Elevated Living

This spacious abode in Cape Town in South Africa features a "garden in the sky" and an open-plan living space with views of the city below.

- Sasha Gonzales

Architect Philip Olmesdahl had long admired a corner site in City Bowl, a residential district in Cape Town, South Africa. When it became available, he wasted no time in securing it, with plans to build a new home for his family.

“I was drawn to the site because my children were heading into their teenage years, and we needed a more spacious residence. After 15 years of contemplating the potential of the site, we finally secured it for ourselves,” says Olmesdahl, who is also principal at the South Africa-based architecture firm, SAOTA.

It is no surprise that Olmesdahl decided to design the property himself – an undertaking that presented both opportunities and challenges. “While it offered the freedom to push boundaries and explore architectural ideas in a more whimsical and experimental manner, it also came with the weight of personal preferences and associations,” he explains.

“Leveraging my years of experience designing houses, I approached the project with creativity and rigour. Ultimately, designing my own home allowed me to blend wisdom earned from professional experience with personal expression, resulting in a residence that balances practicality with creativity and celebrates the beauty of its surroundings,” he adds.

the perfect family dwelling