African Design Magazine October 2015 | Page 34

Click images to enlarge L ocated in the private Linyanti Game Reserve on the western boundary of Botswana’s legendary Chobe National Park - home to thousands of Kalahari elephants – Duma Tau was created by the award-winning South African design company, LIFE Interiors+Architecture+Creative Direction. “It’s a river-resort safari designed to make the most of the site’s unique blend of aquatic and savannah environment”, explains Maira Koutsoudakis, CEO of LIFE. For the LIFE team, the brief was to build a 10-unit classic camp (including two family units) further upstream from an existing camp. This new site on the Linyanti River has direct access to the abundant elephant and hippo life populating this pristine area. LIFE’s concept was based on the light on the land philosophy, which was then extended to a concept of light off the land – indeed, what if people step off the land directly into the river? This translated into a small but well-designed camp that will appeal to safari-goers who want an exclusive camping experience that offers excellent food, comfortable accommodation and the chance to encounter spectacular wildlife. Making the most of the incredible landscape LIFE had the brown tent canvas especially developed, adding sheer mesh walls that allow the interior and exterior landscapes to blend seamlessly. Stepping inside, each tent ha