Imbizo House is a holiday home set high in the hills above the picturesque fishing town of Knysna on South Africa’s Western Cape.
The three-bedroom house was commissioned by a South African client and his family who live in the UK but wanted a second home where they could bring together both branches of their family. Socialising is central to the purpose of the house, and a layout of interconnected spaces was conceived as a contemporary take on an imbizo – the Zulu word for a gathering. With its traditional African ritual references, a large open-planned living space flanked by generous terraces forms the heart of the home where friends and families can gather.

Project Architects: Rik Ørts-Hansen and TCNO Architects