Western Cape, South Africa

The spiralling form of this South African garden cafe draws inspiration from two sources: the ‘Matjieshuis’ (Mat House) of the San, who first inhabited the Western Cap, as well as the first dwellings of the Dutch settlers, ‘KapHuis’ (Truss House), a cultural hybrid. Matjieshuis were portable, curved, slat-framed structure covered with woven mats, used by San herders as they migrated seasonally with their cattle during precolonial and early colonial times. Meanwhile, KapHuis consisted of A-frame trusses covered with thatch, their interiors lowered to allow for more headroom. Both structures were part of this historical landscape and blended subtly with their surroundings. Now, in the garden context, the ‘mounds’ of the new structures have an uncanny resemblance to the nearby surrounding hills and their intricate, trellis-like extensions further integrate the buildings with the landscape. #southafrica #southafricandesign #landscapearchitecture #residentialarchitecture #themepark#zoo#nationalpark#lakes