by Michael Nott
&BEYOND’s Matetsi Lodge is the newest, trendiest and hippest location for the most discerning world travellers. Not only is it a finalist of the We Are Africa design awards that showcase “the designs changing the look of modern Africa”, but it has also featured in numerous travel guides’ hot lists such as Tatler UK and Conde Nast Traveller – publications that aim to be predictors “of what properties will stand the test of time, make history, and let you reimagine how you want to live and travel”. & Beyond provide the most luxurious accommodation at the best spots in the world, and they do it with consummate style and elegance.
They are one of the world’s leading luxury travel companies, designing personalized high-end tours and operating 29 extraordinary safari lodges and camps across Africa, Asia and South America. But apart from catering to the most discerning travellers they also believe in sustainable and responsible travel, community empowerment and development, and a deep respect for local culture and ecosystems. They state, as part of their company philosophy, “We believe that the earth’s wild heritage is one of our most precious resources and that the best way to sustain it is to share it, honour it and realise its value.
By placing conservation and wildlife land on an economically sustainable footing, through responsible tourism, we can ensure that these treasures have a future.” Among their many conservation projects has been the translocation of Indian bison to bring them back from the brink of extinction in India, a leopard research programme at Phinda Game Reserve in South Africa, the establishment of a marine conservation area in Zanzibar, and a rhino conservation project in Botswana.
Their policies include taking care of the land and they have incorporated an environmental strategy that continuously assesses their lodges’ eco-impact, looking at elements like water usage, electricity consumption, other fuel consumption like diesel, petrol, gas and paraffin, and waste management. All their lodges are subjected to ongoing assessments and statistics are collated and analysed to ensure minimal environmental damage. In the same spirit of sustainable development they also take care of their people.
Working in conjunction with The Africa Foundation they support the indigenous communities surrounding the wildlife areas in which they operate. The Africa Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation, founded in 1992 to support & Beyond’s commitment to conservation, and assist communities through employment, land leases and economic stimulation in the regions, focusing on social, economic and environmental development. & Beyond also invest heavily in their staff, believing that on-going training should be a way of life.
Not only are their rangers and guides trained to offer the best possible experience for guests they also train chefs, barmen, security and workshop staff, providing vital employment in areas that are often deeply impoverished. They have trained and rehabilitated poachers to become pastry chefs and helped unemployed youths to become qualified game rangers and scouts. Matetsi Lodge in Victoria Falls is one of the newest shining jewels in the & Beyond crown. The lodge is located within a 123,500 acre private game concession about 25 kilometres up the Zambezi River from the Falls. It’s a pristine location, right on the banks of this magnificent river, teeming with wildlife and unspoilt natural beauty. You’d be hard pressed to find a more perfect location for an African adventure holiday. It’s not just about chilling out and enjoying five star luxuries but also about experiencing the truly wild and untamed natural beauty of this unique part of the world.
Expect fine wines, top class food, well trained and friendly staff, and prolific herds of wild animals. The project began after lodge had been empty and neglected for a number of years before coming under new ownership in 2015. The thatched roofs were in a bad state of disrepair and very little of the interiors or the infrastructure was left in good condition. However the location, right on the banks of the mighty Zambezi, and in an unspoilt wilderness area, was too perfect to simply be ignored. The client engaged the services of local designer Kerry van Leenhoff and Turner and Townsend – an international firm specialising in project management – to oversee the extensive renovations. The entire project from structural renovations right down to the finishing decor details took just over a year and a half. A relatively quick schedule considering the completely run down state of the lodges, the remote location and the almost entirely bespoke nature of the décor
“The Client’s brief was to redevelop a disused 55,000 hectare hunting camp on the banks of the Zambesi River, 40 km upstream from Victoria Falls, into an exclusive luxury resort and private game park. The brief was to re-utilise existing structures and materials wherever possible.The original lodge consisted of 18 lodges, a reception building, two guest dining areas and back of house kitchen and stores. The original lodges were demolished and rebuilt with decks and plunge pools. The guest dining lodges with satellite kitchens were partly demolished and rebuilt. Structures including a family villa with pool and dedicated kitchen; reception, shop, pool, gym, library and spa complex; a boma and a stand-alone vaulted wine cellar were newly built. Turner and Townsend were commissioned to provide cost and project management for the build.” –
Nola Birkett, Project Manager, Zimbabwe Turner & Townsend 163 Fife Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe P.O. Box 2018 t: +263 (0) 4 253012/3 | f: +263 (0) 4 253014 | m: +263 (0) 777 749 008 www.turnerandtownsend.com
Kerry van Leenhoff is an interior and spatial designer and has had extensive experience in Zimbabwe working with various local designers including well known local architect Bruce Rowlands on high end residential projects and lodges in Zimbabwe and further afield, before starting Form Studio- Zimbabwe in 2014. So she had a wealth of experience to bring to the project. Van Leenhoff was born and grew up in Zimbabwe and has an intimate knowledge of local culture, artists and craftsmen. She says that she is “enthralled by her country’s incredible people, the striking landscapes and varied cultures.” She designed every element of the lodges from the architectural and interior elements of the buildings, to the furnishings and operational equipment; using local materials and craftsmanship wherever possible, in order to create a holistic design that is both unique and authentically Zimbabwean.
Philosophy behind the architecture and design: In order for something to sit well in the country it needs to speak the language of the land. One of the best ways to do this is to borrow the narrative from local cultures and customs that have formed over hundreds of years and adapted to their surroundings. After researching this a great deal of time was then spent looking at local building techniques, materials and craftsmanship in order to stimulate local economies and skills. The design seeks to provide a refuge for guests while still allowing them to interact with the elements.
Nature is mirrored by large timber columns that rise up like the immense trees that the buildings sit beneath; and the buildings are moulded from a combination of stone, wood and grass. Open air living catches the cooling breeze off the river and allows the sun to constantly change the shapes and forms of the building elements throughout the day. But at the heart of this lodge is water in the form the Zambezi River; and the local culture and traditions that have been informed by daily life along its banks. Whether it’s the makoros (wooden canoes) that are used to ferry people across the water that hang as giant wind chimes in the entrance; the fish traps they lay to catch fish beneath a coppery sunset echoed in the bars and table; the enveloping of the building with large reed mats they use to corner them in their annual fish drives; or the large woven screens that use skills they have mastered to make baskets used to carry their catches. To put it simply a country’s greatest asset is its people and their immeasurable talent.
SOME OF OUR PROJECTS:
The Venue Harare The Kingdom Hotel
Vic Falls Victoria Falls Safari Lodge Matetsi Lodge
Vic Falls Ilala Lodge Vic Falls Singita Pamushana Lodge
Chisipite Junior and Senior Schools
Hellenic School Pool Peter House Girls’ Dormitories House
Rudland Harare House Soper Harare
