Cape Town-based practice Noero Architects does not design houses that exceed 150 sq m. It’s a self-regulation that underscores a fundamental studio philosophy. ‘Space is a luxury, a precious resource,’ says studio director Jo Noero. Intrinsic to his design approach are unwavering views about the appropriate ways in which to engage with the South African landscape. ‘In a context as complex as ours, you don’t want to exclude people,’ he says. ‘You can make a perfectly good house in a small footprint. It comes down to quality, not quantity.’
As a result, Noero’s interest was peaked when his clients presented a modest 200 sq m site on the extremity of a rocky peninsula, an hour’s drive from central Cape Town. ‘I liked that it was a small site,’ adds Noero. ‘We made it clear to our clients that we could produce something modest in size that would satisfy them, despite their lofty ambitions.’
That initial conversation took place the best part of a decade ago as strict local planning regulations, including intensive heritage, environmental and architectural legislation impact studies and fraught negotiations, resulted in an unusually protracted design process. Yet the extraordinary delays provided a wealth of time for the studio to hone every aspect of the project that would come to be known as Castle Rock Beach House.
Esta historia es de la edición October 2019 de Wallpaper.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 2019 de Wallpaper.
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Guiding Light - Designer Joe Armitage follows his grandfather's footsteps in India, reissuing his elegant midcentury lamp and creating a new chandelier for Nilufar Gallery
For some of us, family inheritances I tend to be burdensome, taking up space, emotionally and physically, in both our minds and attics. For the London-based designer and architect Joe Armitage, however, a family heirloom has taken him somewhere lighter and brighter, across generations and continents, and into the path of Le Corbusier. This is the story of a lamp designed by Edward Armitage in India 72 years ago, which has today been expanded into a collection of lights by his grandson Joe.
POLE POSITION
A compact Melbourne house with a small footprint is big on efficiency and experimentation
URBAN OASIS
At an art-filled Mexico City residence, New York designer Giancarlo Valle has put his own spin on the country's traditional craft heritage
WARM FRONT
Designer Clive Lonstein elevates his carefully curated Manhattan home with rich textures and fabrics
BALCONY SCENE
A Brazilian island hotel offers a unique approach to the alfresco experience
ENSEMBLE CAST
How architect Anne Holtrop is leaving his mark on the Middle East
Survival mode
A new show looks at preparing for a post-apocalyptic landscape (and other catastrophes)
FLASK FORCE
A limited-edition perfume collaboration between two Spanish craft masters says it with flowers
BLOOM SERVICE
A flower-shaped brutalist beauty in Geneva gets a refresh
SECOND NATURE
A remodelled museum in Lisbon, by Kengo Kuma & Associates, meshes Japanese and Portuguese influences to create a space that sits in harmony with its surroundings