Students design luxury safari resort
The brief called for the design of a luxury safari resort in Durban which included its reception, restaurant, boma and fire pit area as well as luxury guest suites.
Interior Design students at The Vega School in Emeris uMhlanga were tasked with creating a luxury safari resort concept in just two weeks. Their challenge was part of the Interior Design Collab, a national project that tasks students with solving real-world design problems alongside professional clients. The students worked in teams to respond to a brief from TMD Studio, an architecture and design firm based in Durban that specializes in retail, commercial, hospitality, and residential interiors.
The resort, named Nomwane, was inspired by Nomkhubulwane, a figure in Zulu tradition associated with rain, agriculture, nature, and fertility. The students delved into the story behind the name and incorporated it into their designs. Interior design lecturer Musarath Sader highlighted that the collaboration provided students with valuable experience in teamwork, client engagement, conceptual storytelling, brand development, and professional presentation.
The students also designed logos and explored how their brand could extend across guest-facing materials, emphasizing the resort as a complete hospitality experience. TMD Studio was impressed with the winning team's work, which included third-year students Gabi Hayman, Josh Jackson, and Annabella Venter, as well as second-year students Paige Rennie, Jaime-Lee Rogers, and Sibane Dludlu.
This year, the students had the added advantage of incorporating AI tools to enhance their designs. The team utilized AI to create more realistic renders and an animated video showcasing elements like moving water and people interacting with the spaces.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
