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PROJECT

designated places. The landscaping
is high maintenance even though it
is indigenous;
• at the main pool area, Phoenix reclinata
palms were brought in through a tunnel
under the slab using a spider crane;
• large rocks in this space have been used
to retain a slope. Strydom says that
placing the rocks was “very challenging”;
• for the most part, containerised trees
were used in preference to ex-open
ground specimens as the risk is lower
and the growth rate is better; and
• bamboo was used for screening and
privacy, and an indigenous species was
sourced from the Midlands in KZN.
Strydom says this project was “in a league
of its own for plant choices, which were
carefully researched by GREENinc. I’m
really proud of what we accomplished on
this site and the whole project was a huge
learning curve.”
Plants need to be carefully controlled and maintained so that they remain in their designated places.
Stone walls create a separation line between private garden units and public spaces.
Challenges
At the spa level, facilities have also been a specific soil mix for the water features. Kerrin states that to begin with, the grid
extended to the outdoors, where there are They also added pebbles to them; changes on site presented challenges, as
natural and treatment pools. The former • a roof garden above the main reception did the fact that the site is tight and shady.
links to the upper water feature. The main contains rare plants which were Plants chosen needed to be able to deal
adult pool can be decked over if necessary, specially grown for the project; with sun and shade.
providing an option for further functional • the attention to detail required for
use of the space. the planting was ‘finicky’ and created “Our design approach is always to create
a type of paint by numbers approach spaces for people, and to look for beauty
From the point of view of hard landscaping, in terms of installation; and opportunities already present on
Kerrin says the walkway finishes are of • with most of the planting taking site. While spaces need to be simple in
Artevia concrete, which keeps the overall place on a slab above parking appearance and robust in their making,
feel light and organic. “The intention is to garages, there needed to be careful the challenge is always to allow for
keep things raw and simple”, he explains. planning and co-ordination between complexity and multifunctional usage. We
Life Landscapes and the main
GREENinc’s approach to the planting was contractors; also believe that good, simple spaces need
to be detailed meticulously.
for it to relate to the seasons and to textures. • large quantities of lightweight
The upper landscape is a perennial mix of soil were brought to the site by This project was all about giving the visitor
grasses, flowering in different seasons. crane, and levels were extremely an unexpected encounter with a Highveld
Thistle-like plants provide texture to the challenging; landscape – its open grasslands, cool crisp
landscape, especially as seed heads are • some of the plants used are vigorous streams and deep green forests – even in
retained.Planters along the slab edge growers and need to be controlled a confined space bordered by multi story
bring variation to balconies and provide so that they remain in their buildings,” he explains.
framed views. They contain material that LSA
will eventually cascade downwards over
the slab, adding to the forest effect and
softening the slab.

Landscape installation
This was carried out by Ida-Marie Strydom
of Life Landscapes who, during an on-site
visit, made the following points about
their work:
• the landscaping is 100% indigenous;
• different leaf textures, shapes and
colours further establish the idea of
an urban forest, for which the City of
Johannesburg is well known;
• drip irrigation has been used throughout
the site;
• Life Landscapes was also responsible
for the installation of water plants and
Plants need to be carefully controlled and maintained so that they remain in their designated places.
Stone walls create a separation line between private garden units and public spaces.

6 Landscape SA • Issue 91 2019