JOSIE GROUNDS
KILELE
This is my Final Major Project for my Degree. We were allowed to design a project of our own, so I decided that I would like to do something that I feel passionate about and that I have background knowledge in. I designed a safari lodge in Laikipia, Kenya, for high-end clientele.
BRIEF
This proposal outlines the project of a safari lodge in Northern Kenya located in a ranch called Lolldaiga, Laikipia. The object is to create a highly luxury space where high net worth clients can go to escape from their daily lives while experiencing once in a lifetime safaris. The design will mix African design with ultra luxury materials and spaces. The lodge needed to be self sustaining with electricity and water recycling due to its remote location so I had to find innovative ideas that would be suitable for Kenya. The name Kilele means "Peak" in Swahili the language of Kenya which directly links to my concept outlined further down.
Bedrooms include a solar glass dome for stargazing that collects energy by day, with a cover to darken the room at night while still generating power; excess energy is stored for later use. Rainwater is harvested, filtered, treated, and reused across the lodge, alongside greywater recycling and on-site sewage treatment. Energy is supported by a compact vertical-axis wind turbine and solar panels that provide heating for pools and hot water throughout the lodge. The stables feature a green roof to support local ecology, while anaerobic biodigesters process organic waste and wastewater efficiently.
CONCEPT
-A Space of Stillness set above the plains-
‘Stillness’
The concept story has been taken and used throughout the lodge. The ultimate stillness is the sky, this is embedded into the lodge because of the glass domes with the solar glass to be under the stars. There are also firepits under the stars to be under the night sky.
I have chosen the bedroom names based on tree types which I have named “The Canopy Collection”. Naming the bedrooms after the trees is fitting as the tree is the ultimate stillness above the ground/plains. It provides respite from the normal life on the ground, an escape.
‘Plains’
The aspect of the plains means remote and therefore offgrid. This means that electricity is generated on-site and using natural sources/resources. Therefore there must be less machines and electrical items which adds to the experience of it being a respite.
MOOD BOARDS
BASIC SITE PLAN
RENDERS
To create my renders of the Lodge I built it into 3D in Sketchup, I then took that model into TwinMotion where I added lighting and changed the time of day. This was then progressed into AI where I asked it to add in people, change the views out of the windows into the savannah and add alcohol bottles to the back bar. Here are a selection of my final renders:
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS SELECTION
This is a selection of technical drawings for Kilele Lodge in Kenya, it is a variety of floor plans, detailed drawings and sections.
