Dallington Terrace

Matching Tropial Vacation Houses With Modern Details

Built on a breathtaking mountainside in Brazil, this fusion of modern architecture and traditional cues comes as a pair. Designed by Sarmento & Melo Arquitetura, this house and guest cottage share a common style, separated only by size and details. The homes effortlessly utilize wood construction and stone landscaping to create an established and permanent environment, while angular contemporary shapes and amenities keep the design up to date. The main house features a pool at its side which is almost larger than the home itself, and a wraparound deck which gives stunning views for miles around. Also setting the master building apart is its gym amenities, with a separate room filled with exercise equipment. While the two homes look very similar, a quick examination reveals which is dominant.
Under the roof of the principal dwelling, the line between indoor and outdoor spaces is walked with finesse. Nearly half of the building's floorspace is actually technically outdoors, in the form of a spacious dining area with no exterior walls. One you truly enter the inside of the house, a blend of modern shapes and age-old materials presents itself, seamlessly combining the comfortable and the cutting edge. The guest house is more intimate and conventional overall, but its architectural shape is still strikingly modern, taking advantage of the location and the sun overhead to help it seem more spacious.

The first house, which is the main home of the property, is slightly more modern in architecture than the smaller cottage nearby, with simply geometric lines and wide glass area dominating its architecture. A spacious deck along the edge of the house gives view out over the hill which drops below.

The property occupied by the two homes is breathtaking, surrounded by an unspoiled tropical mountainside. Both the dwellings are tucked into a fairly level section carved out of the hill, encircled by palms and connected to one another by stone pathways which wind through the lot.

The main home includes a large L-shaped pool at one side, off of which an extension to the dwelling's deck is built. One thin wall divides the home in two inside and out, providing an endpoint for the roof's slope on either side.

Various amenities are available right next to the pool and its deck, including a private exercise room and a covered outdoor gathering space for socializing and hosting parties. From this angle, the house reveals the most modern design elements which shape it.

Both houses use wood for most of their structure, as well as for its visual attractiveness and traditionalism. Glass wall panels draped between and under various wood beams provide definition to which parts of the house are inside and which are outside.

Under the home's roof next to the pool, a compact outdoor social space allows residents to eat or interact in the fresh air without exposing them to the elements. This area includes a large traditional oven and a small countertop for preparing picnic-style food.

With the exception of a small portion at the middle rear of the interior, all of the home's spaces open up vertically to the roof overhead, rising as you move backwards through the house to maintain a sense of space even when away from the building's sources of natural light.

Inside the glass walls, a more formal contemporary kitchen occupies a cutout in the rear wall, behind most of the public indoor space. The kitchen retains the traditional finishes which dominate all over the residence, but packages them in an unmistakably modern design.

On the far end of the house, an intimate yet family-size living room is framed by a fur carpet and the bottom edge of the second-level bedroom overhead. Underneath the bedroom, a small sitting area further supplements the indoor social space.

The living room's entertainment center is built into the home in a very unique fashion, a stone cabinet which extends through the glass walls and outside the home to save space in its compact interior. Above, spot lighting set in line with the roof roof beams provide illumination by night.

A set of floating-style stairs lead up to the building's single second-story room, a bedroom that is bordered by two sets of railings and only one formal wall. The railing edges of the space allow the homeowners to monitor the floor below, while the wall is placed at the building's edge to protect their privacy.

A short walk away from the main house, another smaller dwelling sits slightly lower on the hillside, making it clear that the first house is meant to be the dominant structure of the property.

The guest cottage is finished in the same architectural style as the main home, but is more diminutive and more traditional inside than its master dwelling. Instead of a large dividing wall between each part of the roof, the differing slopes simply overlap here.

Like the main house, the guests cottage, too, features a spacious outdoor overlook, a raised bedroom, and a similar general interior layout. Beautiful stone paths and driveways give transport between each house and to the edge of the property.

The guest cottage's living room is divided into two sections, with a portion at the rear for television entertainment and an additional section up front which boasts unobstructed views off the deck and over the mountainside.

The appliances in this kitchen are more conventional and freestanding than those in the main house, but this smaller dwelling still features a large wooden picnic-style table, a hooded stove, and enough counterspace to cook a large meal. In fact, this kitchen holds an advantage over the other one, since it is placed right next to the building's front windows.

Silver Bay by SAOTA is located in Shelley Point on the west coast of South Africa, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean as well as the mountains behind the small town of Aurora. The brief for the project was to: "Create a holiday home for a young family that could be enjoyed by an extended circle of friends and family. The house needed to create an internal environment that maximized the connection with the view, minimized views on neighboring buildings and created sunny wind free outdoor living spaces,"

The architects staggered the open plan social zone back from a privacy wall that contains a storage room off of the garage. They created a floor plan that positions the dining, living and pool areas to take advantage of the views on the upper level and the master suite to do the same on the lower level. There is also a louvered wood slat wind screen that run the length of the pool to keep the ocean winds at bay.

Shelley Point is on the Northern tip of a peninsula and is a small piece of land that juts into the Atlantic with West, North and East facing beaches. St. Helena Bay is made up of several smaller bays and Silver Bay faces into one of these smaller water formations. With Heaviside dolphins, Southern Right whales and migratory birds frequenting the waterway, it is no wonder the clients requested the views to be of the utmost importance.

The site slopes 3000m from the street to the beach, exposing the home to strong seasonal winds. To create a home that maximized the views while staying protected from the elements was a challenge that SAOTA overcame with careful planning in the design and material choices.

From the moment the front door is opened the views are ever-present.

The entry is located at the end of the open plan social zone, positioned on a wall that does not contain views. Featuring concrete floors, exposed ceilings and walls of sliding/stacking glazings, the home barely differentiates between the indoor living spaces and the outdoor poolside terrace.

Upon entering the home you step down two stairs before arriving at the kitchen and dining areas on the right and the pool terrace on the left. While the pool and views are the number one attention getter, the stunning pendant lights over the dining table, while secondary, are pretty awesome. The choice of the suspended cage design allows the lights to work with patterns created by the exposed timbers on the ceiling.

From the pool terrace, the thatched roof takes on a soft and comfortable aesthetic that plays beautifully off of the curved Corten "hat" over the Braai Flue. The roof is supported on a perimeter I-beam with steel tie rods spanning the widths, allowing the interior zone to be one complete open space. The woven grass that is used to create the thatched roof is the perfect counterbalance to the granite floors below, creating both a soft/hard and warm/cold surround.

Made from Corten Steel, the flu over the firepit is a stunning sculptural statement that marks the end of the pool terrace like an exclamation point. From this point on, a living room a few steps down becomes the place to be - with its comfortable furnishings and spectacular views.

The majority of the furniture is from OKHA Initeriors and the Interior Design is by Antoni Associates. Mark Rielly of Antoni Associates says: "The interior is a sophisticated eclectic mix of easy living, laid-back, comfortable and robust furniture. Natural timber, charcoal and grey fabrics are accented with washed-out red patchwork kelims, and blue log stools. Natural materials and textures such as pewter-colored grass cloth wall coverings and woven baskets add tactile finishes that layer the spaces. Proportions are over-scaled and inviting. Large sofas are nested with clusters of cushions and throws and instantly reflect relaxation. Spaces are cocooned and layered and have a sense of home."

The stairwell is made from I-beams and has solid Eucalyptus timber treads that are 75mm thick. Downstairs, off-shutter concrete slabs are featured on the ceiling - complete with rusty markings from the steel that was laid in the slab and the chalk markings of the contractor. This patina gives the home a sense of story and history that is continued by the choice of artwork on the gallery wall.

Aside from the family room, laundry room and washroom, there are four bedrooms downstairs - each with their own ensuite. Each bedroom has corner glazings to maximize views. Curtain tracks that were cast into the ceiling slabs with curved corners allow the draperies to close in one continues path.

The bedrooms are separated from their ensuites by glass walls, allowing the views to permeate both zones - unless, of course, the curtains are closed.

ZEN HOUSE

Layered into this neutral palette are architectural details influenced by both traditional Japanese construction
The Koi pond begins just off the driveway and leads up to the main entrance which is accessed by a timber bridge.

The Koi pond continues into and through the home, as does the bridge that spans it. Both stop just short of the architectural water feature located between the Koi pond and the swimming pool.

The swimming pool wraps around two sides of the terrace and on one side - directly in front of the architectural water feature - are three steps that lead to a pagoda lounge area.

The Pagoda is a stunning example of Japanese influence. In Japan, a garden has the status of artwork and always includes water and a dry rock or sand garden - representing the Buddhist Ying and Yang. Japanese architecture also prominently features rooflines and usually includes oversized eaves with removable walls to connect the inside and outdoor zones. All these features are prominently displayed in the pagoda zone.

Another impressive feature of the pagoda is the immense and totally awesome light pendent suspended over the lounge area.

Just across the pool is another small lounge area, the al fresco dining area and a large outdoor kitchen.

Easy access to the swimming pool is via the three steps that cross the pool.

The swimming pool features a glass infinity edge that visually lines up with the three bridge steps, the architectural water feature and the foyer in the front of the home. It also incorporates two waterfalls, which by nature of the falling water, echoes the evocative sound of moving water throughout the home.

The outdoor kitchen and al fresco area are located beneath the cantilevered master suite which projects an incredible 6 meters over the terrace.

There is a third outdoor seating area located in front of the pagoda on a lower level. Surrounded by fencing and open to the garden this lounge area is also open to the sky above making it the perfect place for star gazing on a clear night.

This lower lounge area is is accessed by a short flight of stairs with lights embedded in its side walls for safe passage at night.

At night when the home is lit up the various architectural elements take on a sculptural aesthetic that is simply beautiful.

The panoramic views of the sub-tropical coastal Zimbali forest are also beautiful - especially from the cantilevered master suite. From here the Indian Ocean showcases spectacular sunsets.

The master suite is wrapped on two sides with glazings that slide and stack out of the way, creating the feel of sleeping on an outdoor terrace rather then in an enclosed room.

The headboard is only pony wall height, allowing the magnificent views to be instantly seen from the doorway just past it. The Shoji screen doors lead to the main ensuite with a smaller toilet and sink room next to it, and the walk-in closet next to that.

There are three more bedrooms upstairs - each with its own ensuite. This is the blue room.

Another bedroom replaces the blue with a bold shade of red.

All four of the bedrooms lead to a centrally located office area.

The office overlooks the stairwell and double volume foyer with its stunning vignette of copper globe pendants.

Aside from the beautiful copper pendants, the stairwell also features a post covered in relief carvings that pay homage to the smallest of forest creatures. It is as though the post is covered in fossils.

The stairwell leads to the large dining room and its impressive 10-seat table. Beside the dining room on one side is the kitchen and on the other is the bridged Koi pond. Just past the Koi pond is the living room.

The kitchen incorporates both light and dark cabinetry as well as a few other unique features, such as the lit frosted glass panel on the back of the island.

The kitchen also has a peak a boo Koi feature - can you see it? It is a glass strip within the floor that offers a view to a water tunnel running beneath the main floor. This tunnel connects the front and back Koi ponds.

The living room is five steps down. Here, floor to ceiling windows open to a private front deck while windows above the media console overlook the back Pagoda. There is also a view to the office area on the second floor.

Below grade is the media/rumpus room. Since this room is the noisiest, the walls are covered in sound proofing panels and the floor is covered in carpeting. It has no windows, only the ceiling lights that appear like stars in the sky.

Aside from its beautiful interior design,AND designed to enrich all five senses through the vistas of the indigenous forest, the fresh breezes, bird and wildlife calls, running water and natural architectural finishes. All these elements combine to create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, as well as a sense of well-being. It is the Zen dream home that Metropole Architects' clients dreamed of.