Robert Silke & Partners

216 Ocean View Drive House

216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch

216 OCEAN VIEW DRIVE HOUSE

Robert Silke & Partners

AREA
600 m²

YEAR
2020

PHOTOGRAPHS
Adam Letch

MANUFACTURERS
AutoDesk, Geberit, Blanco, HEWI, Legrand, Meir, Villeroy & Boch, Mentis,
OGGIE, Rauch, Samsung, Smeg, Trimble Navigation, Zennio

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Robert Silke & Partners

DESIGN TEAM
Alexander Geh, Robert McGiven, Nuhaa Soeker, Robert Silke

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
S&T Consulting Engineers

MEP ENGINEERS
SolutionStation

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
Blackland Construction

LANDSCAPE
Robert Silke & Partners

QUANTITY SURVEYOR
Khats & Sparks

TOWN PLANNER
D&S Planning Studio

HERITAGE PRACTITIONER
Ashley Lillie

DECORATION & STYLING
Lankham House Interiors

CATEGORY
Houses, Houses Interiors

LOCATION
Cape Town, South Africa

Text description provided by architect.

This sophisticated home, for a family of blue-chip property developers, presents as both futuristic and established, all at the same time.

216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch
216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch
216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch

It’s rare to find an enlightened client with a yen for good architecture and the confidence to realize something eccentric, sculptural and out-of-the-box in an aesthetically conservative neighborhood.

The couple met in Tel Aviv where they developed an abiding love of the White City, which was designed by Bauhaus architects escaping the Nazis.

This 600m² family home achieves its luxury through soaring sculptural volumes and guards its privacy by making the most of the established “jungle” for which the site was specifically acquired.

216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch
216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch
216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch

By lovingly retaining all existing trees, the house avoids the nouveau riche scorched earth policy which has become de rigeur on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard.

On a corner plot of 700m² the house departs from the suburban norm by lining its two street edges as a perimeter block - creating a protected private garden with sea views and precious northern aspect.

As an appropriate reflection of the personality of the clients, the muscular public façades are solid and reserved - whilst the private facades are extroverted and heavily fenestrated with super-sized panes of sliding glass.

216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch
216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch

All living, dining and kitchen areas are easily accessed on the high-volume ground floor entrance level with large covered wraparound braai terraces, pool and lawn.

Upstairs, via a dramatic stairwell with jungle aspects, the growing family’s four bedrooms all share one huge and magnificent nautical view terrace with arcadian vistas over Cape Town’s Atlantic suburbs.

216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch
216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch

The rooftop vegetable garden (accessed via outdoor spiral stair) is a private place of prospect for the couple – safely kept away from the kids by lock and key.

Bold and theatrical (yet understated and pragmatic) this svelte house has no gold on the taps and no fur on the handrails - because the joy here rather comes from sculptural form, light & space.

216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch
216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch
216 Ocean View Drive House
© Adam Letch


216 Ocean View Drive House
Section BB
216 Ocean View Drive House
Section AA
216 Ocean View Drive House
Southwest Elevation
216 Ocean View Drive House
Southeast Elevation
216 Ocean View Drive House
Northeast Elevation
216 Ocean View Drive House
Northwest Elevation


216 Ocean View Drive House
Ground Floor Plan
216 Ocean View Drive House
First Floor Plan
216 Ocean View Drive House
Basement Plan
216 Ocean View Drive House
Roof Plan

Robert Silke & Partners
T +27 21 2005966
Robert Silke & Partners
28 Wale St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa