Tucked into the heart of the Maputo Special Reserve’s coastal forest, just south of Maputo, lies Ponta Membene. A resort that appears to float in its surroundings. 

The new tourism facilities for Ponta Membene received the Award of Excellence by the Pretoria Institute for Architecture (PIA) at their Awards for Architecture 2023 event. A highly prestigious award with a scoring of between 90% and 99%. Flashing Centre, a well-established and highly regarded bespoke fabricator and manufacturer in South Africa, was proud to have supplied the aluminium gutters for the resort. 

The Ponta Membene resort consists of 24 chalets grouped in three areas and referred to as Dune Chalets, Hilltop Chalets and Forest Chalets. A restaurant building, reception, lapa area, boardwalk with viewing decks, pool deck area, camping sites and staff quarters combined with back-of-house facilities complete the facility. 

The new tourism facilities for Ponta Membene have been recognised by the Pretoria Institute for Architecture (PIA) Awards for Architecture.

Design 

The design is influenced by the natural environment as much as by limitations on construction: Deep sandy tracks, remote locations and dense coastal forests. A “tread lightly” approach was taken by lifting all construction off the ground. 

Keeping the natural feel of the resort, the roofs are angled at 15° and broken into small components, thereby limiting the overall roof height of the structures. 

Noteworthy materiality 

This new development began in 2020, as a three-year project which was completed in 2023. In an excerpt from his citation, Mark Schaerer, principal architect at SRS Architects and an adjudicator for the PIA Awards for Architecture 2023, said: “The buildings are intricately detailed, expressing every form of fixing down to the screws.  

The roofs are angled at 15° and broken into small components, thereby limiting the overall roof height of the structures.

The lightweight form of construction was not only necessary due to the very difficult access for construction but ensures minimal impact on the dunes that they float over. The careful selection of materials ensures maximum comfort, easy maintenance and the ease to replace when damaged.” 

Construction 

The construction methodology included constructing lightweight buildings, largely manufactured off-site, transported in small elements and then assembled on site.  

Flashing Centre uses the very latest manufacturing equipment to ensure the highest quality products are produced, whilst increasing the accuracy and speed at which they are produced. This commitment to its clients and to precision manufacturing was a key factor in the project.  

Project details: 

Name: Ponta Membene, a holiday resort. 

Country: Mozambique. 

Client: Peace Parks Foundation. 

Operator: Ponta Membene. 

Architect: PlanEco Architects. 

Procurement: Griffin Procurement Services. 

Aluminium fabricator: Flashing Centre. 

Project management: Ikama Project Managers. 

Quantity surveyors: DH Construction Technologies. 

Main contractor: Fenix Construction Services. 

For more information, contact Flashing Centre: 

Tel: +27 12 333 3784 

Email: marketing@flashingcentre.com 

Website: www.flashingcentre.com