Ollie House is a private residence in Kenya’s Northern Laikipia district, situated on a 69-acre site adjacent to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a delicate ecosystem with high conservation needs. The house itself features two simple farmhouse like buildings, offset slighting from one another and framed by courtyards, and aims to embrace and open up views to the surrounding grey-yellow savannah grasslands.
The wider landscape is very powerful in this project: an extensive Savannah grassland which turns almost yellow- grey in the dry season and a yellow / green during the rains. Colors are subtle and the wider landscape delicate. We carried this subtle tonality throughout the entire design, ensuring that every intervention felt integrated and as though it truly belonged. For the planting, we focused on indigenous grasses to preserve the site’s existing context, as well as simple thyme lawns to provide subtle ground coverage in calming tonalities. Locally sourced stone makes for elegant hardscape with varying hues that match the muted palette of the savannah. The same stone, machine-cut with the exposed cut face, was used for the more ‘indoor’ courtyard garden spaces, closely framed by the house and internal landscape walls.
The site was once grazing land for local Samburu. Today, it borders colonial cattle ranching land that has been converted into conservancies, offering views of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. This is an UNESCO World heritage site which focuses on preserving endangered species such as the Grevy zebra and black and African elephants. Given the significant conservation efforts in the area, it was imperative to collaborate with the architectural team to ensure the use of humble and environmentally sensitive materials for both interior and exterior choices.
In response to this relaxed yet ecologically sensitive context, the design emphasizes the house’s natural connection to the savannah, incorporating outdoor living, cooking, and entertaining as integral elements. The brief includes three courtyards, a vegetable garden, an orchard, and subtle circulation pathways featuring viewpoints and seating areas.
Landscape Architecture: The Landscape Studio
Architects: Ben Jackson & Jamie Erskine
Engineering: EngPlan Consulting Engineers
Surveyors: Peter Njogu – Design Cost Limited by The Landscape Studio
Project location: Meru District, Ngare Ndare, Kenya
Year completed: 2020
Photo credits: The Landscape Studio
