Page 8 - Landscape-Issue160

PROJECT

Landscape installation and
maintenance
Installation was undertaken by Danie
Steenkamp of DDS Projects.
Ongoing maintenance has been
designed with sustainability in mind,
and DDS Projects currently oversees
garden care, with a structured transition
planned to bring this in-house. This
will ensure knowledge transfer and
stewardship, while planting selections
allow for flexibility as conditions evolve.
This acknowledges that landscapes, like
all living systems, must adapt over time.

Hard landscaping
Functionality was a critical driver in the
spatial layout. The reconfiguration of
paths and open spaces was designed
not only to restore the historical
clarity of the werf but also to facilitate
movement between key public areas,
namely the manor house, old cellar, the
new bakery and surrounding gardens.
Durable, low maintenance materials
were selected for surfaces – gravel, local
stone and exposed aggregate concrete
– all chosen for their contextual fit and
ability to withstand high foot traffic.
Mild steel edging was used for seamless
transitions between lawn and paths,
balancing subtlety with durability.
Restoring a heritage landscape
The project represents a bold and
thoughtful intervention – one that
required the courageous decision to
remove the existing gardens, mature
trees and formal landscaping in order to
restore the integrity of the historic Cape
Dutch werf.
Rather than adding more layers, the
design took a minimalist approach that
reinstated the original spatial clarity of
the werf and re-established the correct
architectural context for the estate’s
heritage buildings.
Following a rigorous heritage-led
process, CNDV undertook comprehen-
sive research into the site’s history and
proposed a radical transformation: the
existing landscape had become over-
grown and cluttered with elements
incongruous to the site’s character –
palms, formal rose gardens, brick pav-
ing, screening vegetation, walls and or-
namental features. These were removed,
the landform re-shaped and new surfac-
es were introduced, including gravel
paths and smaller areas of traditional
local stone paving.
The new design integrates The
Bakery restaurant by creating a forested
buffer of relocated trees and lush
underplanting that screens modern
service areas and protects the visual
primacy of the heritage core. Historically
appropriate fruit and shade trees such
as plum, pear, citrus and camphors To open up the landscape around the historic buildings, large trees were relocated to form a forest.
were introduced, in keeping with the Extensive moving of trees and plants created a forest that screens the back-of-house of the new werf
traditional werf setting. from the historic buildings.

6 Landscape SA • Issue 160 2025 Check us out www.salandscape.co.za