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PROJECT

Entrance and parking area planter, with feature trees and colourful summer A bermed bed against the entrance building with screen planting to create a soft
planting transition

View from the roof garden showing the entrance Standing on the bank of the attenuation pond, looking back towards the entrance
landscape and beautiful surroundings building, showing how the building and landscaping blend beautifully together

here are ample green open spaces surrounding fauna and flora, incorporating slopes and level differences that the
for residents and the community the rich Cape planting palette into the landscape design acknowledged, and
Tto enjoy, as well as a clubhouse landscape and increasing biodiversity on shaped into opportunities for residents to
with activities such as padel, a gym, day the site. Emphasis was also placed on a have functional and aesthetically pleasing
care facilities, restaurants, a lap pool and landscape requiring minimal maintenance communal spaces.
children’s play area. Every property opens and as little water as possible. Incorporating the stormwater design
onto a green space. Another layer to the green belts was the and generous slope across the site added
creation of a series of connected swales another characteristic to the planting
Brief and landscape design concept and retention ponds to capture stormwater design, where wetland and marginal
From the start, the landscape was a on site, encourage rainwater infiltration, planting species could also be integrated
main design informant in the entire replenish groundwater levels and discharge in the overall scheme. The landscape
development, specifying the preservation any excess water back into the lower lying masterplan design responded to a diverse
of scenic views and historic old oak trees on river system. range of site conditions and included
the site. Overall, a soft design approach was The client’s brief and existing site species indigenous to the area and specific
taken, which the client insisted on for all character created conditions to which in character. This acknowledged the
designed aspects of the development. An the landscape could respond, and so various needs the site presented, while
endemic plant selection and fabrication of the brief and landscape philosophy are simultaneously creating functional, usable
specialist seed mixes were site specific. closely connected. Architectural and urban spaces for users to enjoy.
The multi-disciplinary design team design solutions resulted in a building
worked closely together to include a series that was enveloped by the landscape and Site conditions
of green belts within the development literally part of its surroundings. This is The site provided several extreme
in order to immerse the residential evident in the gatehouse design, which conditions due to its location, typography
buildings into the landscape and provide creates an immediate, unique experience and design solution responding to visual
all erven with direct access to open space, when entering the estate. Mounding impact demands. Steep slopes on mounds,
embracing the context that the site offers. in areas to reduce the visual impact of mounding wrapping over the gatehouse
The brief focused on this, as well as on the the development resulted in interesting building, stormwater infrastructure and

10 Landscape SA • Issue 130 2023