“At last he came to the banks of the great grey, green, greasy, Limpopo river, all set about with fever trees” - Rudyard Kipling

Our newest lodge project is situated in an incredible reserve in Limpopo Botswana, nestled alongside the banks of the Lipadi river. It is an exciting opportunity for us to design a wonderful home for our client and their guests to truly relish in endless African bushveld experiences in the years to come.

We practiced an empathetic design approach in response to the project’s location and site which meant careful considerations of solid and transparent architectural forms in order to capture prime viewpoints of the river from the main house and guest villas. Our aim, for a visually open and permeable feel, was achieved with a light site presence and cross ventilation between the placement of the buildings. Earthy finishes and materials were introduced alongside a contemporary building silhouette, resulting in a design which is both sophisticated in its simplicity and a reflection of its surrounding natural environment.

A combination of steel and exposed timber form the roofs while rough timber slats and contemporary steel structures create sun screening pergolas against hot African afternoons. The main living area pool and boma make up part of the timber deck which snakes alongside the riverside edge taking perfect advantage of bush views while the boma firepit extends the use of the deck long after sunset.

Throughout the interiors cement washed floors and walls are offset with warm to the touch composite timber materials. Kitchen cabinetry is constructed with wire brushed timber doors and smooth stone tops while raw timber accents on vanities extend warmth into the cooler bathroom spaces. The interiors are designed to be predominantly light and natural contrasted against select darker elements with a scattering of colour and pattern from key art and décor furnishings which results in a palette create a palette of neutral, natural finishes, a simple yet elegant response for the lodge aesthetic.

We look forward to the showcasing the design outcome in the near future…