The winning team of the Interior Design Collab competition at The Vega School at Emeris uMhlanga presented a fully developed concept for a luxury safari resort in just two weeks, fulfilling a real client's brief. Their project successfully integrated principles of interior design, branding, storytelling, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
This competition is part of an annual problem-based learning project that allows students to solve practical challenges in collaboration with professional clients. The work was carried out by second and third-year student teams in response to a request from TMD Studio, an architectural and design firm from Durban specializing in commercial, retail, hospitality, and residential interiors.
The task was to create a concept for a luxury safari resort in Durban, which needed to include a reception area, a restaurant, a bonfire area, and luxurious guest rooms. The basis for the resort concept was the name Nomwane, derived from Nomkhubulwane—a figure in Zulu tradition associated with fertility, nature, agriculture, and rain. The students researched the history of this name and incorporated it into their design.
Interior design lecturer Musarat Sader noted that this collaboration provided the students with valuable experience in teamwork, client interaction, conceptual storytelling, brand development, and professional presentation.
The winning team, consisting of third-year students Gaby Hyman, Josh Jackson, and Annabelle Winter, along with second-year students Paige Renny, Jamie-Lee Rogers, and Sibane Dludlu, also developed logos and explored opportunities to expand the brand across all materials intended for guests. This prompted them to view the resort as a holistic hospitality experience rather than just a collection of separate spaces.
This year, the students were able to integrate artificial intelligence tools to enhance their work. The winning team used AI to give greater realism to the renders and to create an animated video demonstrating elements such as moving water and people interacting with various zones. TMD Studio highly praised the results presented by the students.