BUILDING
Hospitality / Lodge
DURATION:
2019
LOCATION
Shamwari Private Game Reserve - Eastern Cape
In 2019, we were approached by Bayethe Lodge, a luxury safari lodge within the Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Our brief: to renovate their existing entertainment area as well as design a luxury tented suite which would become the template for their twelve future suites. The challenge was to use their short 3 month off-season period to design, construct, and complete the entire project.
"The"Thesuitessuitesareareelevatedelevatedandandimmersedimmersedwithinwithinthetherichrichvegetation,vegetation,makingmakingforforspectacularspectacularviewsviewsfromfromaahigherhighervantagevantagepointpointandandaasensesenseofofseclusion."seclusion."
- Niel Basson
Because of the tight turnaround time, we decided to use a combination of steel, timber, and canvas to construct the structures. The steelwork could be pre manufactured off site which allowed for us to get started on the project before the designated 3-month period. Conceptually, these materials allowed for the design to gently touch the earth, with very little disruption to the fauna and flora.
The template suite was further detailed with canvas and timber giving a sense of warmth internally, but also allowing the exterior structure to be camouflaged in the natural setting. We introduced a secondary skin, made of timber latte, which acts as a shading device and integrates the structure further into the landscape, softening the definition from inside to outside.
