Sleep Over Motel - Phabeni Gate

Award Criteria

Architectural Excellence

The concept of the national project, was to assimilate the look and feel of the Kruger National Park, and all its aspects of outdoor adventure whilst providing travellers with affordable hotel living, accessorised to ensure ‘home away from home’ comfort. The project consisted of 20 sleeper room units, (split into 2 mirrored rooms per module thus providing 40 double bed sleepers). These were unevenly spaced, based largely on the existing flora and fauna, which was to remain un-touched during all milestones and construction phases of the project. In addition, modules were orientated to suite the surrounding contours of the existing landscape, each with its own element of privacy. Primarily north east facing, units are warm in the mornings, and provide, cool afternoon shade as you sit on the extended deck and marvel at the prodigious sunset.

Technical Innovation & Sustainability

Based on the remoteness of the site, and associated transport costs to manufacture units in our production facility and relocate to site, the size of the units required (11.650m x 2.990m Modular units split into two mirrored accommodation units, each with a 1,5m wide balcony), and the access to the site, which was wild bush and un-level rocky terrain at the time of breaking ground, the only option for access was to undertake a build on site project. With access to site being limited to small vehicles or materials handling equipment only, much of the project was kept in a knock down state for as long as possible. The use of local labour was used to get material to each build site in manageable sizes, up to the point of actual fabrication. Electrics were run and fitted within the sandwich panel and this kept the final finish neat and uncluttered.

Cost Effectiveness

Due to its location from our manufacturing facility, 759km (or 471 miles), transport of material and resources was always going to be a factor. The majority of material was delivered directly to site, either from the manufacturer or from branches of the primary supplier based in Mbombela, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. This involved lean planning and execution of supply in order to maintain stocks on site and to ensure there were no material shortages that hindered manufacture. A further cost initiative was the use of modular units for site accommodation. In addition, canteens, kitchens and ablutions were provided to the assembly staff, and this allowed for an early start and a full working day on site, all this at the cost of transport only.