For South African designer Porky Hefer, architects and designers have much to learn from nature, in particular nests which have been inspiring the sculptural seating pods he is known for. But whereas nests are pragmatic and functional, Hefer’s designs are imaginative and daring, his goal being to “entertain the imagination” as he explained to Yatzer, which, judging from his first architectural project – an off the grid, hand-crafted retreat in a remote valley of the Namib Desert in Namibia – he is extremely successful at. Developed in collaboration with Swen Bachran, the owner of the 24,000-hectare conservancy, the three-bedroom house is both startlingly primitive and futuristic. Fittingly named The Nest, the structure has been inspired by the extraordinary nests built by sociable weavers, a sparrow-like species endemic to southern Africa, which populate the property. Housing hundreds of birds with multiple entrances for each family, they are a marvel of engineering not least because unlike most nests they continue expanding rather than being abandoned when the chicks grow up. Using natural materials, locally sourced whenever possible, the house has been designed to seamlessly blend into its desert context, while the hand-crafted interior designed in collaboration with Yelda Bayraktar and Maybe Corpaci, features bespoke, in-built furniture rhat attest to Hefer’s holistic approach. Primitive as it may seem – made as it is with local stones, hand-made bricks and reeds sourced from the banks of the Zambezi River – the retreat doesn’t lack comforts or amenities, with its own swimming pool and helipad (the nearest town is 125km away) as well as a chef and local guide on hand. Yatzer recently caught up with the designer to chat about his project, which won best new private house in the 2019 wallpaper* awards, his interest in vernacular architecture and his passion for animals. (Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.)

对于南非设计师Porky Hefer来说，建筑师和设计师有很多向大自然学习的知识，尤其是巢穴，这些巢穴激发了他以雕塑而闻名的雕塑吊舱。但是，尽管巢是实用的和实用的，但Hefer的设计却富有想象力和大胆，他的目标是“激发想象力”，正如他向Yatzer解释的那样，这是从他的第一个建筑项目开始的，即脱离网格，手工制作的撤退。纳米比亚纳米布沙漠的偏远山谷-他的成就非常出色。与拥有24,000公顷保护区的业主Swen Bachran合作开发的三居室房屋既原始又富于未来感。该结构的名称恰好叫做“巢”，其灵感来自于社交织布工（南非南部特有的麻雀状物种）建造的非同寻常的巢穴，填充属性。每个家庭可以容纳数百只鸟类，每个入口都有多个入口，这是工程学的奇迹，这不仅是因为与大多数巢不同，它们继续膨胀而不是在小鸡长大后被抛弃。该房屋采用天然材料，尽可能地从当地采购，旨在与沙漠环境无缝融合，而与Yelda Bayraktar和Maybe Corpaci合作设计的手工内饰则采用了定制的内置家具，证明了Hefer的整体风格方法。看起来很原始的建筑–是用赞比西河两岸的当地石头，手工砖和芦苇制成的–度假胜地不乏舒适或便利，拥有自己的游泳池和停机坪（最近的城镇）距离酒店125公里），还有厨师和当地向导。Yatzer最近与设计师进行了交谈，讨论了他的项目，该项目在2019年墙纸*奖中赢得了最佳新私人住宅奖，他对白话建筑的兴趣以及对动物的热情。（为简洁明了起见，对答案进行了编辑。）

Photo by Katinka Bester.
图片由Katinka Bester摄。

How did The Nest come about? Was designing a house something you always wanted to do? A while back I got a brief for a game lodge in Zambia. The structures were on a river that flooded every year and every time they would rebuild them using the reeds that grew due to the flooding. The idea you could build something that only needed to last 8 months was interesting, as was the fact that every year there would be more materials to use, which I realized was like a bird building a nest. Exploring this concept, I proposed something different than the cubic structures they were building – if it didnt work, we could always build something different the next year – but they didn’t go for it. Over the next few years, I talked to various other safari operators and land owners, but with no luck. I strongly believe luck, and ultimately success, is based on timing. And then I met Swen Bachran. He was in the process of buying a farm in Namibia and asked my wife and me to accompany him. On the road to the farm I started noticing the increasing number of large nests built by sociable weavers on the telephone poles that lined the road, and the even larger nests on the ancient camel thorn trees that dot the landscape. We camped for a few days on the land he was considering purchasing where I got the chance to study them up close – there were 3 or 4 extraordinary structures which blew me away – and I realised the timing was right.

巢是如何产生的？设计房屋是您一直想做的事吗？不久前，我在赞比亚的一家旅馆住所得到了简短介绍。这些建筑物每年都在河上泛滥，每次它们都会使用因洪水泛滥而生长的芦苇来重建它们。您可以建造只需要持续8个月的东西的想法很有趣，因为每年都会有更多的材料要使用，我意识到这就像在筑巢的小鸟。探索这个概念时，我提出了一些与他们正在建造的立方结构不同的东西-如果它​​不起作用，我们明年总可以建造一些不同的东西-但他们并没有坚持下去。在接下来的几年中，我与其他各种野生动物园经营者和土地所有者进行了交谈，但是没有运气。我坚信运气，并最终成功，基于时间。然后我遇到了Swen Bachran。他正在购买纳米比亚的农场，请我和我的妻子陪伴他。在通往农场的道路上，我开始注意到社交织布工在沿道路排列的电话杆上建造的大型巢穴越来越多，在古老的骆驼刺树上点缀着更大的巢穴。我们在他正在考虑购买的土地上露营了几天，在那里我有机会仔细研究了它们-有3或4个非凡的结构使我震惊-我意识到时机是正确的。在通往农场的道路上，我开始注意到社交织布工在沿道路排列的电话杆上建造的大型巢穴越来越多，在古老的骆驼刺树上点缀着更大的巢穴。我们在他正在考虑购买的土地上露营了几天，在那里我有机会仔细研究了它们-有3或4个非凡的结构使我震惊-我意识到时机是正确的。在通往农场的道路上，我开始注意到社交织布工在沿道路排列的电话杆上建造的大型巢穴越来越多，在古老的骆驼刺树上点缀着更大的巢穴。我们在他正在考虑购买的土地上露营了几天，在那里我有机会仔细研究了它们-有3或4个非凡的结构使我震惊-我意识到时机是正确的。

This is your first architectural project. In which ways was your background as a furniture designer helpful and what were the challenges that this entailed? I’ve always been interested in environments rather than furniture – most of my furniture pieces are environments. Most of my objects are small rooms that you disappear into - I like to entertain the imagination. For me the bigger the better, as it means you have more opportunity to capture a person’s imagination. In design, communication is important when you are working with others, the more you communicate what you want and the more detail you provide, the better the results will be. This project was a big leap for most of the people involved, so I needed to provide a lot of information to ensure we all understood what we were making. I therefore sketched everything from every angle in as much detail as possible. It was a very organic process that allowed for changes to happen if necessary – if something proved to be impossible, we would work out what was possible. Everything, including the plans was hand-drawn so there was some leeway when it came to the construction.

这是您的第一个建筑项目。您作为家具设计师的背景在哪些方面有所帮助，这带来了哪些挑战？我一直对环境感兴趣，而不是对家具感兴趣–我的大部分家具作品都是环境。我的大多数物品都是小房间，您会消失在其中-我喜欢娱乐想象力。对我来说，越大越好，因为这意味着您有更多机会捕捉一个人的想象力。在设计中，与他人合作时进行交流很重要，交流的内容越多，提供的细节越多，结果就会越好。对于大多数相关人员来说，这个项目是一个巨大的飞跃，因此我需要提供很多信息，以确保我们所有人都知道自己在做什么。因此，我从各个角度尽可能详细地勾画了一切。这是一个非常有机的过程，可以在必要时进行更改-如果事实证明不可能，那么我们将尽一切可能。包括平面图在内的所有内容都是手工绘制的，因此在建造时会有一些余地。

In design, when you are working with others communication is important, the more you communicate what you want, and the more detail you provide, the better the results will be. Porky Hefer

在设计中，当您与他人合作时，沟通很重要，沟通的内容越多，您提供的详细信息越多，结果就会越好。

How did the project’s focus on sustainability and conservationism affect the house’s design? Were the restrictions that this approach imposed an impetus for creativity and innovation? One of the basic principles of vernacular architecture, which is what really interests me, is the use of local materials, local techniques and local artisans which is why vernacular buildings are better suited for their environment and blend in more easily. They also boost the local economy and strengthen the local community. For this project, it helped that the site was so far from Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia, as it was almost impossible to get materials sent from there, so going local was the obvious solution. The local materials are moreover perfectly suited to the harsh desert environment; besides anything foreign wouldn’t be able to cope with the elements or would get eaten up far quicker. Also, the handmade bricks that we used saved us from transporting heavy loads on roads that were only fit for a 4x4 vehicles, while the use of stones from the site meant the walls disappear into the landscape.

该项目对可持续性和保护主义的关注如何影响房屋的设计？这种方法是否限制了创造力和创新能力？真正令我感兴趣的是白话建筑的基本原理之一，就是使用当地的材料，当地的技术和当地的工匠，这就是为什么白话建筑更适合其环境并更容易融入的原因。它们还促进了当地经济并增强了当地社区。对于该项目，该站点离纳米比亚的首都温得和克很远，这是有帮助的，因为几乎不可能从那里寄出材料，因此本地化是一个明显的解决方案。此外，当地材料非常适合恶劣的沙漠环境；除此以外，任何外国人都无法应付这些因素，或者会更快地被吞噬。另外，我们使用的手工砖使我们免于在仅适合4x4车辆行驶的道路上运输重物，而使用现场的石头意味着墙壁消失在景观中。

Nests have long been a source of inspiration for you. What is their significance for you as a designer? Birds build their nests in terms of form, not materials. They build the smallest form possible for their needs and use materials that are readily available within a certain radius at the time they are needed, which ensures that they blend into the environment rather than stand out. We need to learn from them. I love the sounds birds make, their personalities and quirks. Birds amaze me, they make me smile, make me laugh. I recently had the privilege of witnessing the mating dance of a young male blue crane (our National bird) that was trying to impress a female. The wind was incredibly strong, so he soon started jumping up into the wind with his wings extended which suspended him in the air, almost as if he was in slow motion. The dance that followed was truly one of the most beautiful moments of my life. Did the interior aesthetic naturally stem from the choice of building materials and construction method or was it part of the initial design concept? Birds don’t use much furniture in their nests. In fact, the nest is the furniture. So the idea was to build the furniture into the structure as much as possible, creating one seamless structure with various functions, a good example of which is the sunken lounge in the centre of the main living space. All but one of the beds are built in, with the double bunk for the kids being the most fantastic. I wanted to create a space that you could move through easily so I didnt want the clutter that obstructs most homes these days.

长期以来，巢一直是您的灵感之源。作为设计师，它们对您有什么意义？鸟类以形式而非材料来筑巢。他们根据需要制造出最小的外形，并使用在需要时可以在一定半径范围内容易获得的材料，从而确保它们融入环境中而不是脱颖而出。我们需要向他们学习。我喜欢鸟类发出的声音，它们的个性和怪癖。鸟儿让我赞叹不已，它们使我微笑，使我发笑。我最近有幸亲眼目睹了一只雄性蓝鹤（我们的国家鸟）的交配舞，这种雄鹤正试图给雌性留下深刻的印象。风很大得难以置信，所以他很快就开始跳了起来，翅膀张开，使他悬浮在空中，几乎就像在慢动作一样。随之而来的舞蹈确实是我一生中最美丽的时刻之一。内部美学是自然而然地从建筑材料和建筑方法的选择中产生的，还是它是初始设计概念的一部分？鸟在巢中不使用太多家具。实际上，巢就是家具。因此，我们的想法是将家具尽可能多地嵌入结构中，从而创建一个具有各种功能的无缝结构，其中一个很好的例子就是主起居空间中央的凹陷休息室。除了一张床外，其他所有床都是内置的，其中最适合孩子们的双层床。我想创建一个可以轻松通过的空间，所以我不希望这些年来困扰大多数房屋的混乱状况。内部美学是自然而然地从建筑材料和建筑方法的选择中产生的，还是它是初始设计概念的一部分？鸟在巢中不使用太多家具。实际上，巢就是家具。因此，我们的想法是将家具尽可能多地嵌入结构中，从而创建一个具有各种功能的无缝结构，其中一个很好的例子就是主起居空间中央的凹陷休息室。除了一张床外，其他所有床都是内置的，其中最适合孩子们的双层床。我想创建一个可以轻松通过的空间，所以我不希望这些年来困扰大多数房屋的混乱状况。内部美学是自然而然地从建筑材料和建筑方法的选择中产生的，还是它是初始设计概念的一部分？鸟在巢中不使用太多家具。实际上，巢就是家具。因此，我们的想法是将家具尽可能多地嵌入结构中，从而创建一个具有各种功能的无缝结构，其中一个很好的例子就是主起居空间中央的凹陷休息室。除了一张床外，其他所有床都是内置的，其中最适合孩子们的双层床。我想创建一个可以轻松通过的空间，所以我不希望这些年来困扰大多数房屋的混乱状况。巢是家具。因此，我们的想法是将家具尽可能多地嵌入结构中，从而创建一个具有各种功能的无缝结构，其中一个很好的例子就是主起居空间中央的凹陷休息室。除了一张床外，其他所有床都是内置的，其中最适合孩子们的双层床。我想创建一个可以轻松通过的空间，所以我不希望这些年来困扰大多数房屋的混乱状况。巢是家具。因此，我们的想法是将家具尽可能多地嵌入结构中，从而创建一个具有各种功能的无缝结构，其中一个很好的例子就是主起居空间中央的凹陷休息室。除了一张床外，其他所有床都是内置的，其中最适合孩子们的双层床。我想创建一个可以轻松通过的空间，所以我不希望这些年来困扰大多数房屋的混乱状况。

I like to work with what people recognise and can relate to. I like to include rather than exclude, to simplify things rather than complicate. Porky Hefer

我喜欢与人们认可并可以联系的东西一起工作。我喜欢包含而不是排除，是为了简化而不是复杂化。

Animal iconography is an important inspiration in your practice. Where does this interest come from? I was extremely fortunate and blessed to spend a lot of my childhood in nature. We would spend most weekends on a game farm near Johannesburg and frequently went on trips to game reserves like Kruger Park and the incredible reserves in KwaZulu Natal – it was my father’s way of keeping me and my three siblings entertained. Nature mesmerised me and got my imagination running wild, I felt at home there. I was always surrounded by animals, both wild and domestic. Some of my best friends were animals: dogs, horses, ostriches, sheep, mice, lovebirds, fish, rhinoceros, beetles, spiders and snakes, they all lived in my pocket or bed – in fact, while working on The Nest I shared my bed with a cheetah and a Karakul cub. Animals dont judge you like humans do. They are honest (although cats can be a bit tricky) and do what they feel. I read at a young age that early science fiction creators looked through microscopes for inspiration rather than up towards space. If you look closely, youll see that the insects in your garden look a lot like the crowd in a bar in a Star Wars movie. Watch the movie Microcosmos and it will blow your mind.

动物肖像术是您练习的重要灵感。这种兴趣从何而来？我很幸运，很幸运在自然界度过了我的许多童年。我们大多数周末都会在约翰内斯堡附近的游戏农场度过，并经常去克鲁格公园和夸祖鲁纳塔尔（KwaZulu Natal）这样令人难以置信的自然保护区旅行–这是我父亲让我和我的三个兄弟姐妹开心的方式。大自然使我着迷，使我的想象力疯狂，在那里我感到宾至如归。我总是被野生和家养的动物所包围。我最好的一些朋友是动物：狗，马，鸵鸟，绵羊，小鼠，爱情鸟，鱼，犀牛，甲虫，蜘蛛和蛇，它们都生活在我的口袋或床上–实际上，在我与The Nest合作时，猎豹和卡拉库尔幼崽的床上。动物不会像人类那样判断您。他们很诚实（尽管猫可能会有些棘手），并且会按照自己的感觉去做。我很小的时候就读过，早期的科幻小说创作者是通过显微镜寻找灵感的，而不是朝太空方向发展。如果仔细观察，您会发现花园中的昆虫看起来很像《星球大战》电影中酒吧里的人群。观看电影《微观宇宙》，它会让您大吃一惊。

Your work is underpinned by a whimsical sensibility. How important is this aspect of your work and why? I think it is very important to connect with people on a positive note. I like to work with what people recognise and can relate to. I like to include rather than exclude, to simplify things rather than complicate. The way I see the world is very different to most. I notice little things and brief moments which make me smile. I think a lot about things that most would find trivial or inconsequential, it’s in the little things that I get my pleasure. What would you love to design next? A structure for me and my wife to live and work in. We have just moved to the South of France and we are looking for the perfect environment to do it. It’s the land of Andre Bloc, Pierre Szekely, Jaques Couelle, Valentine Schlegel, Claude Costy, Henri Mouette, Pascal Hausermann, Daniel Grataloup and Antti Lovag, so I’m definitely in the right place.

异想天开的敏感性为您的工作提供了支持。您的工作的这一方面有多重要？为什么？我认为以积极的态度与人建立联系非常重要。我喜欢与人们认可并可以联系的东西一起工作。我喜欢包含而不是排除，是为了简化而不是复杂化。我对世界的看法与大多数人截然不同。我注意到一些小事和短暂的片刻让我微笑。我认为大多数事情都是琐碎的或无关紧要的事情，在小事情中我感到很高兴。您接下来想设计什么？我和我妻子生活和工作的结构。我们刚刚搬到法国南部，我们正在寻找理想的环境来实现这一目标。

I find nature fascinating. There is so much drama and beauty happening every second. Porky Hefer

我发现大自然令人着迷。每秒钟都有如此多的戏剧和美丽发生。

Portrait of Porky Hefer. Featuring Buttpuss, from the series Plastocene – Marine Mutants From a Disposable World. Photo Antonia Steyn, courtesy Southern Guild.

以《新世-来自一次性世界的海洋突变》系列中的But猫为特色。图片：Antonia Steyn

keywords:Travel Architecture 

关键字：旅游建筑