House Raynham

Abstract

House Raynham (1967), Fernwood Estate, Newlands, Cape Town. For this house, Fagan reinterprets the plastic quality of the vernacular by moulding the entire built form to respond to site conditions, entry and internal organization. Fagan shifted the positioning of the chimney from its original end condition to act as symbol or focus, where the flue becomes both structure and support. A full plasticity is achieved in the volumetric arrangement of the house, where roofs and ceilings rise and fall as they create spatial continuity. House Raynham takes the visitor on a journey that exploits the advantages of context through light, solar contact and the view of Table Mountain. Material differences heighten transitions between spaces, mediating between hard and soft floor surfaces. The circulation route expands and contracts to form living, dining and playroom spaces. Tectonically there are connections to the vernacular through the brick floors, bagged and painted walls and timber ceilings.