If you’re looking for a serene escape that combines travel and sustainability, add these eco-friendly lodges to your bucket list.

What sets these lodges apart? Each one has been designed with sustainability in mind to ease environmental impact so that guests can experience the beauty of nature (in comfort, of course). Here are some of our favourite eco-friendly lodges that offer breathtaking views. And if you’re looking for more eco-escapes, take a look at these off-grid cabins.

The Nest at Sossusvlei

In the vast ancient desert of Namibia, nature is the greatest architect. Millions of years have refined the shapes of the shelters that birds and animals create for themselves here. The gigantic nests built by sociable weaver birds in camelthorn trees – vast domed structures of twigs and grass often 3m wide – are one of the most striking examples. “They’re architectural masterpieces,” says Swen Bachran, the entrepreneur and conservationist who established the Namib Tsaris Conservancy with his neighbours in the desert, not far from the famous red dunes at Sossusvlei and the haunting 700-year-old skeletons of dead camelthorn trees at Deadvlei.

Before he owned any land in the region, he and his designer and artist friend Porky Hefer visited a spot nearby the site of The Nest, as they dubbed this fantastical house modelled on these weavers’ nests, which they created over the next eight years. At that stage, Swen was still scouting around for a potential conservation project. “Porky came to the farm and we camped on this land together,” says Swen. They sat under the camelthorn trees and marvelled at the communal nests, their perfect efficiency suggesting countless lessons in biomimicry and possibilities for vernacular design.

“He went back after that weekend with impressions and later presented me with doodles of what we called the Love Nest,” Swen recalls. “It was really a one-bedroom nest with a little lookout deck, a library and a shower.” At that stage, Swen had in mind an idiosyncratic “little retreat for family and friends with a token giraffe”. As the idea incubated, Swen ended up acquiring not just one, but three adjacent farms adjacent to an existing conservation area and as he gained neighbours, they banded together to drop fences and create a 100 000-hectare nature reserve with grander plans than just that “token giraffe”.

The conservancy now has a constitution and a 100-year plan to sustain it in perpetuity. “Whatever there was 100 years ago, from a rodent to a rhino, we will reintroduce,” says Swen. Alongside the ballooning scale of Swen’s conservation efforts, the “love nest” morphed into a four-bedroom, double-storey villa. Porky’s conceptual drawings became more detailed and refined. Although they started taking in practicalities ranging from workable floor plans to an underground wine cellar, they began approaching architects to collaborate with.

Read the full story on The Nest.

Witklipfontein Eco Lodge

Architect Xavier Huyberechts has a wonderfully poetic way of describing the way he designed the weekend getaway he and his brother, Damien, built on their farm in the Vredefort Dome – the oldest and biggest meteorite impact site on the planet. He wanted to “gently lift the carpet at the bottom of the hill and slide the house underneath”.

And that’s exactly what he’s done. A green roof runs seamlessly from the hillside and over the house, like a blanket of earth that renders it almost invisible from many angles. In fact, the way it has been designed and built means it can – and will, at the end of its life – disintegrate and become reabsorbed into the earth. It’s made almost entirely from the earth, and emphatically for the earth.

Xavier runs a commercial architectural practice in Johannesburg known for pioneering sustainable architecture. With Damien taking on the role of building contractor, they set about creating an earth house using local materials. It may be built of stacked stone, rammed earth, handmade compacted earth bricks and earth bags, but this is no Hobbit burrow. Beneath that green roof is a clean-lined, low-slung, modernist-inspired villa, with lofty volumes and floor-to- ceiling glass doors that slide away into wall cavities and open the house completely to the surrounding landscape.

Read the full story on the Witklipfontein Eco Lodge.

Wilderness Bisate

Locking eyes with a mountain gorilla in its natural habitat is an incomparable experience. In damp, humid surroundings, amid the greenery, time seems to stand still. Everything goes silent, apart from the soft rustle through the trees, the sharp inhale and exhale of breath, and the sound of your heart beating in your chest. And then, all too soon, you realise that it’s over, as your guide signals that it’s time to go…

“That fleeting connection with these great primates was the inspiration for Bisate,” says architect Nick Plewman. His inimitable imagining of a luxury lodge deep in the Rwandan rainforest has won him plenty of praise – with good reason. Designed with an innate reverence for the environment, Wilderness Bisate seamlessly blends into the surrounding landscape, paying homage to traditional Rwandan architectural techniques while infusing contemporary elements. Six spacious bird’s nest-like villas, each seemingly perched upon the trees, mimic the mighty volcanic peaks that stand majestically in the distance while also echoing Rwanda’s thatched dome-shaped King’s Palace.

Interiors were also thoughtfully and consciously considered. “Here again we took inspiration from King’s Palace, as can be seen in the double woven ceilings in the villas and the public areas,” says interior designer Caline Williams-Wynn. “Rwanda is an extremely environmentally aware country, so the use of ecofriendly materials and recycled elements was paramount, as was incorporating local textiles and furniture as far as possible.” 

Read the full story on Wilderness Bisate.

Madwaleni River Lodge

The Babanango Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal boasts a rich cultural and environmental history and recently underwent one of Southern Africa’s most ambitious rewilding projects, which saw the return of the ‘Big 5’ after nearly 150 years. To celebrate the land’s rewilding and rebirth, Luxury Frontiers was tasked with creating a lodge which would tastefully reference its layered past. As a result, the design of Madwaleni River Lodge intricately stitches historical and tribal heritage harmoniously into the natural environment of the White Umfolozi River.

Fostering a deep connection to the landscape, the 12 tented accommodation units on the banks of the meandering river offer expansive views. The design of the units was inspired by the bold curvature of the Zulu shield. Each unit boasts an impressive 22-meter curved timber beam supporting a stretch-fabric membrane. An earth-coloured canvas body suspends beneath the membrane and canvas-clad stud walls complete the serviced areas. The privacy screens surrounding the units are crafted from upcycled timber poles, embracing the natural beauty of their previous termite-related damage. Sustainable bamboo decking further connects the interior and exterior areas, marrying the materiality of timber, leather, and wicker furniture with traditional African craftsmanship.

Read the full story on the Madwaleni River Lodge.

Mirante do Gavião Amazon Lodge

The main objective of the architects at Atelier O’Reilly Sustainable Strategies was to integrate inspiring design, the natural environment and the riverside community. Reforested wood and local building techniques were used to create the lodge’s unique bungalows which resemble inverted fishing boats used by the community.

The design of Mirante do Gavião Amazon Lodge works in harmony with the landscape and incorporates multiple sustainable design elements. The curved design of the roof helps reduce temperatures and promote natural airflow inside each cabin, while the elevated walkways and wooden decks allow for ventilation underneath the building.

Read the full story on the Mirante do Gavião Amazon Lodge.

Wilderness Safaris’ Jao Camp

An elephant drinks from the swamp as a crocodile cruises by, only its beady eyes giving away its presence. A mother and father hippo protect their calf below the surface as a mokoro is expertly steered between the swishing reeds. A lilac-breasted roller flies overhead, displaying its rainbow-like plumage. It’s scenes and moments like these in the Okavango Delta that guests get to experience at Wilderness Safaris’ Jao Camp.

Owned by David and Cathy Kays, fourth-generation Batswana, and their son Martin, Jao Camp was originally built at the turn of the millennium, and recently underwent a complete renovation. Entrusted by the Kays for its first design in 1999 were dynamic husband-and-wife architecture-and-design duo Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens – and they were called on once again for its reinterpretation.

After two decades in operation, the camp – which has grown to be one of the finest in the Delta – had become a bit weathered due to heavy rains, floods and termites. The owners decided it needed an overhaul, one that would take its current issues into consideration and prevent it from deteriorating in years to come while also elevating its offering. This was no problem for Silvio and Lesley, the self-described adventure architects – and everything that makes up the re-imagined Jao is recycled, reclaimed or handmade, and built to last. Authentic-looking thatch is, in fact, recycled plastic. What from afar appears to be a structure made of intertwined metal pipes, haphazardly pieced together like a nest, is actually bleached discarded wood (which shelters the pool). The wooden poles that previously held up the main area have been replaced with a steel structure. And the private and communal decks that appear to be wooden are also made of a composite material. There’s no greenwashing happening here – this is an ecofriendly build in every sense of the term.

Read the full story on Wilderness Safaris’ Jao Camp.

Desert Grace

It’s like Wes Anderson meets Retro Miami film set in the heart of the desert: a 24-suite boutique on the border of the Namib Naukluft National Park that’s punctuated with unexpected shades of pink. Undeniably cheeky it may be, but Desert Grace – the latest addition to the Gondwana Collection suite of offerings – doesn’t scrimp on comfort or ignore eco-sensitivities. Bags filled with Namib desert sand were used to build the exterior walls, while the walkways that snake out from the central entrance/bar/dining hub were created from a mix of concrete and recycled glass.

Inside, think terrazzo tiles, neon signs, pink umbrella stands, popcorn, pink drinks and feathers in varying shades of rose to acid pink. The message is clear: this sliver of Hollywood glamour takes itself seriously when it comes to ensuring guests have a playful desert experience.

Read the full story on Desert Grace.

Khwai Leadwood Lodge

“I always dreamed of having a site on the river,” says Beks Ndlovu, founder and CEO of African Bush Camps, as the aluminium boat glides through the reeds and launches onto the bank, the motor now killed. It’s nighttime and Khwai Leadwood, African Bush Camps’ new lodge on the Khwai River in the Khwai Concession, is aglow with lanterns, the bush alive with the croaking of frogs. “People said it would never happen – but sometimes it just takes a little bit of time.”

For Beks, patience (five years of it) was a worthy exchange for the perfect riverside site, which isn’t easy to come by. “You see how the river bends,” he says standing by the firepit on a sunken deck shaded by a leadwood tree, pointing to the U-shaped curve in the waterway. From this spot, the hook in the river guides your eye through the grassland and onto the neighbouring Moremi Game Reserve – and you can see why he held out for this precise location.

Beks is a stickler for details, but it was with the help of design duo Debra Fox and Chris Browne of Fox Browne Creative that the lodge became a reality. Turned around in six months, it was a project only experts could pull off. Not only did the team need to bring their sharp design skills, they also had to ensure they were gentle on the fragile landscape. At African Bush Camps, design is important – but conserving the landscape is critical.

Read the full story on Khwai Leadwood Lodge.

Wild Coast Tented Lodge

A multidisciplinary team created the five-star 36-tent safari camp for Resplendent Ceylon, a subsidiary of Dilmah Tea, whose unique resorts offer curious travellers diverse experiences linked to Sri Lanka’s history, culture and nature. Nomadic Resorts, an interdisciplinary design and project development company servicing the hospitality industry with offices in the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and South Africa, was involved in the architecture and landscape design. The interior design company and manufacturer Bo Reudler Studio worked on the interiors.

The site comprises dryland forests that merge into the rugged sandy coastline overlooking the Indian Ocean. The intention was for the organic architecture to integrate seamlessly with the setting. The boulder-like pavilions of the camp’s main buildings reference natural formations in Yala’s landscape, namely the massive rounded boulders scattered throughout the park, at a macro scale, and termite mounds, at a micro scale.

Read the the full story on the Wild Coast Tented Lodge.

Xigera

Dawn breaks at Xigera, in the heart of the Okavango Delta. The velvety-black night sky fades to midnight blue, and the first bird calls – a laughing dove. It’s closely followed by the liquid notes of a coucal, in turn interrupted by the raucous alarm call of a francolin, as the heavens rapidly lighten. Soon the upper part of the sky has bleached from royal to cobalt blue, and a peachy-pink glow beneath heralds the arrival of the sun. Moments later, the fiery orange-red ball pops above the horizon, and as if to greet it, two fish eagles call in chorus, far away.

I’m observing all this right from my bed, in the heart of my suite. From here, there’s a full 180-degree view of the floodplain that one side of Xigera lodge opens out to, through the glazed front façade of the suite’s bathroom, bedroom and living area. It was a conversation with architect Anton de Kock – who, with much valued professional assistance by Malan Vorster Architecture, designed all of Xigera’s built structures – that alerted me to the bed’s perfect placement. “Sit right here,” he said, patting the opulent African Jacquard scatter cushion in the middle of the bed. “See, the bathroom and the living room are placed just forward of the bedroom space, so you get that view right across the horizon…”

Anton’s architectural inspiration for the lodge came from the natural landscape that surrounds Xigera. He envisaged the structures as being an abstraction of birds in flight, with a central “body” and adjacent “wings”. (The lodge is an excellent place to spot the elusive Pel’s fishing owl, along with many other species.) And so, with their swooping, tensile canvas tented roofs and eye-catching clerestory windows, they do.

Read the full story on Xigera.

&Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge

The pangolin is a solitary creature. One of the most secretive mammals in the African bush, it sleeps during the day and emerges at night to extract insects from their nests with its long, sticky tongue. The animal’s cautious nature and its unique covering of overlapping scales have made it a rare delight to spot in the wild.

Visitors to the &Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge must surely experience a similar frisson when they arrive at their destination: a reimagined gem in the shape of a giant pangolin that is set to become one of the iconic designs of the Okavango Delta.

Sandibe is not a new lodge. The original architect Nick Plewman was invited back to rework the site he’d designed 16 years before, and this time he was joined by UK architects Michaelis Boyd Associates as well as aesthetic direction and interior design specialists Fox Browne Creative. Chris Browne had also been involved before, furnishing the original lodge. This dream team was perfectly positioned to update the &Beyond group’s flagship lodge.

Read the full story on &Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge.

Looking for more? Read our feature on 12 Off-grid Tiny Cabins. Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news..

The post Sustainable Escapes: 11 Eco-friendly Lodges and Villas appeared first on Visi.

We’ve never felt the pull of wide-open spaces and bone-dry landscapes more strongly than right now. Recreate that sense of endless possibility with a minimal, earthy interior style inspired by the desert.

1. Made from kooboo cane and leather, and large enough to take an afternoon snooze in, this new sleeping pod/cosy nest by Cape Town-based designer Porky Hefer is the perfect addition to any hideaway. Pictured: Mud Dauber Sleeping Pod I by Porky Hefer (edition of two), POA, Southern Guild.

2. These mid-century classic chairs were conceived by Danish designer Børge Mogensen, and combine all-natural materials with thoughtful detailing. They’re still in production today at Danish manufacturers Fredericia Furniture. Find designs with a similar feel in SA at Weylandts and Homewood.

3. Casa Pask is theatre designer Scott Pask’s getaway home in Tucson, Arizona. Renovated by architect Graydon Yearick in the early 2010s, the house combines features of the area’s adobe-style buildings with a pared-back sensibility that makes it a perfect desert retreat. To recreate its interior look, combine textured, bag-plastered white walls with natural finishes and accents in black and brick red – to see more of the house, check out Living in the Desert (Phaidon, R885), in which it is featured. Packed with inspiration and featuring the sort of breathtaking visuals we all expect from design and art publishers Phaidon, Living in the Desert is the ideal coffee-table book to pore over while hunkered down in your very own desert hideaway.

4. Rugs are essential in a desert-inspired space, creating a luxurious feel underfoot while adding subtle elements of colour and texture. Pictured: Typhoon rug in Thunder, R12 000, HAUS.

5. Combine scatters with graphic patterns to create accents. Rough-textured, printed deep orange Turk cushion cover by Sixth Floor, R359, Superbalist and white-on-black twill appliqué scatter, R895, Weylandts.

6. Every desert retreat needs an artwork to inspire contemplation and a connection with the natural world, and this exquisite terracotta clay piece by acclaimed ceramicist Andile Dyalvane does just that. Pictured: Intshatshoba (Maize Stalk Flower), (one-off ), Southern Guild.

7. Add a few baskets for simple storage of firewood, throws, blankets or swimming towels. Pictured: Open Weave baskets, from R595 each, Weylandts.

8. Blending sleek lines with a textured woven seat and back, this laidback lounge chair will add an element of casual chic to any space. Pictured: Edison lounge chair, R7 995, Weylandts.

10. Texture and colour combine to evocative effect in this asymmetrical pure new wool rug by Charlotte Lancelot for Spanish manufacturers GAN. Pictured: Canevas Geo rug by Charlotte Lancelot for GAN, R39 500, Limeline.

The post Decor Inspiration: The Desert appeared first on Visi.

In the oldest desert in the world, entrepreneur and conservationist Swen Bachran has built a fantastical house inspired by the sociable weaver nests that dot the landscape.

In the vast ancient desert of Namibia, nature is the greatest architect. Millions of years have refined the shapes of the shelters that birds and animals create for themselves here. The gigantic nests built by sociable weaver birds in camelthorn trees – vast domed structures of twigs and grass often 3m wide – are one of the most striking examples. “They’re architectural masterpieces,” says Swen Bachran, the entrepreneur and conservationist who established the Namib Tsaris Conservancy with his neighbours in the desert, not far from the famous red dunes at Sossusvlei and the haunting 700-year-old skeletons of dead camelthorn trees at Deadvlei.

Before he owned any land in the region, he and his designer and artist friend Porky Hefer visited a spot nearby the site of The Nest, as they dubbed this fantastical house modelled on these weavers’ nests, which they created over the next eight years. At that stage, Swen was still scouting around for a potential conservation project. “Porky came to the farm and we camped on this land together,” says Swen. They sat under the camelthorn trees and marvelled at the communal nests, their perfect efficiency suggesting countless lessons in biomimicry and possibilities for vernacular design.

“He went back after that weekend with impressions and later presented me with doodles of what we called the Love Nest,” Swen recalls. “It was really a one-bedroom nest with a little lookout deck, a library and a shower.” At that stage, Swen had in mind an idiosyncratic “little retreat for family and friends with a token giraffe”. As the idea incubated, Swen ended up acquiring not just one, but three adjacent farms adjacent to an existing conservation area and as he gained neighbours, they banded together to drop fences and create a 100 000-hectare nature reserve with grander plans than just that “token giraffe”.

The conservancy now has a constitution and a 100-year plan to sustain it in perpetuity. “Whatever there was 100 years ago, from a rodent to a rhino, we will reintroduce,” says Swen. Alongside the ballooning scale of Swen’s conservation efforts, the “love nest” morphed into a four-bedroom, double-storey villa. Porky’s conceptual drawings became more detailed and refined. Although they started taking in practicalities ranging from workable floor plans to an underground wine cellar, they began approaching architects to collaborate with.

“They all thought we were nuts,” says Swen. So they forged on alone, gradually assembling a construction team and recruiting craftsmen and artisans. It was a mammoth task: it took a year alone to weld the rebar frame that forms the structure. In keeping with the ethos of the place, the idea was to use local materials and skills, including manufacturing bricks on site and using local artisans to thatch the structure outside and in, reversing the usual approach for the interiors. Using Zambezi river grass from northern Namibia, they also incorporated lessons from the design of the weavers’ nests. The gaps between the inside and outside layers of thatch served as insulation – they’re further apart where the sun is harshest, so a wider pocket of air is sandwiched between them and can act as insulation.

The lessons in biomimicry extend to beautiful aesthetic touches sustained throughout the design. In a novel change from the usual horizontal stone stacking, for example, Porky stacked them vertically. “It directly mimics the trees,” he says, referring to the pattern of the bark on the camelthorns. Beautiful kiaat timber finishes on floors and wall panelling (all certified) introduce the sense that you are indeed in a treehouse. The furnishings and interiors were the work of Maybe Corpaci, who at one point spent a biblical 40 days alone at The Nest, seeing it through to completion. “Because of the nature of The Nest, there is not a single straight wall, so it was quite difficult to find furniture,” she says. On the one hand, she found herself bringing imported Italian furniture into the wilderness on the back of a cattle truck, and, on the other, working on-site with artisans to design and manufacture bespoke pieces.

Like all true vernacular design, The Nest has grown from its context – from its inspiration, its materials, the skills that went into its creation. As a result, it belongs to the desert in a way no other dwelling could hope to. It also has the transformative power Porky wished to achieve – it envelops and immerses visitors in a way that allows them the chance to truly alter their perspectives and relate to the desert in profound ways.

For more information, visit ultimatesafaris.na.

Looking for more architectural inspiration? Take a look at this Waterberg Lodge.

The post Namibian Home: The Nest appeared first on Visi.

Cape Town-based gallery Southern Guild is heading to Design Miami 2019 with a bold new offering, including the Molecules collection by acclaimed South African designer Porky Hefer.

The new collection of hanging leather pods will form the gallery booth’s centrepiece. The series comprises three large suspended orbs with titles that allude to the chemical compounds they represent; Dihydrogen Monoxide, Fluoroheliate Monoxide and Hydrogen Difluoride. The orbs, which are dressed in brightly-coloured leather, a nod towards the international colour codes all atoms are known by (white for hydrogen, red for oxygen, green for chlorine), were manufactured by Cape Town-based leather artisans Wolf & Maiden. Inside, a soft and inviting interior beckons viewers to climb inside.

Molecules reveals Porky’s fascination with the reactions and energy a piece can generate in empty space. Inspired by the fact that molecules are made up of atoms held together by chemical bonds that form as a result of the sharing or exchange of electrons, the artist encourages viewers to explore the complex bond of human connection, one that goes beyond the one between people and deeper into the natural world.

Southern Guild will showcase 13 never-before-seen works that encompass energetic colourways, forms of the future and attention-commanding shapes. Along with Porky’s Molecules, you can expect to see collectible furniture, kinetic lighting, sculpture and large-scale ceramics by Dokter and Misses, Rich Mnisi, Andile Dyalvane, Justine Mahoney, MAK with NØDE, NØDE, Madoda Fani and Zizipho Poswa.

Design Miami 2019 runs from 3 – 8 December 2019. For more information, visit southernguild.co.za.

The post Porky Hefer’s Molecules Collection appeared first on Visi.

The Design Foundation Awards recognise the industry’s top achievers in design, manufacture, commercial success and innovation. Each category is sponsored by a supporter of local talent, and this year VISI was the proud sponsor of the Manufacture Award.

The Imbizo stool by ceramicist Chuma Maweni won the Object That Moves Award. As part of his prize, Chuma will receive free exhibition space at this year’s 100% Design South Africa, which sponsored the award.

Our Workshop, an open-access workshop set up by designer Heath Nash at Guga Sthebe Arts & Culture Centre in Langa, won the Design With Purpose Award. The award was sponsored by the V&A Waterfront, which will commission Heath and his team of artisans to create a dynamic installation for the precinct made from recycled materials.

Durban-based furniture and interior design graduate Lwazi Mshibe won the Apprentice Award, which places an outstanding graduate in a six- to 12-month apprenticeship with one of the top design companies in the country. Mr Price Home, sponsor of this award, has offered him a three-month internship followed by a place in MRP Foundation’s nine-month Jump Start Retail programme.

Graphic designer Bonolo Chepape of textile brand LulasClan won the Future Found Award, which recognises a young designer who has already achieved a degree of excellence with limited resources. Her vibrant designs are inspired by her Pedi cultural roots. The award was sponsored by Krone and carries with it tailored support and guidance from the Design Foundation board to help Bonolo build her brand.

Sealand Gear won the Maker to Market Award, given to a design company that understands the value of brand-building and identity, marketing and consumer interaction. Sealand manufactures bags out of old yacht sails, billboards and other waste materials and is now an internationally recognised brand sold at Selfridges, Mr. Porter and Liberty London. The award was sponsored by M&C Saatchi Abel, which will provide the winner with marketing support.

VISI’s Manufacture Award went to Hot Wired Design. The team was commended for its technical proficiency and willingness to help many local artists and designers give three-dimensional form to their imaginative ideas. From its premises in Woodstock, Hot Wired regularly take time out from manufacturing props, signage and architectural elements to share their expertise with artists.

Lastly, Porky Hefer was named this year’s Icon, sponsored by BMW. It’s Porky’s second time receiving the title, which acknowledges outstanding achievement by a highly regarded designer, based on work produced over the past 12 months.

The seven winners all took home a limited-edition bronze trophy depicting a seated gorilla, made by sculptor Otto du Plessis.

“Recognising achievers in this industry not only places a spotlight on what design businesses are capable of, but allows those outside the industry to start placing more value on the commercial viability, social impact and strategic importance that design can have on economic success and global identity,” said Trevyn McGowan, co-founder of the Design Foundation and CEO of The Guild Group.

For more information, visit theguildgroup.co.za.

The post Winners: Design Foundation Awards 2018 appeared first on Visi.

A

AKJP

Fashion designer Keith Henning (Adriaan Kuiters) and artist Jody Paulsen joined forces to start this creative collective.

Amy Ayanda

Based in Cape Town, artist and musician Amy Ayanda creates beautiful artworks and clothing.

Atang Tshikare

Through collaborations with various product designers, Atang has become a household name when it comes to surface design.

Arkivio

Find lighting, mirrors and homeware from this experimental Durban-based design studio.

Asha:Eleven

Asha:Eleven works with factories that care about what they do and who they do it with, as well as with small social empowerment groups who have incredible skillsets. They’re also inspired to reduce the negative impact that production has on the planet.

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bbellamy & bbellamy

bbellamy&bbellamy is a textile studio and curated fabric shop founded by David Bellamy and based in Muizenberg, Cape Town.

Benji + Moon

Local pet brand Benji + Moon’s products are sure to keep tails wagging.

Bofred

The brain-child of Christa Botha and Carla Erasmus, this collective creates original collections focused on lighting, furniture and art.

Bronze Age

Bronze Age is a Cape Town-based art foundry that specialises in the casting of bronze sculptures, utilising both wax and sand casting processes.

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Ceramic Matters

Established in 1997 by Gerhard Swart and Anthony Harris, Ceramic Matters’ decorative ceramics and corporate ware have garnered an international following.

Clinton Friedman

Based in Durban, designer and artist Clinton Friedman creates homeware and fashion items including scatters, art prints, dish cloths, aprons and serving trays.

Conrad Hicks

“Because I am a blacksmith, I am a toolmaker. Hence, as an artist I am fascinated by the instinctive relationship that I discover between beauty, form and function and how they are inseparable. I work to discover where that beauty lies. The tools that I make are the ‘creative’ component and the work, a record of the creative thought.”

Crystal Birch

London-trained milliner Crystal Birch worked under Piers Atkinson in the UK before she launched her eponymous brand of stylish hats – “which pair perfectly with one-piece swimsuits,” she says – in 2014. In 2018, she became a director of the 82-year-old hat factory, Parisian Milliners, where her unstoppable energy is directing the business into the 21st century while retaining its hand-made charm.

D

David Krynauw

David Krynauw is the creative behind his own local solid wood furniture studio.

Dear Rae

Cape Town-based jewellery designer Karin Rae creates striking and whimsical pieces.

Dokter and Misses

It’s impossible to talk local furniture design without mentioning Adriaan Hugo and Katy Taplin’s brand.

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Egg Designs

Looking for contemporary bespoke furniture? Founded in 1996 by Greg and Roché Dry, Egg Designs has found the golden mean between personalised and trendy.

Elle Kay Fabrics

This Durban-based textile brand designs bold fabrics that embrace geometric and contemporary patterns.

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Famke

Jewellery designer Famke Koene creates simple, geometric pieces in sterling silver and gold.

Fanie van Zyl

We’re crazy about this industrial designer’s style. Make sure to check out his Jozi-inspired stainless steel bookends.

Frank Conradie

Frank Conradie is a successful illustrator, designer and co-founder of Run Rabbit Run studio in Cape Town.

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Galago

Galago is an ethics-driven, fashion-forward brand, crafted and inspired around Africa, drawing on craft and traditional techniques to create contemporary products.

Gisele Human

Gisele makes her jewellery designs by hand in Cape Town under her label WAIF.

Gregor Jenkin Studio

“Is it art? Is it design?” we find ourselves asking when we see the creations of Gregor Jenkin and his team.

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Haldane Martin

Established in 2002, this furniture and interior design studio has grown to be among the best known in the country, having picked up clients such as Cécile & Boyd and Woolworths.

Hamzeh Alfarahneh

Creative director and multidisciplinary designer Hamzeh Alfarahneh is behind NOT JUST A COMB, a collection of one-of-a-kind fabricated ductile combs.

Hoi P’loy

Hoi P’loy is a vintage lighting company based in Cape Town. The brand was created as a play on the Ancient Greek expression ‘Hoi Polloi’ as well as the name of company co-founder, Ploy Phiromnam.

Houtlander

Headed up by furniture makers Phillip Hollander and Stephen Wilson, Houtlander’s pieces draw on Scandinavian traditions. All made of oak, a durable wood with a lovely grain, Houtlander’s designs are minimalist, functional and sturdy.

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Imiso Ceramics

With her hand-pinched collection and his pieces inspired by influences as varied as the works of Picasso and the practice of body scarification, co-founders Zizipho Poswa and Andile Dyalvane continue to raise the bar for ceramics in SA.

I Scream and Red

Cape Town-based designer and entrepreneur Zaid Philander is changing the world “one stitch at a time”.

Ithaca Fine Homeware

The simple pleasure of sleeping under exquisite bed linen is unsurpassed. Ithaca’s locally made and hand-finished pillowcases, duvets and throws promise a perfect night’s rest. “As an interior designer, working with fine fabrics for many years almost left me no choice but to create something exquisite that we can use and appreciate in our homes on a daily basis,” says Ithaca owner Ilze Swart.

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Jade Klara

Jade Klara graduated with a B.A from UCT and a B.A from Vega. In her work, she plays with whimsical imagery and narratives. Jade currently works from her studio in Woodstock.

James Mudge

Creating beautiful furniture using traditional cabinet-making techniques is in James Mudge’s blood.

JimnoJean

For locally made gifts, beautifully wrapped and delivered countrywide, check out the online shop Jimnojean.com, which sells local artists’ work, homeware, jewellery, fashion and conscious beauty products.

Joe Paine

This product and furniture design label prides itself on creating products that are “inventive but simple, sophisticated without pretension, with a focus on outdoor application, plants and birdlife”.

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Koop Design

Founded by Richard Stretton, this studio combines a furniture design and an architectural practice. Much of the furniture is designed in collaboration with architects and interior designers.

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Laurie Wiid van Heerden

This award-winning designer is the founder of Wiid Design, a Cape Town-based design studio with a contemporary furniture range. Be sure to have a look at his iconic benches.

Lichen & Leaf

Lichen & Leaf is a multi-disciplinary Cape Town-based studio that sees Cynthia Edwards hand craft all the items alongside an outsourced team of talented artisans and craftspeople. We just love her bold earrings.

Lisa Firer

Ceramicist Lisa Firer’s unique porcelain vessels are created through a hand-rolled slab-built technique.

Love Milo

Love Milo creates a variety of products in cork and textile, in addition to prints on 100% cotton using sustainable and eco-friendly hand printing techniques and ink.

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MAG by Andile

Andile Mdakane launched MAG Urban African Accessories in 2016. Inspired by ancient African symbols rich with meaning, MAG earrings and brooches come in various shweshwe finishes.

Mantua

Mantua Silkwear scarves, which are locally crafted in Stellenbosch, aim to transcend trends, creating designs that are multifunctional, versatile and not limited to a particular season. Owned by textile and clothing designer Juandi Andrag, the scarves are inspired by art and the way silk reacts against the skin.

Mash.T Design Studio

Headed up by creative director Thabiso Mjo,  this interior and product design firm aims to re-imagine the African aesthetic.

MaXhosa by Laduma

The MaXhosa collection is a vibrant ode to the evolution of African style.

Merwyn Gers

Merwyn Gers Ceramics create functional objects from clay, including jugs, plates, mugs and bowls, from its studio in Cape Town.

Micah Donnoli

Micah Donnoli appeared on VISI’s radar thanks to his striking combination of concrete, wood and oxidised copper in a sideboard.

Michael Chandler

Michael is the founder of Chandler House, a small design studio, antique shop and art gallery. He has an eye for the old, rare and beautiful, and a keen sense of how it fits into the now.

Moss & Moon

Simone Stiglingh, owner of Moss & Moon Apothecary, is passionate about creating products that contain only natural ingredients and essential oils. She was born into a family who all have sensitive skin, so she has always preferred to turn to nature or the pantry rather than commercial products. Moss & Moon is a collection of her best recipes formulated into shard-like soap bars, oils, creams and tinctures.

Mungo

“From our mill to our shop, from us to you.” Mungo is a South African story of textiles inspired by history taking it into the future.

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Nic Bladen

We are captivated by this sculptor and jeweller’s botanical sculpture series (made using plant castings), which hits that sweet spot between art and design.

Nicky Levenberg

Textile designer and fine artist Nicky Levenberg created the contemporary homeward brand, AUREUM.

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Okha

Traditional craftsmanship and a contemporary aesthetic make this design studio and retailer one of our favourite purveyors of African luxury.

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Paper Republic

Gauteng-based Paper Republic specialises in the creation of functional paper products, decorative items and eye-catching installations.

PICHULIK

PICHULIK is drawn to the intimate relationship women have with jewellery – how it speaks of a woman’s travels, her mother or grandmother and the people she has loved.

Pierre Cronje

Inspired by the designs of the Cape Dutch Settlers and French Huguenots, and drawing on Shaker-style simplicity, Pierre Cronje revises these traditions into unique, iconic furniture pieces.

Porky Hefer

Artist Porky Heffer spent 16 years in advertising, then founded the creative consultancy Animal Farm and Porky Hefer Design in 2011. His public sculptures and product and furniture designs have won him international recognition.

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Quirky.Me

The home of “kooky decor and genius gifts”, this design business sells items collected by Ingrid Corbett, and sometimes created by Ingrid in collaboration with local creatives and artisans.

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Renée Rossouw

A trained artist and architect, Renée creates patterns, products, murals and art.

Robin Sprong

Robin Sprong Wallpaper is a Surface Design company that specialises in creating incredible imagery for interiors.

Ronel Jordaan

In 2003, Ronel Jordaan, having been a textile designer for 26 years, began researching the possibilities of using felt as a creative medium. Entirely self-taught and following her own creative instincts, she began to turn fine gossamer thread into robust felted forms.

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SamaSama

Sama Sama was started by Kimberly Lardner-Burke and Max Basler in early 2018, bringing out clothing with a focus on an understanding of movement, unrestricted feelings and with compassion for the body. The clothing is designed to be comfortable while maintaining style and using fabrics which are 100% natural.

Siyanda Mazibuko

“I more than love the process of creating or bringing imagination to life. I have this insane passion to imagine and create. For me, this is what design is about,” says founder of PATE Arts and Crafts.

Skin Creamery

Founded in 2014 by Hannah Rubin, Skin Creamery aims to be kind to the planet while being kind to your skin. We love the idea of minimising clutter in your bathroom by having a few well-designed products that don’t compromise on quality. And you can order refills, too.

Skinny laMinx

This Cape Town-based textile design studio, founded by Heather Moore, maintains a strong focus on Scandi-inspired, Japanese-influenced pattern and colour, with a dose of African chic thrown in for good measure.

SMITH Jewellery

Anna Raimondo, founder and Creative Director of SMITH Jewellery, celebrates the coast in her latest collection, entitled Shoreline.

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The Light Forge

A small Cape Town based studio making one-off, highly translucent slip cast porcelain and stoneware vessels.

The Lula Collection

Nature is at the heart of Lula, from the inherited craft of the weaver bird; the natural and organic material used to craft the product; and the human interaction with it. Browse its collection of hand-woven lifestyle products that celebrate local artisans making with heart.

The Urbanative

This contemporary African furniture and product design studio, founded by designer Mpho Vackier, creates products for stylish spaces, from planters, chairs and nesting tables to floor lamps and ottomans.

Tydloos

Tydloos.com makes bespoke wall clocks.

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Unfayzdesign

Founded by Fayaaz Mahomed, Unfayzdesign creates bespoke lighting and furniture using industrial and hand-finishing methods.

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Vogel Design

Furniture designer John Vogel, who trained as an architect, designs and manufactures imaginative pieces inspired by South Africa’s plants, animals and natural landscapes. His work has helped to define a distinctly South African aesthetic.

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willowlamp

Started by Adam Hoets and Sian Eliot, this studio designs and makes grand chandeliers using a patented method of attaching ball-chain to laser-cut steel frames. Adam is now the sole owner.

Wolf & Maiden

Wolf & Maiden offers an impassioned salute to the craftsmanship of old combined with a design ethos embedded firmly in the future. It’s fine handcrafted products are made from sustainable natural materials of the highest quality.

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Xandre Kriel

This photographer and furniture designer’s creations have a sculptural feel, and sit comfortably in that space where design and art meet.

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Zana

A mother and daughter duo, Sue and Robyn Britz, are behind this studio that creates fun, quirky pieces ranging from furniture to printed cushion covers.

The post Local Designer Guide appeared first on Visi.

Southern Guild and SFA Advisory will present a unique project by renowned South African designer Porky Hefer at Design Miami/Basel from 12 to 17 June 2018.

The exhibition was commissioned by SFA Advisory to benefit the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF). The charitable organisation supports projects around the world that build climate resiliency, protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction, and restore balance to threatened ecosystems and communities.

This series of Porky’s distinctive, larger-than-life seating pods depict endangered species – an orangutan, a polar bear, a sloth, a blue whale, and a great white shark. The sculptures are made of eco-friendly and recycled materials.

“Visitors to Design Miami/Basel will be invited to sit in, on, and around these friendly sculptural creatures igniting a sense of empathy as the stories of the real animals’ hardships and the importance of their survival to our own lives is recounted through interaction, video, and text,” says Lisa Schiff, Founder and Principal of SFA Advisory.

Produced using environmentally sustainable materials, the pods, whose surfaces have been crocheted, felted, stitched and embroidered with unique embellishments, have been extensively hand-worked by artisans in Cape Town. Porky worked closely with textile artist Ronel Jordaan and local craft collectives Heartworks and Mielie to translate his creatures into giant, tactile sculptures.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Porky on this exciting project, and we appreciate his creativity and commitment to helping us find new ways to engage the public on issues impacting wildlife,” said Terry Tamminen, CEO of LDF. “This exhibition will raise awareness about the importance of protecting endangered species around the world. Understanding our impact on the environment is a pressing issue, and we hope this exhibition and others like it will encourage people everywhere to consider making small changes toward a sustainable environment.”

The pieces will be available for sale in a limited edition of three per animal through Southern Guild gallery, with 25% of the sales proceeds supporting LDF’s wildlife conservation programmes. “It’s the future of the next generation that I am concerned about and the state of the world they inherit. Looking after our animals and Earth is one thing, but also the preservation of human skills, crafts and traditions,” Porky shared. “I think it’s important to show what beauty humans are capable of with their hands rather than the destructive mass production that technology is driving the modern consumerist society towards.”

For inquiries, contact Marika Kielland at marika@sfa-advisory.com.

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Southern Guild will be taking a curated selection of South African design to Design Miami 2017, taking place from 6 – 10 December.

The gallery will be taking the work of Madoda Fani, Justine Mahoney, Adam Birch, Paco Pakdoust, Andile Dyalvane, Trevor Potter, Charles Haupt, David Krynauw, Otto du Plessis, Dokter and Misses, Jan Bekker, Porky Hefer, Meyer von Wielligh, Jesse Ede and John Vogel.

In this Q&A with Trevyn McGowan, co-founder of The GUILD Group, she talks to us about the feverish international interest in local art and design and what it means to be at Design Miami.

How do you think the voice of the African continent is currently being received and perceived in the international design world?

In the 15 years that we have been working with African design in a global context, I have been aware that the focus on Africa has steadily intensified. Interest in our product and inspiration drawn from our aesthetic, stories and cultures appear across many industries and an African sensibility permeates countless trends. Our exports of design pieces has also grown steadily with a significant number of new private and commercial clients each year. I think that the opening of Zeitz MOCAA, and the establishment of the Silo District by the V&A Waterfront, is one of the most important developments in bringing international attention to the continent.

In your opinion, why is the work of artist-designers and their free expression so important to the authenticity of creativity in the art and design industries?

Designers have to be groundbreaking, they have to have a unique viewpoint and a distinct voice and they have to have their own, specific narrative. As Africans, we can’t emulate design from other parts of the world, it isn’t at all interesting. We have such a unique and authentic starting point that this is what we need to draw on. One of our biggest focuses as curators is encouraging designers to forge their own paths, to study what the rest of the world is producing, and in doing so ensure that their perspective is fresh.

Since the founding of Southern Guild in 2008 how far would you say you and Julian are in accomplishing the vision you set out achieve?

No matter how much ground you cover there is always so much more to achieve, but I can say we are immensely proud of how far our industry has come. The quality of the production, the vision of the work and the confidence of both our established design heroes and younger, emerging stars is incredibly gratifying. We provided a platform and a framework and the designers rose magnificently to the challenge and opportunity. You only have to look at how far the work has come in the 10 years since we started and how our customer base is now split 50/50 local and international as South Africans begin to understand the category and the value of investment purchasing. We still have a huge amount that we want to do and you have to keep pushing in new directions. The plans for next year include participating at several new fairs, gallery partnership projects and developing new designers from different disciplines. We are also so happy in our new GUILD gallery space, which allows for so many more projects than before.

Do any of the pieces in the curated collection that you’re taking to Design Miami 2017 tell a particular story that resonates with you personally?

We are very connected with all of the work for Miami and of course finishing the year with what, for us, is the best fair in the world gives us a great opportunity to select the most important work from the year. A highlight is always what Porky Hefer produces – this year it is a sublime leather Toucan hanging seat (a collaborative piece with Woodheads) – we have sold his pieces to some of the most important collectors around the world from the fair, including the National Gallery of Victoria, a leading design museum. We are also extremely excited about showing seven of Andile Dyalvane’s works from his recent solo at GUILD Silo, Indladla. Andile has a very strong collector base in the US, including a top gallery we collaborate with, Friedman Benda. Meyer von Wielligh has produced an extraordinary large-scale, carved timber table and sideboard inspired by lightning strikes. In all, we will show over 30 pieces in our biggest selection to date.

5. What do you hope to take away from the Design Miami 2017 experience and bring back to SA and Southern Guild specifically?

Miami, during the art and design fairs, is the absolute highlight of our year. The city is so stimulating over this time with dozens of art fairs, performances, pop-ups and events, that you can’t look in any direction without being assaulted with stimulation and inspiration. We connect with our colleagues in the industry, including other global galleries, designers we have developed close friendships with [sic] like the Haas Brothers and Misha Khan, and we work with our partner galleries like R and Company on our collaborations for the coming year.

We learn so much as we spend seven days viewing the most important design in the world from the other 33 galleries that participate. Most importantly, we re-establish our own confidence in our work and our path, as the sales at the fair for South African design are always so strong. Starting every day in a warm turquoise sea and finishing it at a super hot party doesn’t hurt either.

For more information about GUILD, visit theguildgroup.co.za.

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Award-winning South African designer Porky Hefer’s new solo exhibition, Supercalifragilisticexpilalidocious, opens at Southern Guild Johannesburg this week.

His much-loved human scale nests, which will be showcased here, aim to evoke a sense of nostalgia in the viewer, a return to the playfulness associated with childhood. Inspired by a loss of instinct, society’s obsession with received wisdom and lessons found in the natural world, Porky’s nests and living pods aim, through engagement with the works, to make the viewer aware of perception and instinct.

Making use of traditional techniques, these iconic pieces are constructed alongside local craftsman at well-known Cape Town leather shop Woodheads and The Cape Town Society for the Blind.

The exhibition opens to the public on 7 September and runs until 4 November 2017. The gallery is located in the Trumpet Building, 19 Keyes Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg.

For more information about the show and the gallery, visit southernguild.co.za. To see more of Porky’s work, visit animal-farm.co.za.

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Porky Hefer’s solo exhibition Heart of Lightness recently opened at the prestigious R & Company gallery in New York City, in collaboration with Southern Guild.

The exhibition, which is inspired by Joseph Conrad’s renowned book Heart of Darkness, deals with stereotypes that still hold strong in post-colonial Africa.

It is described by R & Company as “an exploration of perception and instinct, encouraging the viewer to go back to what is human, what is natural and what is playful.”

The exhibition showcases Porky’s distinctive nests, all of which have been handcrafted. “Each piece is meant to be inhabited like a hermit inhabits shells,” explains Porky.

The exhibition runs until 23 February 2017. For more information, visit r-and-company.com.

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