat House ) as well as the first dwellings of the Dutch settlers , called ‘ KapHuis ’ ( Truss House ), which was apparently influenced by the San . Both structures were part of this historical landscape and blended subtly with their surroundings . The mounds of the new structures have an uncanny resemblance to the nearby surrounding hills .
The material pallet was kept simple . The underground building elements fronting the mountain backdrop were finished in raw cementitious finishes . The thin concrete shell vaulted structures are painted white , referencing the way traditional whitewashed Cape Dutch homesteads dot the landscape , as well as the nearby chapel , with the floor and walkways finished with grey terrazzo .
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