PROJECT
ALL PHOTOS BY SCOTT RAMSEY
The welcome area leads into a double volume thatch structure
hosting an intimate lounge, dining space, and coffee bar.
Bamboo a cornerstone
at Puku Ridge
One of the key features of the newly transformed Puku Ridge lodge, located in
Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, is the use of bamboo for the interior
flooring and exterior decking of the lodge and accommodation units, writes
Leon Louw.
Global company Luxury Frontiers recently collaborated with
Puku Ridge’s new owner Chichele Safaris and operator
Chiawa Safaris to restore this well-known camp, which
had deteriorated beyond repair after 15 years of operating in
particularly harsh external conditions. Luxury Frontiers designs
and builds luxury resorts and tented projects in remote regions to
enhance visitors’ travel experience. The architecture at Puku
Ridge aimed to incorporate the original thatch roofs and canvas
walls in the final design. However, to guarantee longevity,
materials were carefully selected to withstand the elements.
According to Graeme Labe, principal and managing director at Luxury
Frontiers, the company selected bamboo flooring and decking for
environmental and sustainability reasons. “The bamboo was one of
the key cornerstones of this project. The product gave us the look and
feel that we were trying to achieve,” says Labe.
In keeping with their design philosophy of durability with sustainability,
Luxury Frontiers specified MOSO Bamboo UltraDensity flooring for the
interior floors, and MOSO Bamboo X-treme for the exterior decking of
the lodge and accommodation units.
According to Labe, construction at Puku Ridge started in October
2018 when the old lodge was demolished, and the new lodge opened
its doors in November 2019. Labe says that the remoteness of the site
presented several challenges in terms of logistics. Normally, in such
remote regions, it is also a challenge to find skilled labour. However,
utilising natural materials like timber and bamboo was a benefit as
local villagers do have some experience working with wood and
thatch. “Despite the challenges, the lodge was completed within 14
months,” says Labe.
Apart from the MOSO bamboo used for the flooring, other timber
material used in the construction included treated structural pine and
gumtree poles for the actual structures.
The choice of bamboo as a building material is interesting, but not
unique. Bamboo has been used to build houses for decades in many
www.timberiq.co.za // OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020 9