At it’s heart, Kisawa is a handmade island resort with a conscious design approach, employing local artisans and materials, to carefully preserve the environment and local culture surrounding it.

Central to this innovation is a building component crated from the island’s own sand and seawater.  Replacing less sustainable, commonplace construction practices, this sand-based mortar is used in two distinct ways. Firstly, it is utilised across various elements of the build, such as facades to create a tactile and natural finish. The same raw sand amalgamate is also used as the base material for a patented 3D sand-printing technology, commissioned specifically for this project.

Mortar fed into the 3D printer, in situ on the island, is printed into individually specified construction elements, from masonry to flooring and tiling. The end result is not an entirely 3D printed architectural structures, but rather architectural structures built with 3D printed components. These two unique methods of building are used throughout the sanctuary and are merged with Mozambican weaving, thatching, carpentry and textile skills, involving artisans from Benguerra and neighbouring islands. Take a look at our short video about the printing process here.