Page 6 - LandscapeSAIssue114

PROJECT

he reserve had a small, existing
visitor centre as well as a separate
Tenvironmental education centre
aimed mainly at school groups and was
tucked away in a non-public part of the
reserve, not fully accessible to visitors. A
new vision for the reserve was to develop
a combined visitor and environmental
education centre in order to showcase
a green building and sustainable
construction solutions.

Brief
The brief to Viridian Consulting Landscape
Architects was for the building to become
fully integrated into the landscape by
using green building and environmentally
sustainable construction methods.

In addition, the intention was to marry
the building and the landscape in
an aesthetic and functional manner,
showing strong integration. Viridian A constructed, unlined pond has evolved into a year-round water feature. The timber deck pathway and
assisted with positioning and orientation large boulders enable visitors to get close to it, its plants and wildlife.
of the building in the landscape and there
was a very specific requirement that the
building should relate to a lawn area and
existing outdoor stage where summer
concerts take place in the evenings
and over weekends. The building is
oriented towards the lawn and stage and
opens itself up to the audience seating
area, creating a backdrop as well as an
extension from which the concerts can
be enjoyed. As a further enhancement
to the building, a rooftop garden has
been designed to experience concerts
and enjoy the spectacular views of the
surrounding mountains. The rooftop,
accessible for environmental education
purposes, houses solar panels that supply
electricity for the centre.

The building’s position and orientation
acknowledge and celebrate the
Helderberg mountain peak and
these informants (of placement and The new centre is fully integrated into the landscape. Green building and environmentally sustainable
orientation) connect the site back to the building methods were used for its construction.
mountain peaks, lawn and stage.

The space between the existing visitor
centre and new building is situated on an
embankment at the back, and therefore
the position of the new building is such
that it relates in a functional manner to
the visitor centre as a rammed earth
structure, nestled into the embankment.
In this way, it emphasises the relationship
between the landscape, building and
rooftop garden.

Landscape design philosophy
The landscape design philosophy was
about integrating a new, iconic structure
into the landscape in a timeless way, by
creating the sense that the building is
part of the landscape and not imposed
on it as a new add-on. The formation of
an integrated whole was key to the entire
project. The orientation of solar panels required an adjustment of plant species and positions to avoid future
shading of panels that will affect the solar efficiency.

4 Landscape SA • Issue 114 2022