Page 12 - LandscapeSA Issue 108

FEATURE
The lake and surrounding park form a green lung in
this built up residential area on Gauteng’s west rand

FlORIDA lAKE upGRADE

Located in suburban Roodepoort, Florida Lake is PROJECT TEAM
flanked by residential properties to the north and Client:
Johannesburg City parks and zoo (JCpz)
parklands to the east and west. It serves as a green Lead Consultants:
lung in this densely built up part of Johannesburg. Forbsies Project Managers
Landscape Architects:
From the air, the lake is a sizeable one and home to Newtown Landscape Architects
Landscape Contractor:
numerous types of water fowl. mainFirm Investments

he upgrade of the lake and its paint the existing equipment and add oldest recreation facilities, it was
surrounds came about as the new pieces; important to ensure that any upgrades
Tresult of an appeal from the local • add a new outdoor gym area; to it were undertaken with respect to the
community and the councillor, regarding • add plants and grass; very old structures which are listed with
the aging of the much-used facilities and • repair the electrical system feeding the Historical Association of South Africa.
the needs of residents. An important power to the mayoral lapa;
aspect of the upgrade was to focus • upgrade two bridges by adding The following information is quoted
on reducing the presence of vagrants balustrading to ensure safety; from an impact assessment document
sleeping in the outdoor lapas, where • ensure the compliance of existing play supplied to Landscape SA courtesy of
they would start fires leading to health areas by the addition of rubber safety Newtown Landscape Architects:
and environmental compliance issues. matting;
This has been resolved to some extent • prune some of the trees (mostly historic “Historic structures provide a tangible
as holes or ‘windows’ were cut in the Oaks); and link to our past, allowing us to establish
buildings to increase visibility and reduce • repair paving and add universal access a sense of orientation about our place in
the enclosed spaces where vagrants ramps for ease of use by wheelchair- time. They are an important element in
would sleep. bound people. the flow of our culture through time.

Landscape architect Johan Barnard Rochelle Paul, project co-ordinator, Historical significance can be determined
received a brief from the lead consultant, and Jan Smit together form the JCpz through age, rarity, uniqueness,
Forbsies, to undertake the following: implementation team. She says that connection to a well-known person or
• renovate a few old buildings and braai infrastructure projects are “extremely a historical event. Any building that is
lapas; technical and always tricky, due to having relatively old should be looked at for
• transform an old, dilapidated lapa into to balance the scale between the needs historic significance before it is modified,
female ablution facilities; of the community and getting a quality destroyed or changed in any way. It must
• replace a fence to separate a portion project.” also be considered in its physical, social
of the lake from the park, alongside a and cultural context, and assistance from
wetland area; Importance of history an architect, designer or preservationist
• upgrade existing play areas, repair and Due to Florida lake being one of JCpz’s is recommended.”

10 Landscape SA • Issue 108 2021