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A hand-carved wooden candleholder by Trov in the yoga pavilion is one of many adornments championing African craftsmanship. -
A collaborative design by Nicholas Plewman Architects and Michaelis Boyd, &beyond Suyian Lodge is unambiguously informed by the surrounding habitat, from its form to its choice of materials. -
Suyian’s architecture is characterised by its use of local materials, including the site’s volcanic stones in the exterior cladding, and the clay-coloured soil in the dome and wall plaster. -
Suyian’s architecture is characterised by its use of local materials, including the site’s volcanic stones in the exterior cladding, and the clay-coloured soil in the dome and wall plaster. -
Suyian’s architecture is characterised by its use of local materials, including the site’s volcanic stones in the exterior cladding, and the clay-coloured soil in the dome and wall plaster. -
Suyian’s architecture is characterised by its use of local materials, including the site’s volcanic stones in the exterior cladding, and the clay-coloured soil in the dome and wall plaster. -
The composite curved form of the main lodge is directly inspired by the granite intrusions of the stone sanctuary that it overlooks. -
The bar serves as an anchor point between the sitting and dining rooms. -
An entrance vignette comprises a cedar tree root table by Fox Browne Creative, a rug woven from Samburu ceremonial leather skirts, an elephant skull donated by the Powys family (Suyian Conservancy custodians), and a Samburu-inspired chandelier by High Thorn. -
The interior design is deliberately free of “amenity creep”, letting a few choice pieces – and the surroundings – do the talking. -
The dining room stars a cosy banquette by Classic Decor in Nairobi and hard furnishings from Njena Design Studio. -
Referencing the Euphorbia tanaensis prevalent in this semi-arid region, the sculptural chair by Georgina Anderson of High Thorn takes centre stage in the boot room. -
In the sitting room, slouchy sofas punctuated with embroidered Evolution Product cushions, vintage leather armchairs, sisal rugs by Jireh Hand Woven Craft, and collectable Samburu and Maasai artefacts create a distinctly Kenyan homestead feel. -
Custom fireplaces – like the one heating the veranda – were crafted in hand-cut stone by master builder Ben Jackson’s team. -
Circular skylights and steel-framed doors and windows by Rusty Fundi bathe the cocoon-like interiors in soft light. -
Whimsical steel chimney flues by Rusty Fundi highlight the double-volume ceilings in the suites, while the bathrooms star custom stone basins and bathtubs by John de Jager Studio, softened by Jireh Hand Woven Craft rugs. -
Whimsical steel chimney flues by Rusty Fundi highlight the double-volume ceilings in the suites, while the bathrooms star custom stone basins and bathtubs by John de Jager Studio, softened by Jireh Hand Woven Craft rugs. -
Whimsical steel chimney flues by Rusty Fundi highlight the double-volume ceilings in the suites, while the bathrooms star custom stone basins and bathtubs by John de Jager Studio, softened by Jireh Hand Woven Craft rugs. -
Whimsical steel chimney flues by Rusty Fundi highlight the double-volume ceilings in the suites, while the bathrooms star custom stone basins and bathtubs by John de Jager Studio, softened by Jireh Hand Woven Craft rugs. -
A hallmark of the bedroom suites, the five-metre-high vaulted plaster ceilings are the work of Northscape - the main contractor on the project. Beds are dressed in embroidered linen by Ginger Cat and throws by Evolution Project.
Suyian Lodge in Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau proves what can be achieved when eco-conscious creators push the boundaries of nature-led design.
WORDS Annette Klinger PHOTOS Dook
As far as site-responsive architecture goes, the designers of &Beyond Suyian Lodge could hardly have asked for a more captivating muse than the Laikipia Plateau in Kenya. The 17 000-hectare Suyian Conservancy – where architects Nick Plewman of Nicholas Plewman Architects and Alex Michaelis of UK-based Michaelis Boyd, together with interior designers Fox Browne Creative, were tasked with creating the luxury hotel – comprises five diverse habitats, including grass plains, riverine areas, acacia woodland, granitic inselbergs and a phonolite escarpment. The lodge perches on a ridge overlooking a rock sanctuary, its design DNA undeniably evocative of its diverse surroundings, yet singular in execution.
The main lodge is situated at the heart of the development, its composite, stratified form echoing the granite outcrops of the rock sanctuary. Fourteen domed clay-and-stone-clad suites fan out across the landscape. Nick and Alex describe the structures as being in perpetual dialogue with their geographical context. “The main challenge was embedding quite a big development in a relatively small, pristine site in such a way that it would recede into its environment,” says Nick.
Beyond the architectural form, Nick and Alex tethered the structures to the landscape with a deliberate deployment of materials. Volcanic rocks from the surrounding escarpment form the cladding of the cylindrical walls; the wild grasslands of the plateau are recreated in miniature on turf rooftops; and even the reddish-brown volcanic soil of the site is used as external rendering on the domes, arches and walls.
“The volcanic stones have oxidised and aged with time, so cladding the walls with them helps to embed the structures in the plateau,” says Nick. “Similarly, the roughened soil-and-lime-plastered surfaces of the domes and walls will eventually grow mould, lichens and mosses that will age naturally and accrue the kind of patina of time that is attached to the rocks around here.”
Echoing and inverting the form and materiality of the architecture, the interiors speak to the creative synergy between the teams. For every earth-rendered dome outside, there’s a vaulted lime-plaster ceiling counterpart; for every convex stone-clad external wall, there’s a concave of polished concrete inside. “The granite outcrops inspired the architecture, which led the way for the interior design to follow,” says Chris Browne of Fox Browne Creative – a joint partnership with his wife Debra Fox. “We had to tell a story of the intersection of nature and culture.”
Deftly sidestepping any luxury lodge interior clichés, Chris and Debra opted for a cool, muted palette and tactile yet refined materials, keeping adornment minimal. “Our sense is that most guests have had enough of ‘stuff’ and amenity creep,” says Chris. When decoration is deployed, it’s done intentionally – like the nod to the endemic Euphorbia tanaensis in a sculptural chair by Georgina Anderson of High Thorn in the boot room, and a Sarah Kelly painting in the pool room.
Paying tribute to the culture and craftsmanship of the local Samburu – including the hand-built Laikipia homesteads of the surrounds – Chris and Debra commissioned almost 80% of the furniture and fittings in Kenya. Rugs by Jireh Hand Woven Craft, earthenware by Ceramiqa Pottery, outdoor furniture by Kaa Hapa and glassware by Kitengela Glass punctuate the lodge with a design language that feels unique and uncontrived. “As design professionals, we listened to each other, so a real ‘truth’ started to emerge,” says Chris. “‘Less is more’ sounds like a cliché, but in this instance it worked.”
Nick agrees: “There is a calm minimalism to the place that allows the guest to focus on the environment – but it’s also quite a celebratory space.” And right about now, a little serene celebration sounds like something most weary travellers can get behind. | andbeyond.com
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