Into the wild: African safari house

A stunning house, magnificent in design and sitting majestically on the Lower Zambezi River of Zambia is the Chongwe River House. Designed by architect Neil Rocher, the house provides panoramic views of the river and the dramatic mountainous escarpment beyond it of the Lower Zambezi National Park. The four bedroom house has been ingeniously built around a frame of wild wood with ferro walls following the natural lines of the branches. All the furniture in the sitting room has been carved from a single fallen winterthorn tree, and colored pebbles collected from the river decorate the ceilings. The ground floor bedrooms are entered through tunnels, giving the impression of walking into a cave. The bathrooms have waterfall showers, taps made from bone and wood and exquisite basins carved from wood and white marble by the Zambian artist Eddie Mumba. In the upstairs bedrooms you can lie in your bath and gaze out across the bush. “The Chongwe River”, observes Rocher, “has the feel of a fairy glen filled with adventure and mystery. So I wanted the house to reflect this with new textural discoveries, unusual views, and angles that would slowly unravel over time.” Via

“The concept,” designer Neil Rocher explains, “was an organic termite mound coming up from the ground.”

Even the baths look right out over the river and the bush. There are no doors in the home, but curved entrances to ensure privacy.

Photos: Tim Beddow