A safari fantasy in Waterberg for British IT entrepreneur and adventurer Rory Sweet is not only architecturally spectacular, but a haven for the Jules Verne-ish interests of its owner… including a unique copper-domed observatory for stargazing.
(Above) The design of The Observatory, the private bush villa at Leobo Private Reserve, is more like an African village than a single, modern dwelling. Its cellular design or accretion of huts, towers and domes clustering around the central living area and patio make for interesting relationships between its accumulation of parts. The tower houses an automated rotating observatory housing a 20-inch telescope for stargazing.
Architect — Silvio Rech & Lesley Carstens | Words — Graham Wood | Photography — Greg Cox
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Seen through the antique Indian doors the dining room reveals a four-metre-long hand-hewn table juxtaposed with a gigantic over-the-top chandelier made from an entire suspended hippopotamus skeleton.
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In the main living area, the twin forms of a sunken circular lounge and a floating mezzanine “TV nest” create another of Leobo’s architectural “wow” moments.
In the main living area, the twin forms of a sunken circular lounge and a floating mezzanine “TV nest” create another of Leobo’s architectural “wow” moments.
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Off the main living area, the kitchen combines modern, sophisticated features – Corian basins and worktops, telescopic roller drawers – clad in thinly sliced railways sleepers, combining a recycled local historical material, but made elegant rather than rustic. The butcher’s block is made from a leadwood tree trunk.
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The bar-armoire combines a design of “copper cubes offset against black mirror and thick African mahogany”, manufactured by fourth-generation Italian cabinetmakers in Silvio’s family.
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The veranda is shaded by an extended pergola supported by giant leadwood trunks. The stitched ceramic coffee table is built from handmade glazed ceramic tiles stitched together with leather thong or “riempie”.
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The window seat in the library-cum-study below the observatory is one of Rory’s favourite spots in the house. He requested a space inspired by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It is filled with artefacts, sculptures and books on topics ranging from rocket engineering to natural history and exploration.
In the bedroom, the four-poster beds are made from hand-hewn and -polished leadwood. The woven swing seat, like the ottoman in the lounge, uses recycled fabrics. The fabrics are hand-dyed natural linen and wools in a quiet, natural palette to complement the colours of the surrounding landscape and bush.
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The corbelled bricks and oracle window in the shower create a dramatic sky-lit ambience that sums up how each room can be an adventure in itself.
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In the bedroom, the four-poster beds are made from hand-hewn and -polished leadwood. The woven swing seat, like the ottoman in the lounge, uses recycled fabrics. The fabrics are hand-dyed natural linen and wools in a quiet, natural palette to complement the colours of the surrounding landscape and bush.
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In the luxuriously large bathrooms, the ceiling was made casting the concrete onto wooden poles rather than shutter ply. The poles were removed, leaving behind the pattern. The corbelled bricks and oracle window in the shower create a dramatic sky-lit ambience that sums up how each room can be an adventure in itself.
A sunken fire-pit with built-in circular seating makes another vantage point from which to enjoy views of the foresty vegetation.
The rondavels that house the bedrooms have extensive private decks. A sunken fire-pit with built-in circular seating makes another vantage point from which to enjoy views of the foresty vegetation. The carved reclining chair is a traditional African birthing chair.
