South African design studio ARRCC has earned international recognition after Kalahari Dunes Private Game Reserve was shortlisted in two categories at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2026. The project is competing in both Completed Buildings: Interior Design and Completed Buildings: Hotel and Leisure, placing it among the world’s most celebrated architectural projects.
The double nomination highlights a hospitality destination where architecture, interior design, and landscape exist as one unified experience, demonstrating how thoughtful design can respond authentically to one of Africa’s most dramatic natural environments.
A Luxury Safari Retreat Embedded in the Kalahari Landscape
Situated within a 19,000-hectare private reserve near Upington, South Africa, Kalahari Dunes occupies land that has been carefully restored from former agricultural fields into a flourishing wildlife sanctuary. The reserve provides an extraordinary backdrop where untouched dunes, expansive desert vistas, and diverse wildlife define the visitor experience.
Designing in this environment required exceptional consideration. Summer temperatures regularly climb above 50°C (122°F), while winter nights can drop below freezing. These extreme climatic conditions demanded an architectural response that balances environmental sensitivity, thermal comfort, and luxury hospitality.
Instead of reshaping the landscape, the design team allowed the terrain to dictate every major architectural decision.
Architecture Inspired by the Natural Topography
Before any construction began, the design team conducted an extensive study of the site, exploring hundreds of sand dunes before selecting the ideal location for the development. Rather than creating a resort that dominates its surroundings, the architecture carefully follows the existing dune formations.
The project consists of:
- A central main villa
- Four private guest villas
- Carefully planned arrival sequences
- Protected outdoor spaces
- Elevated viewpoints overlooking the Kalahari
Each intervention was strategically positioned to preserve the integrity of the landscape while maximizing panoramic views across the desert.
The result is a hospitality experience that feels inseparable from its natural setting, allowing visitors to experience the vastness and tranquility of the Kalahari without disrupting its delicate ecosystem.
Interior Design That Extends the Landscape
Working alongside SAOTA Principal Stefan Antoni, ARRCC developed a holistic design strategy where architecture, interiors, materials, furniture, and spatial planning function as a single design language.
Rather than treating interior design as a separate discipline, every space was conceived to reinforce the connection between guests and the surrounding environment.
Natural textures, handcrafted furnishings, refined material palettes, and carefully framed views create interiors that echo the colors and character of the Kalahari Desert. Every transition—from entrance spaces to private suites—has been designed to strengthen the relationship between architecture and landscape.
According to Mark Rielly, ARRCC Principal:
“Kalahari Dunes began with the landscape. Before a building was conceived, there was an effort to understand the site, its topography, climate, ecology, and history. What emerged was not a project placed on the land, but one shaped by it.”
ARRCC Principal Jon Case further explains:
“The interior architecture was fundamental to the project, ensuring that the experience of the Kalahari is felt not only through the views, but through every space, threshold, and moment of occupation.”
Blurring the Boundary Between Architecture and Interior Design
The World Architecture Festival shortlist recognizes more than visual excellence. It celebrates a project that successfully dissolves the traditional boundaries between architecture and interior architecture.
Rather than viewing the building envelope and interior spaces as separate disciplines, ARRCC approached the project as one continuous design experience. Architecture frames the landscape, interiors reinforce the environment, and bespoke furniture completes the narrative, creating an immersive retreat that could only exist within the Kalahari.
This integrated methodology demonstrates how contemporary hospitality design can respond authentically to place while delivering a luxurious guest experience.
International Recognition for South African Design
The double WAF nomination also reflects the growing global influence of South African architecture and interior design. Projects like Kalahari Dunes showcase how regional expertise, environmental awareness, and craftsmanship can compete on the international stage while remaining deeply rooted in local context.
By responding directly to climate, ecology, and landscape rather than imposing a preconceived design language, ARRCC has created a destination that feels timeless, sustainable, and unmistakably connected to its surroundings.
World Architecture Festival 2026
The winners of the World Architecture Festival Awards 2026 will be announced this November in Florida, where shortlisted practices from around the world will present their projects before an international jury.
With nominations in both Interior Design and Hotel and Leisure, Kalahari Dunes Private Game Reserve stands among this year’s most distinguished examples of integrated hospitality architecture, reinforcing ARRCC’s reputation for creating immersive environments where architecture and nature exist in perfect harmony.
