Atelier Wes · 18 houses · 3 rows · one slope

Stepped, not stacked

01 — The idea

Section A–A · sea to mountain

Built for the low sun

Winter · 21 Jun · 16:00Low winter sun slides under the pergola and reaches deep into the living room.

01

Every terrace faces west-north-west, 292°, so the afternoon sun arrives over the sea and sets in front of you, all year.

The rows are nine metres apart in height. From any terrace, the house below disappears under your eye line.

Oak slats set at the height that lets 15° winter sun in and stops 44° summer sun. No blinds needed.

Sandstone, limestone, oak and lime plaster: nothing painted, nothing that needs replacing after a winter of salt air.

07 — Materials

up close

Cederberg sandstone

Split-face walls, laid dry by hand on site

quietly

Solar on every roof

South-facing panels hidden behind the parapet.

Battery per house

A full evening and night without the grid.

Rainwater tank

Under the garden, feeding irrigation and pools.

Heat-pump pools

Heated to 27°C on the same power as a kettle.

08 — The facts

Architects

Developer

Plans approved

Completion