| Summary: | Our project in Zambia has been to design a new lodge, the Royal Mutanda
River Lodge (the Royal Mutanda), according to ecotourism principles for
CSM SOLWEZI DEVELOPMENT CO INC. (CSM) In this essay we will present
and discuss the landscape design aspects of our proposal.
The global natural resources are depleting and the growing tourism industry
is partly responsible for this. An alternative is ecotourism, which
seeks to give tourists the experience of nature at the same time as nature
is preserved. The Royal Mutanda is located along the Mutanda river in the
northwestern part of Zambia in relatively untouched nature with the Kaonde
tribe as a close neighbour.
The design proposal calls for a planning and a design that is site-specific
and suitable for the location. The lodge should be part of the natural environment
and respectful to the local culture. A neccessity for success of
the project is to attract local and international tourists, this can be done
through enhancing the unique qualitites of the area.
Our objective with this essay is to answer these questions:
- What is ecotourism? How can landscape architects relate to the concept
of ecotourism?
- What is an attractive design solution for the Royal Mutanda River lodge
with the principles of ecotourism in mind?
- What are the consequenses of the lodge for the local community?
|
|---|