The Tower

Oscar Botha.
Tutor: Michelle Wang.

Following Mike Davis’s brief, I designed a lookout tower to sit beside his existing bach. This tower would provide a lookout over the wetlands to the coast, along with extended interior space outside the original bach. To create a sense of unity between the bach, my tower, and the site, I took influence from the bach’s simple yet iconic geometry and materials.

I wanted the tower to be interactive and adaptive, which developed into three fully moveable facades. The walls fold open allowing sunlight and airflow for hot summer days, and can be closed to create an intimate indoor space during the winter, or at night. To support this system, a concrete wall provides the final side of the tower, providing necessary structure and thermal enhancement. Five stools sit flush within the back concrete wall, and can be easily accessed when the tower is being used. A series of steps run through the concrete wall, providing access to the lookout on the roof, these also allow morning sunlight into the space. The tower does not rely on power for lighting, but sunlight during the day, and lanterns or torches at night, for a more natural atmosphere.