rom the gates of Namib Tsaris Conservancy,
a private reserve located in a remote valley of
the Namib Desert, it’s a 30km drive to The
Nest. The journey is best undertaken during
the day, for at night, stars alone illuminate
the dirt roads, and leopards and hyenas prowl
the land. On approach, a swimming pool and
a grid of solar panels are the most visible signs
of human life, for the isolated hideaway itself,
with its thatched roof and soft lighting, is a
barely-there silhouette in the landscape.
The nearest town is 125km away and wildlife,
which congregates around a loodlit watering
hole, provides the only company. Seclusion
is just one of The Nest’s selling points. On
hand are a local chef, butler and guide, as well
as a helipad. It’s a short light to the World
Heritage Site of Sossusvlei, home to glowing
red sand dunes, and Deadvlei, a graveyard
of 700-year-old camel thorn trees.It was on this same spot that, eight years
ago, South African designer Porky Hefer and
Swen Bachran, owner of the 24,000-hectare
conservancy, camped out. They had come
to survey the site as a location for a dwelling
that could be a scaled-up version of the
‘nests’ – pod-like furniture – that Hefer was
becoming known for (last year, one of his
‘Humanest’ hanging chairs, handwoven in
kooboo cane, sold at Sotheby’s for £12,500).
While they dreamed up their crazy scheme
(Hefer had never designed a house before and
materials would need to be transported from
480km away), they observed the vast,
labyrinthine nests of the local sociable weaver
birds. Such nests can house hundreds of birds,
who gather in diferent ‘rooms’ – outer,
cool spaces during the day, and warm, inner
areas when night-time temperatures
plummet. Why not apply their eicient »F
Architecture