Simona is an interior design and décor writer for Homedit. Since 2011, she has been writing about interior design, DIY solutions, and the latest trends in home architecture.
The Cheetah Plains game lodge located in the beautiful Sabi Sand Game Reserve from South Africa is a wonderful project that’s been recently completed by studio ARRCC. The property as a whole manages something very special: to offer a new type of safari experience by combining elements associated with out modern lifestyles and with nature which in this area of the globe is very raw and primal.
The designers were able to resolve the tension between these contrasting elements by combining sustainable architecture with a minimalist, African aesthetic. There are three main components which make up the lodge as a whole and they’re referred to as Plains Houses. Each of the three sections is made up of several free-standing buildings arranged in clusters.
The Plains Houses have private courtyards, open-plan lounge areas, dining rooms, bars, wine rooms, private living areas as well as standalone bedrooms suites with dressing rooms and baths with open directly to the outdoors. The relationship between the indoor and the outdoor is a very special one. The architecture, in this case, is meant to enhance the experience of the outdoors rather than to mimic the immediate surroundings in order to blend in. This strategy is a very successful one and part of the reason for that has to do with the palette of materials used throughout the project which include Mica, Corten steel and timber, all chosen for their ability to age and weather beautifully over time.