Cederberg Ridge - Wilderness Lodge

Drawn by the images of our work on Namibian Tranquillity this Cederberg based family approached us to design the Cederberg Ridge Wilderness Lodge. Situated on a 3,000ha farm in the Western Cape, Cederberg Ridge offers guests the ultimate escape. Owners Anton and Kate Bergh contacted Jenny Mills Architects with the dream of creating a “luxurious wilderness lodge” on their farm near Clanwilliam. Working in collaboration with interior decorator Nina Erasmus, Jenny designed nine spacious suites for the new lodge.

The seemingly traditional African farmhouse reveals itself to be a serene space on the inside. Exterior stone walls contrast with the bright interior spaces that include a restaurant, sitting room, bar, library and spa. Spacious, light-filled rooms look out onto the uncharted terrain of the Tankwa Karoo.

As with all our projects - the landscape is the hero, be it a beach house or a wilderness retreat. A balance of contemporary calm and earthy textures defines this project. Landscaper Danie Steenkamp of DDS Projects established the planted relationship between the buildings and the veld. The “agterplaas” or surrounding vegetation is reminiscent of the simple African farm. Site stone and laterite pathways surrounded by saltbush, spekboom hedges and olive trees allow the lodge to settle easily into the wider Cape Floral Region, a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kate, who has been in the tourism industry for more than 20 years, says of the space, “Here you get raw, rugged beauty in bucket loads. Plus, a sense of utter peace and tranquillity.”