Page 11 - Landscape-Issue141(2)

PROJECT

Restoring local ecology setting will start a new movement in how
Targeting the Net Zero Ecology certification we approach and think about landscaping.
offers independent verification of the Much of what Newinbosch is doing is truly
ecological gains made by Newinbosch, innovative.”
emphasising the importance of biodiversity. Including locally indigenous plant species
Brom says: “It’s really impressive for a high- is crucially important because it supports the
density residential project to achieve rebuilding of the local gene pool, which in
something like this and important that turn supports local wildlife, birds and insects.
verification is made to ensure the validity of “In a fragmented landscape, birds and insects
the claims, which is what the certification expend a great deal of energy reaching
system does. When a project goes to this resource patches, and then even more when
much effort, they really deserve to be able to confronted with exotic species of flowers that
sing about it.” don’t quite read ‘right’,” explains Brom.
Achieving the certification requires Newinbosch is situated on a slice of
developing a baseline for the ecology on the naturally occurring Swartland Shale
existing site at project inception, and then Renosterveld (SSR). Most of the propagated
demonstrating how the new landscaping species will be from the SSR biome, with
strategies increase the amount of some additional ones that naturally occur
biodiversity on the site after construction is within two kilometres of the site. SSR
complete. “We targeted a post-construction vegetation includes a diverse structural
land cover of ‘regenerative endemic habitat’,” palette of open habitat, shrubland and
says Brom. Prior to development, the site was olive-wood forests which will contribute to
a vineyard monoculture with small pockets a varied aesthetic. Some larger tree species
of ruderal and invasive species at the farm from forests that occur across the Western
fringe. “We hope that the precedent they are Cape region will also be included.

The urban farm has a practical and an educational
purpose. Produce will be grown using sustainable
organic methods and sold to the on-site
restaurants to create a closed loop system

Planting pocket forests
The pocket forest concept at Newinbosch
has been loosely based on the Miyawaki
method, which is a way of cultivating fast-
growing groves of native vegetation that
mimic a small forest with trees planted close
together. “The trees reach up towards the
light, growing taller, faster,” explains Tanya de
Villiers from CNDV Landscape Architects. The
method requires a large variety of species,
some of which are not commercially available
or in the huge quantities required. Therefore,
a specialist grower, who owns an indigenous
forest, has been growing thousands of
Saplings being grown for the pocket forests. They are being cultivated at an on-site nursery, where they saplings for Newinbosch. They are being
can be grown to a mix of sizes and adapt to the new site conditions before final planting cultivated at an on-site nursery where they
can grow to a mix of sizes, and also adapt to
the new site conditions before final planting.
The pocket forest concept is not something
that is well-measured within the Green Star
Sustainable Precincts tool and it also goes
over and above the requirements of the Net
Zero Ecology certification. Brom explains
that the team will target an extra innovation
point at project completion to reward the
pioneering thinking behind it. De Villiers adds:
“We are not aware of another project in South
Africa where pocket forests have been done
on this scale, so it is really experimental and
we are excited to see how the mini forests
mature.”
Sustainable farming with a socio-
economic benefit
The project will feature an urban farm
which has both an educational and
a practical purpose. The produce will
An aerial render showing shared amenities, the urban farm and pocket forests which will be cultivated be grown using sustainable, organic
throughout the neighbourhood methods. “The farm will be run as an

Check us out www.salandscape.co.za Landscape SA • Issue 141 2024 9