The Jungle of Intention
Prize(s):
Honorable Mention 2026 INTERIOR DESIGN / Residential Interior
School / University Name:Greenside Design Center
Lead Designer(s) Name(s):Meeghan Mendes
Professor Name(s):Bongisa Msutu & Ilze Wessels
Photo Credit:Meeghan Mendes
Project Location:Greenside, Johannesburg
Design Status:Concept
Project Description:
This project required the design of a three-level residential interior that supports a contemporary live-work lifestyle. The brief called for a clearly organised spatial programme accommodating living, eating, working, and leisure, while responding to daily routines and changes in use across time (day/night). The design proposal includes resolved plans, sections,elevations and technical drawings, supported by material and lighting decisions that enhance functionality, comfort,and atmosphere. The outcome is a complete spatial design package that demonstrates concept development, user-led planning, and technical resolution through coordinated representation.
This project required the design of a three-level residential interior that supports a contemporary live-work lifestyle. The brief called for a clearly organised spatial programme accommodating living, eating, working, and leisure, while responding to daily routines and changes in use across time (day/night). The design proposal includes resolved plans, sections,elevations and technical drawings, supported by material and lighting decisions that enhance functionality, comfort,and atmosphere. The outcome is a complete spatial design package that demonstrates concept development, user-led planning, and technical resolution through coordinated representation.
Project Innovation / Specification:
This studio becomes an inward journey one of a vertical landscape where design ritual, and nature merge into one deliberate act of living. Light enters the space not as a single beam, but as a shifting constellation of shadows filtered through woven rattan, textured walls, and the gentle curvature of crafted timber. Like moving through a living forest, each level reveals a new emotional atmosphere: a soft brightness at the canopy, a warm density in the mid-layer, and a grounded stillness at the top. The home grows around a sculptural stair — its form a rising trunk — textured with carved cavities, niches, and small moments of storage that behave like natural hollows in wood. From here, the rattan canopy unfolds above the dining space in a quiet arc, catching sunlight in woven patterns. The mid-level deepens into richer woods, layered shadows, and sunken seating that feels like stepping into the dense heart of a forest. Above, the top floor opens into a contemplative realm where materials soften and textures deepen, guiding the body into rest and meditation.
This studio becomes an inward journey one of a vertical landscape where design ritual, and nature merge into one deliberate act of living. Light enters the space not as a single beam, but as a shifting constellation of shadows filtered through woven rattan, textured walls, and the gentle curvature of crafted timber. Like moving through a living forest, each level reveals a new emotional atmosphere: a soft brightness at the canopy, a warm density in the mid-layer, and a grounded stillness at the top. The home grows around a sculptural stair — its form a rising trunk — textured with carved cavities, niches, and small moments of storage that behave like natural hollows in wood. From here, the rattan canopy unfolds above the dining space in a quiet arc, catching sunlight in woven patterns. The mid-level deepens into richer woods, layered shadows, and sunken seating that feels like stepping into the dense heart of a forest. Above, the top floor opens into a contemplative realm where materials soften and textures deepen, guiding the body into rest and meditation.
Project Sustainability Approach:
Sustainability: For the natural rattan cane, it is woven together by sustainable cane which is harvested from the fast-growing rattan palm plants. Rattan palm grows quickly, typically maturing in 5-7 years, making it a highly renewable resource compared to slower-growing hardwood trees. The Palm can be harvested without cutting down the entire aswell. Fixing rattan / cane webbing to a frame: timber frame or panel with a rebate or groove. Wet the cane/webbing, place into groove, glue and secure with spline or small nails/staples (depending ). Ensure proper tension and drying to avoid warping.
Sustainability: For the natural rattan cane, it is woven together by sustainable cane which is harvested from the fast-growing rattan palm plants. Rattan palm grows quickly, typically maturing in 5-7 years, making it a highly renewable resource compared to slower-growing hardwood trees. The Palm can be harvested without cutting down the entire aswell. Fixing rattan / cane webbing to a frame: timber frame or panel with a rebate or groove. Wet the cane/webbing, place into groove, glue and secure with spline or small nails/staples (depending ). Ensure proper tension and drying to avoid warping.
