Designed by Cape Town’s award-winning SAOTA architecture firm, the Benguela Cove residence borrows its name from the ocean cove that it rests beside. It’s one beautiful body of water to be sure. And as if that wasn’t enough, the home also offers scenic vistas of the larger Botrivier Lagoon and Overberg Mountains in the near distance.

In the midst of this natural wonderment, the wise architect must endeavor to create a structure that blends seamlessly into the environment. SAOTA excels in this regard, using muted building materials and employing plenty of large windows and allowing the wild vegetation of the surrounding fynbos scrubland to ensconce the property and even infiltrate its garden courtyard.

The Benguela Cove residence also functions in harmony with the existing regional architecture. Its solid rectangular walls and gently sloping rooflines mirror the forms of the various barns and fruit-packing sheds that populate the largely agrarian region.