‘A lot of people can’t believe that this space is in the city,’ says Jo Springthorpe of the dramatic glass home she and husband Jeff have built in a leafy suburb of South Africa’s Cape Town. ‘It has such a strong feeling of being completely surrounded by nature.’

It’s an atmosphere that Jo, a stylist, and Jeff, who works in fashion retail, were keen to cultivate. With views of Table Mountain on one side and the rooftops of Cape Town stretching down to the bay on the other, it’s not surprising they decided to create what is effectively a giant viewfinder, which frames the jaw-dropping vistas – you can even see the mountains from the bath. 

For this Grand Designs Magazine feature, I spoke to Jo about her how she built her nature-inspired home. Check it out here.