CAPE TOWN RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT - CAPE DUTCH HOUSE PLANS (2024)

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What did the house plans of Cape Dutch houses look like?View traditional plans as well as modern layouts by todays best residential architects in Cape Town.

Published: JUNE 15, 2020

1. DEVELOPMENT OF THE T-SHAPED PLAN

The turn of the 18th century, saw the emergenve of the the T-shaped house. The kitchen was usually located in the "tail" of the building, with the chimney running up the back end-wall. The room in front of the kitchen was used for the living and dining area. The small house at Zevenwacht, is one of the best examples of a T shape. Of courseextra lean-to add on's were built onto the kitchen area over time.

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2. TYPICAL T-SHAPE LAYOUT

The earliest cape dutch farm houses were in a T-shape. Before that the homes were simple rectangular barns. This addition pulled the kitchen out into the back areas of the house. As time went on, additional structures were addedto the back end of the "T". After two wings were added on, the idea sprungup of having and "H" shape, and formalising all the wings to be the same width.

3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE H-SHAPED PLAN

Well into the 18th century, the earliest H-shaped house plans first appeaered in the Cape. The earliest known H-shaped house plan is to be found at Vergelegen Wine Farm. One enters between two rooms into a hall with a screen behind it. Beyond the screen, is the living area, where light streams in from the other side. This house plan was fashionable until the end of the 18th century, when the late H-plan became more popular.

La Provence, Rhone, Neethlingshof and Boschendal, are good examples of late H-shaped plans.In these plans more rooms are added by placing an additional wing on the back by the kitchen.
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4. TYPICAL H-SHAPE LAYOUT

The next development was the addition of a wing at the back. This allowed for extra bedrooms while preserving the penetration of natural light throughout the home. Arguable the most classic and graceful shape of the Cape Dutch house, the gables make a beautiful impression -either the central gable viewed from the front,or the matching twin gables when viewing the house from the side.

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5. DEVELOPMENT OF THE U-SHAPED PLAN

U-shaped houses are most common in and around what is now the city of Cape Town. Sometimes the courtyard created in the middle of the u was roofed over sometimes it was notand this greatly effects the lighting, and circulation of the house. Constantia and Stellenberg are good examples of these u-plans.the original Cape Dutch houses were almost always symmetrical. As one travels further from Cape Town, there is a tendency to see more wings and outbuildings added in various configurations and these are almost always later additions

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6. TYPICAL U-SHAPED PLAN

This layout is more common closer to table mountain. Wings of the house extended backward from the main portion, allowing for a small courtyard, half of which was inevitable covered to provide another room and better circulation through the house.The houses at Stellenberg and Constantia are good examples of U-shaped plans.

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MORE PLAN SHAPES

TYPICAL H-SHAPE

The wings in an ideal layout were the same width - normally less than 6 meters. The rooms were almost perfectly square, and enclosed square courtyards between them. Neethlingshof is a great example of a Neoclassical H-shaped layout.

NEETHLINGSHOF

Orignally the front hall was flanked by two bedrooms. The dining room doubledup as a living room and the kitchen was located behind it in one of the rear wings.The opposite wing was occupied by a bedroom with a small bathroom tucked in atthe back of the dining room.

MODERN H-SHAPED PLAN

The modern plan stretches out all the elements so that a large central verandahcan accommodate the entertainment area. One enters into an open plan livingarea with the kitchen off to one side. A whole wing is dedicated to the bedoroomsand symmetry is broken to allow for a double garage.

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MODERN T-SHAPED PLAN

The modern T pan places the living / dining / kitchen in one wing - all open plan, and then typically places the bedrooms in the other wing. The garageis then placed according to what the site will allow and attempting not to disturb the symmetry of the main entrance elevation.

MODERN LUXURY H-SHAPE

Luxurious versions of the H-shaped plan will teas out all the wings into their own elements creating multiple opportunities for symmetrical facadesthat are interconnected. There needs to be continuous circulation through the housewithout exposing its occupants to rain. The design principles remain the sameas for small h-shaped plans... entertaiment area in the central area by the main entranceand kitchen / bedrooms off to the sides.

MODERN L-SHAPED PLAN

The modern L-shaped plan places the open plan living / dining / kitchen areain one wing, and the bedroom wing off to one side. This means that views areopen on two sides, instead of the "tunnel vision" often created in H-shaped layouts.

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