This archive report was first published on 24 June 2021.
Kenyan landscape artist Chris Campbell Clause has built a unique four-bedroom earth-house in Tsavo, which he has named Tsavo House.
The house, which took him two years to construct with the help of two men, has a striking red and orange hue that blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.
Clause used a rammed earth technique to build the house, which involved digging septic tanks and water reservoirs to get enough soil to make bricks. He added a tiny bit of cement as a binding agent and cured the bricks by putting them under polythene for about a month.
The house has a unique octagonal design, which gives it some straight edges, making it easier to furnish. The exterior walls were rubbed with soil and then kneaded onto the wall by hand, giving it an earthy look that does not need to be repainted for up to seven years.
Clause has now put his Tsavo House up for booking on Airbnb, charging around Sh4,855 ($45) a night. The house has two double bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs, and he is currently putting up a star bed on the rooftop.
Clause is also opening up his doors to young Kenyan artists looking for residency, where they can come and spend a long weekend, go for game drives, and get advice from him.
Having sold his first watercolour painting in 1973, Clause's studio sits behind the house, where guests can look through his collection and buy whatever they fancy, and artists can draw inspiration from his career.
