Boutique Hotel
Coastal Luxury Redefined with Reynaers High-Performance Aluminium Systems
Perched on one of Cape Town’s most prestigious coastal boulevards, the Morea House Hotel stands as a testament to contemporary luxury hospitality and architectural excellence. This boutique hotel in Camps Bay seamlessly blends modern design with the rugged beauty of the Atlantic coastline, offering guests uninterrupted views of the Twelve Apostles mountain range and the pristine beaches below.
The Morea House Hotel presented unique design challenges that demanded sophisticated fenestration solutions. Situated in one of South Africa’s harshest coastal environments, the building required aluminium windows and doors capable of withstanding extreme wind loads, driving rain, salt-laden air, and high levels of ambient noise from both the ocean and the busy Victoria Road. The architectural vision called for expansive glass openings that would maximize natural light and views while maintaining superior thermal comfort and acoustic privacy for guests.
Reynaers Aluminium, in partnership with expert fabricator QOne Fenestration, delivered a comprehensive solution utilizing the premium CP 155 Lift & Slide system and the versatile CS 77 window and door system, ensuring the hotel achieves exceptional performance standards backed by a 10-year system guarantee.
Camps Bay’s coastal location, while visually spectacular, presents some of the most demanding conditions for building envelope systems in South Africa:
Acoustic Challenges: Proximity to Victoria Road and the rhythmic sound of ocean waves create a complex noise environment requiring high-performance acoustic insulation between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Corrosive Marine Environment: Constant exposure to salt-laden sea spray and moisture requires aluminium systems with superior corrosion resistance and specialized protective coatings
Extreme Wind Loads: The Atlantic coast experiences powerful south-easterly winds, particularly during summer months, necessitating fenestration systems with exceptional structural integrity and wind resistance ratings
Driving Rain and Water Ingress Risk: Horizontal rain driven by coastal winds demands superior watertightness performance.
The Reynaers Solution
To address these challenges while achieving the architectural vision, Reynaers Aluminium specified two premium systems that work in harmony throughout the building:
CP 155 Lift & Slide: Engineering Excellence in Large-Format Sliding Doors
The heart of the Morea House Hotel’s connection to its coastal setting lies in the spectacular CP 155 (ConceptPatio 155) Lift & Slide doors. This high-performance aluminium sliding door system enables the creation of vast glazed openings that blur the boundaries between interior luxury and outdoor magnificence.
Key Performance Features:
- Extreme Dimensions: Capable of accommodating panels up to 3 meters in height with a maximum vent weight of 400kg, allowing for floor-to-ceiling glazing that showcases panoramic ocean views
- Superior Thermal Insulation: Thermally broken profiles achieve U-values as low as 1.07 W/m²K with the High Insulation upgrade, ensuring guest comfort while minimizing energy consumption in this climate-controlled hospitality environment
- Exceptional Windtight Performance: Tested to air tightness class 4 (600 Pa), the CP 155 system prevents air infiltration even during Cape Town’s notorious south-easterly gales
- Outstanding Watertightness: Achieving classification 8A (450 Pa), these aluminium sliding doors effectively seal against driving rain, protecting interior finishes and guest comfort
- Wind Load Resistance: Class C4 certification (1600 Pa) ensures structural integrity under extreme wind conditions, providing peace of mind in this exposed coastal location
- Acoustic Performance: Sound reduction ratings of up to Rw 40 dB create tranquil guest spaces despite the proximity to traffic and ocean sounds
The lift-and-slide mechanism allows effortless operation of these substantial glass panels. Guests can open expansive doors with minimal effort, creating seamless transitions between hotel suites, terraces, and outdoor spaces. The system’s low threshold option eliminates barriers, enhancing accessibility and creating visual continuity between indoor and outdoor flooring materials.
For the Morea House Hotel, the CP 155 system was specified with corrosion-resistant finishes specifically engineered for marine environments, QualiCoat, ensuring long-term aesthetic appeal and structural performance despite constant exposure to salt air.
CS 77 Windows: Versatile Performance Throughout
Complementing the dramatic sliding doors, the CS 77 (ConceptSystem 77) aluminium window system delivers reliable performance across the building’s façade. This versatile window solution offers the perfect balance of functionality, thermal efficiency, and aesthetic cohesion.
Technical Specifications:
- High Thermal Performance: Thermally broken multi-chamber profiles achieve U-values from 1.5 W/m²K, contributing to the hotel’s energy efficiency and guest comfort
- Excellent Air Tightness: Up to 600 Pa classification prevents drafts and reduces energy loss
- Superior Watertightness: Up to 900 Pa performance ensures protection against driving coastal rain
- Robust Wind Resistance: Up to 2000 Pa wind load resistance provides structural security in exposed conditions
- Flexible Configurations: Available in both casement and tilt-turn configurations, allowing architects to specify the optimal opening type for each application
The CS 77 system’s functional design integrates seamlessly with the building’s contemporary aesthetic, while its reinforced polyamide thermal breaks and multi-chamber construction ensure superior insulation in both winter and summer conditions. Like the CP 155 doors, these windows feature marine-grade protective coatings to resist corrosion in the harsh coastal environment.
Sustainability & Longevity
The specification of Reynaers aluminium systems contributes significantly to the Morea House Hotel’s environmental performance and long-term value:
- Energy Efficiency: The high thermal insulation performance of both the CP 155 and CS 77 systems reduces heating and cooling loads, lowering operational energy consumption and carbon emissions
- Durability: Aluminium’s inherent resistance to corrosion, combined with marine-grade protective treatments, ensures decades of reliable performance with minimal maintenance
- Recyclability: At the end of the building’s lifecycle, the aluminium components can be fully recycled without loss of material properties
- 10-Year System Guarantee: Reynaers backs these systems with a comprehensive 10-year guarantee, providing long-term assurance for building owners
The project demonstrates how thoughtful material selection and system engineering can create buildings that are both environmentally responsible and built to last in challenging conditions.
Fabrication Excellence: QOne Fenestration
The successful implementation of these sophisticated aluminium systems relied on the expertise of QOne Fenestration, a South African fabricator with extensive experience in high-performance coastal projects. QOne Fenestration’s technical knowledge and precision manufacturing ensured that every window and door meets Reynaers’ exacting standards.
Working closely with the project architects Scott + Partners and Reynaers technical team, Qone Fenestration:
- Executed precise fabrication of large-format CP 155 sliding doors, managing the complex engineering required for 400kg vents while maintaining smooth operation
- Applied specialized marine-grade protective coatings to all aluminium components to ensure long-term corrosion resistance
- Coordinated installation sequencing to meet the project’s construction timelines
Project Name: Morea House Hotel
Location: Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
Completion Date: 2025
Project Type: Boutique Hotel
Reynaers Systems: CP 155 Lift & Slide Doors, CS 77 Windows and Doors
Architects: Scott + Partners
Fabricator: QOne Fenestration
System Guarantee: 10 Years
Photography: Gibson Creative
