Llandudno, Cape Town
By Bömax Architects
Uminōya (ウミノヤ) – ‘House of the Sea’, a residence designed as a tranquil coastal retreat for an international client seeking a modern, minimalist home with strong Japanese influences. The architecture blends contemporary international minimalism with regional cues, drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese design philosophies and their application to ocean-facing environments. Throughout the home, the careful alignment of slatted screens and spacious, uncluttered interiors evokes a serene, contemplative atmosphere, inviting quiet reflection and harmony with the natural world outside.
The design draws on specific Japanese architectural terms, visual principles, spiritual concepts, and material references to express a clear cultural language adapted to a coastal setting.
Image 1 Artwork by Monde Flottant
Uminōya is located in Llandudno, a secluded coastal suburb of Cape Town known for its rugged granite boulders, pristine beach, and dramatic mountain backdrop. This plot enjoys expansive, uninterrupted ocean views and a strong connection to the surrounding natural landscape. The topography of the site is steep and challenging, with the land dropping sharply toward the ocean. Rather than resisting the natural contours, the design embraces the steepness, embedding the structure into the slope of the landscape. This approach minimizes the visual impact of the house from the street, while allowing for stepped living spaces that follow the terrain, maximizing views from every level.
Llandudno’s coastal climate also played a significant role in shaping the design. The area experiences hot, dry summers, often accompanied by strong southeasterly winds, and cool, wet winters with north-westerly rain and intense storms. The exposed nature of the site, perched on the mountain’s edge, means that shelter from wind and weather is essential. Courtyards, wind-protected terraces, and deep overhangs provide refuge from prevailing winds, while the building’s orientation ensures that key living areas remain sun-filled and sheltered all year round.
The main living space is accessed via a bridge over a garden between two portions of the building, acting as a transition space – an approach often used in Japanese architecture.
The concept of engawa ( エンガワ), a transitional space between indoors and outdoors, is beautifully embodied by the outdoor transition from the Main Building to the Main en-suite which is purposefully exposed to the weather. The Main Ensuite has its own private 25m lap pool.
On the First Floor level, an open-plan layout with seamless natural framing incorporates large automated sliding panels with uninterrupted flow between interior living and the surrounding landscape which is incorporated to maintain a constant dialogue nature. The design features a main living space with views of the beach below that opens directly onto a 15m rim-flow pool with an overhead glazing aperture cantilever of 16m, achieved with structural reinforced off-shutter concrete.
The pool placement eliminates the need for balustrades in the view line down to the beach and rocks. This approach supports the concept of shakkei ( シャッケイ), or “borrowed scenery,” where surrounding elements such as the ocean, mountain, and sky are framed as living artwork, fully integrated into the experience of the home. The result is a gentle blurring of boundaries that fosters calm, connection, and a deep sense of place.
Cast concrete was used as the primary structural material to enable expansive cantilevered view lines, maximizing the beachfront and mountain vistas. This structural design reinforces the Japanese principles of peace and mindfulness through minimalism and space, particularly the concept of ma (マ) – “negative space,” which guided the planning of volumes, voids, and circulation. The minimalist structure and spatial pauses reflect ma as a design tool that emphasizes openness not as emptiness, but as a purposeful pause that invites presence and reflection.
Throughout the design process, the focus remained on creating a sense of stillness and retreat. Spaces are intentionally understated to allow both the surrounding landscape and the client’s fine art collection to stand out. Hidden doors, concealed lighting, and minimal hardware reinforce the purity of the design.
Paper screens and slatted wooden panels evoke the linear rhythm and light-filtering quality of shōji ( ショウジ). Shoji-inspired elements, such as the vertical timber slats, create a rhythmic, meditative cadence as natural light filters through, shifting gently throughout the day. This repetition and softness reflect Zen ideals of simplicity and impermanence.
Kanso (カンソ), or simplicity, is embodied in the use of raw concrete, natural wood, and soft textiles—paired with clean lines and functional, unadorned forms where everything serves a purpose and nothing is excessive. This restrained approach continues in the interior palette, which remains intentionally minimal to highlight material honesty and clarity of form.
Complementing this, shizen ( シゼン), or naturalism, is reflected in the deliberate exposure of raw materials such as concrete, wood, and stone, celebrating their inherent texture, imperfection, and gradual ageing. These elements were carefully selected to echo the rugged coastal character of the site, allowing the structure to settle into its environment with quiet humility and natural ease.
Wabi-Sabi ( ワビサビ), the beauty of imperfection and impermanence, is reflected in the tactile, natural textures and the muted tones of the interior surfaces. These qualities embrace subtle variation, weathering, and the soft play of light throughout the day. The overall material palette, muted greys, soft beiges, and light wood tones, reflects nature’s meditative color range, reinforcing a sense of calm and timelessness. Every line, shadow, and moment of silence within the structure is intentional and crafted to achieve balance, stillness, and connection.
Image 3 Artwork by Claire Chesnier
In traditional Japanese architecture, transitional space, such as the genkan ( ゲンカン), or entryway, serves as a threshold between the outer world and the inner sanctuary. This architectural pause creates a moment of mindfulness and respect, inviting a mental and physical shift before entering the home.
At Uminōya, this principle is honored through a calm, understated entry where visitors are invited to remove their shoes before crossing the threshold. Stepping inside, the visitor is met by a still, expansive space where the architecture falls away, revealing a vast, uninterrupted view of the ocean.
Framed precisely by the structure itself, the landscape becomes a living artwork, shifting with the light and tide. This is shakkei ( シャッケイ) in its purest form: the borrowed scenery of Llandudno’s beach, rugged granite boulders, and horizon line is captured and elevated by the geometry of the house, turning nature into the home’s most powerful focal point. The effect is both cinematic and intimate – a breathtaking pause that sets the tone for the rest of the residence.
Complementing the architectural and material approach, the interior furnishings draw inspiration from traditional Japanese seating elements such as chabudai ( チャブダイ). Low, plush furnishings encourage a grounded relationship with the space, fostering a quiet humility and slower pace of life. By inviting inhabitants to sit lower and lounge in relaxed postures, the space promotes intimacy and tactile comfort. In this home, minimalism does not imply austerity, but instead reflects a return to thoughtful, human-centered design.
The garden and landscape design were developed in alignment with the principles of karesansui (カレサンスイ), creating a deep connection between built form and natural setting. Inspired by the dry gardens of Zen temples, karesansui is referenced through the use of stone, open gravel-like surfaces, and sculptural planting. The planting strategy favours restraint over lushness, employing precise greenery to allow the existing natural surroundings to take visual priority. These natural elements are integrated as extensions of the house itself, blurring the line between built and unbuilt and turning the landscape into a dynamic, living artwork. The addition of a roof garden continues this narrative, echoing the spirit of traditional moss and gravel temple gardens.
Calm and stillness define the project, serving both as a retreat and a contemplative gallery space. Carefully curated artworks enhance this atmosphere range from ink-like murals, brush paintings to more abstract, textural pieces that echo the natural world. One-of-a-kind ceramics and sculptural pottery with organic forms are placed throughout the home, reinforcing the tactile and grounded nature of the interior. These elements contribute to the sensory experience of the space, where art, material, and architecture merge in quiet dialogue with the surrounding landscape. These artistic elements anchor the project’s deeper cultural intentions.
Image 2 Artwork by Claude Viallat
Materials used in construction include concrete, glass, aluminium, glazed ceramics, lava stone, composite bamboo, sustainable hardwoods, treated local pine, karoo wool, granite boulders, processed shale, and indigenous planting – each selected for durability, harmony with the environment, and textural authenticity.
Ultimately, Uminōya is conceived as a serene sanctuary, offering the client a private retreat where architecture quietly supports contemplation, art appreciation, and immersive connection to the oceanfront environment. Grounded in Japanese design philosophies yet shaped by its unique setting in Llandudno, this residence offers a timeless space in which to slow down, reconnect with nature, and experience a refined balance between stillness and sensory richness.
