Nell and Kevin’s architect Rick Stander tells us how he approached this project:

• Listen “It’s essential to listen to the client and accept that although you are designing the house, it’s not yours. Nell and Kevin were great clients, with excellent taste.

For them (and for me) a beach house is a place where people hang out and play. Entertainment spaces and stoeps were the most important aspects. With the incredible view of the ocean, it’s quite simple: maximise it 100%. On my first visit to the site with the couple, I knew immediately that we wanted one large stoep on the ocean side that connected to the indoor living space. When you sit on the stoep or in the living space, it feels like you’re on a ship. It is, of course, also important that as much of the space as possible is exposed to the sea. There is only one bedroom that doesn’t have a sea view.”

• Problems & solutions “These days, getting approval can take a long time and since the house is in the historic core of the town, it was even more complicated.

“We excavated and built retaining walls for more than a year – a nightmare with the houses on either side of the erf.

The engineers (Sippel & De Lange) had to wrack their brains to avoid damaging neighbouring properties. The steeply sloping erf and dune sand further complicated matters. “To reduce the scale of the house, it’s higher at the back. So, when walking past, it looks no bigger than the houses on either side of it. I was happy about this because one of the biggest problems, especially with beach homes, is that the entire erf is crammed with a structure.”

• Surroundings “The materials we used, especially the wood and stone at the front, complement the coastal environment. The long front stoep adds to the beach house feel and ensures that it ties in with the historic core. ‘Less is more’ is my motto. Keep it simple.”

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