Originally designed as a holiday house the, house katz project morphed into a more permanent residence option post Covid. After the devastating fire of 2017 that ravaged 16,000 hectares in the area, a site became available in the sought-after Robberg Estate after the original house was burned to the ground. Set in a privileged position close to the entrance of World Heritage Site Robberg Nature Reserve, the house katz home offers spectacular views of the Reserve as well as the ocean and The Wreck Beach below. The design challenge was to meet the brief of accommodating multiple families and guests in a very limited footprint governed by the Estate’s Design Manual. This was achieved by conceptualizing the building envelope into 6 individual pavilions, each with a pitched roof. This not only visually reduces the building’s mass but also affords the opportunity to create loft-type sleeping accommodation in the roof space provided. These pavilions are linked to each other with secondary roof forms, glass walkways and courtyards. The courtyards are treated as rooms left open to the sky and have the dual purpose of acting as light wells in addition to making the living rooms around them seem larger than they are. The pavilions are arranged in such a way as to maximize North light into almost every room of the home.   The relationship with the outdoors is further enhanced by a wind-sheltered glass-lit terrace, an outdoor cocktail bar, a level lawn, sun decks, a braai area, a boma, built-in outdoor seating and a large lap pool. All these features further connect the living experience with the outdoors. The building is beautifully detailed with timber cladding penetrated by steel window portals with deep reveals, which act as daybeds internally. The palette of materials is elegant and honest and the building is designed to age gracefully with the passage of time.