SOUTHDOWNS

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House Coetzee.

Tranquility at Southdowns

By Bev Hermanson

After the excesses of golfing and equestrian estates, it’s refreshing to stumble on an estate that offers a unique farm lifestyle. By no means industrial in its make-up, Southdowns Residential Estate features homes that, while following the old fashioned Highveld style, are nevertheless upmarket in their finishes and dÊcor.

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Slightly remote from the N1 Polokwane freeway

These days, however, Irene has almost merged with

that connects Johannesburg’s northern suburbs

Centurion and the surrounding suburbs and the

and Pretoria’s affluent eastern suburbs, the district

area is a bustling hive of activity. As in most cases

of Irene was once predominantly farmland. The

where there has been a flurry of development, an

Irene Country Club, The Irene Country Market and

upsurge in crime would seem to be inevitable. The

the Irene Dairy Farm have been amongst the main

response, of course, was to come up with a secure

attractions to the area, and for many decades, a

solution in the form of gated residential estates and

visit to Irene was seen as a country excursion.

Irene has a number from which to choose. The most

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unique of these is known as Southdowns – and let

Everything about the estate has been carefully con-

me assure you, security is tight there!

sidered. The initiators of the project lived the dream for 13 years before any ground was turned. Before

Originally part of the Irene Dairy Farm, Southdowns

the residential component was started, the South-

covers roughly 200 ha that has been divided into

downs Shopping Centre was built on the extension

around 600 residential stands. Fifty hectares of the

of John Vorster Drive, to make sure that there was

original farm have been incorporated in the estate

a retail convenience centre close enough to justify

and recreational open spaces make up 35 percent

the relocation of families to the area.

of the total land coverage.

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Recommendations for the built forms

The design philosophy captures a farm atmosphere

The vision of the developers was to make South-

was built on the Transvaal Highveld around the

downs one of the most sought after residential es-

1890 – 1910 period. The typical elements of this

tates in Gauteng by offering a unique lifestyle in an

genre are white walls with vertically proportioned

environmentally sustainable manner. In keeping with

windows, pitched roofs, the extensive use of ve-

this objective, they have aimed to create an aestheti-

randas and vertical slatted doors and shutters. A

cally appealing built environment whilst preserving

contemporary architectural interpretation of these

the sense of place of Irene.

guidelines has been encouraged, with the emphasis

with an architectural language that is based on the turn of the century, unembellished Victorian style that

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on simplicity, scale, proportion and refined detail applied to the exterior of the structures. However, to give authenticity to each residence, owners have been allowed unrestricted carte blanche when it comes to the interior layout and finishes of their homes.

The sense of community in this estate has not been left to chance. The harmony that is encouraged has been thoroughly thought through. There are a myriad different aspects of the planning that have all been laid down in the architectural guidelines and all of the building plans have been evaluated taking into account the effect that each building would have on the adjacent properties, whether already developed or vacant. Homes had to be designed so that the visual privacy of neighbouring homes is respected

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House Coetzee. and that all private outdoor spaces are not compro-

to adjoining properties. Air conditioners and pool

mised in any way.

pumps must not be audible from adjoining properties and the landscaping has to take cognisance

Large windows and balconies situated on the south

of its effect on adjoining properties, particularly in

and west sides of double storey homes have been

terms of the effect that any trees will have when

discouraged and outbuildings and yards have to

placed on or close to the site boundaries.

be positioned so that there is limited disturbance

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The emphasis is on the use of rectangular building forms that are sited parallel to the site boundaries as far as possible. The building coverage is restricted to 50 percent if a single storey and 40 percent for a double storey, with 60 percent of the square meterage downstairs and 40 percent on the upper level.

Garage doors should ideally not face the street, but where they do, they must be at least 5 metres back from the street. Wendy houses, tool sheds and lapas are a definite no-no and boats and caravans have to be housed in garaging to minimise visual clutter.

The use of sustainable natural materials has been encouraged wherever possible, with earthy colours used for decoration. Roofing has to be pitched and the materials are restricted to corrugated or Chromadek metal sheeting, corrugated fibre cement sheeting or slate tiles, in either a red or grey colouring, to give uniformity to the skylines. Walls may be either smooth plaster, timber plank, handiplank or

horizontal shiplap timber cladding, facebrick, corrugated metal if it matches the same corrugated metal used for the roof, or Irene stone.

Infrastructure Over and above the provision of security to the residents, the developers have gone out of their way to achieve a high level of self sufficiency in the estate. The roads are made of interlocking paving blocks and the verges have paths wide enough to take golf carts and bicycles. Each traffic circle has a theme and the developers made sure that all the streetscapes and services were already in place so that all the building contractors needed to do was focus on the building on each site.

The Southdowns Energy Management Company is responsible for all electricity supply in the estate and has been tasked with managing the electricity LIVING

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demand to keep it as low as possible, without caus-

related soils. This is an important consideration as

ing undue inconvenience to any homeowner. To

the excessive ingress of water over protracted peri-

facilitate this, the Home Owners’ Association has

ods into the subsurface profile could lead to the for-

been given access to the electrical circuits of all

mation of sinkholes or dolines. The planning of storm

geysers, underfloor heating and any other devices

water runoff was, therefore, vital and all buildings

drawing more than 5 amps.

have to have gutters to channel water runoff from the roofs. Rain water storage tanks are encouraged,

As a supplement, home owners are allowed to in-

but otherwise, storm water is channelled via under-

stall solar heating systems, provided they have

ground pipes and surface channels to disperse into

grey roofs. However, as Irene experiences a lot of

the Hennops River nearby.

frost during winter, only the solar panels may be installed flush against the roof, with the rest of the

Other than rainwater, the water supply is via the

system housed inside the roof.

municipal supply, which is metered at each home.

The responsible management of all water usage

When it comes to water management, there are two

around the residences is encouraged and in par-

vital facets that have to be managed. The most sig-

ticular, irrigation, backwashing of swimming pools,

nificant is the storm water management. Along with

the checking of leaks from water features and swim-

about a quarter of Gauteng Province, the geology

ming pools and any excessive use of water has to

of the Irene area is made up of dolomitic rock and

be monitored.

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Natural gas supply In addition to having the standard trappings of municipal water and Eskom electricity, Southdowns is the first development in South Africa to supply natural piped gas to every home in the estate. Having concluded an initial ten year contract with the developers, Sasol Gas extended two kilometres of pipeline to the estate. A further 10,5 kilometres of piping was then installed within the estate to ensure supply to each stand and apartment, as well as the school, arts centre and shopping complex. “Natural gas is a reliable, clean energy source and unlike other fossil fuels, it emits lower levels of potentially harmful by-products into the air,� says Jack Prentice, managing director of Southdowns LIVING

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Management Services. “It is cheaper and safer than liquefied petroleum gas and, through the pipelines, it is instantly available.”

Each home is fitted with its own gas meter, which is read monthly, so there is no need for residents to worry about changing gas bottles and remembering to order new supplies. This means that in the event of load-shedding, this estate could continue to function unaffected. In fact, the selection of gas cookers, gas braais and fireplaces has become much more varied and sophisticated over the years and now one can even use gas for underfloor and water heating and for lights.

State-of-the-art security A Telkom network has been provided, not only for those who wish to have landline telephone links, but also to operate as an intercom system linking all homes to the gatehouse and to each other. This intercom linkage does not carry any call charges, so communication with the gatehouse remains reliable. In the event that a homeowner does not have a Telkom connection, the intercom is programmed to call specific cell phone numbers, the cost of which is covered by the homeowners.

Connected to the Estate Security System, there is

“You can get some extremely sophisticated gas fireplaces these days,” says Denise Pretorius of the Southdowns sales division. “Some even have speakers to give you the crackling sound and a remote control, so you don’t need to get out of bed to adjust the settings . . . or to put more wood on the fire!”

an alarm monitoring system that is based on three channels – fire, intruder and panic. Further, all residents have access to the estate through a fingerprint identification system, so there’s no worry about losing those darned access cards or remote devices.

Thermal imaging cameras have been installed right LIVING

around the perimeter and on the river frontage there are also dig detectors to prevent intruders from burrowing under the security fences.

Two very different house designs To see just what can be accomplished within the framework of the architectural guidelines, Design> Living magazine was invited to view two of the beautiful residences completed at Southdowns.

The brief for House Roos, designed by architect Pieter Mathews of Mathews & Associates Architects, was to achieve as much transparency as possible. The extensive use of glass optimises the views of the pastures and surrounding landscape. The colour palette has been restricted to the primary colours of grey and white, bar the vivid red around the staircase, to draw the focus up the stairs to the upper level.

House Coetzee.

The owner had wanted to create almost an ‘art gallery’ atmosphere in the house, so the lounge and airy dining area blend seamlessly with the thoroughfares. The kitchen has large foldaway windows out onto the patio and the living areas can likewise be fully opened to achieve that indoor/outdoor effect that takes best advantage of our South African climate.

The interplay of steel, aluminium and corrugated iron along with the use of roof trusses and glass adds interest through changes of textures and form. A side studio/lounge faces an open plan ‘passage’ from the garage that opens to an atrium shielded from the street view by a screening wall.

In some areas, white glass was used to let in the light without compromising on privacy, while in others, the glass has been protected from the sun through LIVING

House Coetzee. deep overhangs. Uplighting at night creates the

The architecture of House Coetzee, designed by Paul

effect that the roof is floating, giving the home a

Boshoff of Paul Boshoff Architects, has likewise

somewhat surreal charm.

pushed the boundaries. Built in an H-shape, the house comprises an interesting combination of the old

House Coetzee.

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House Coetzee.

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and new, with both natural and modern finishes.

The open plan style has been toned down through the use of ‘walls’ that screen, rather than close off the spaces. The kitchen has a contemporary cottage aesthetic, with the natural colours of the tinted cement floor and the taupe walls setting off the white of the cabinetry.

The special paint effects are tastefully applied to impart texture, rather than novelty to the interiors.

The furnishings are somewhat colonial in style, but coloured to blend with the colour palette. The light fittings are exquisite, adding an element of interest and intrigue to the superbly co-ordinated décor.

These are but two of the tastefully built homes that can be seen throughout the Southdowns development.

Southdowns College As with many of the more comprehensive gated developments, the focus is on providing quality family life. To give parents peace of mind and the convenience of close access to educational facilities, the developers included a school as part of the estate.

Known as Southdowns College, the school opened its doors on 15 January 2007, with an enrolment of 130 pupils.

Run by Centurus Colleges, Southdowns College is an independent school that has the vision to provide exciting value-added elements to the curriculum through four pillars – academic enrichment, sports, environmental education and the visual and performing arts.

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proud to be associated with the Southdowns estate

LSB PROJECTS CC PROJECT MANAGEMENT & CONSTRUCTION

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E-mail: lsb@netactive.co.za Cell: 082 497 3320 Fax: 086 513 6489

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In addition to catering to the needs of the families in the estate, the college also accepts learners from other areas and there is a hostel that accommodates up to 70 boarders during term times. The hostel is made available to touring sports teams during the holidays, so there’s always plenty of activity to be found in and around the college.

Sports offered include rugby, hockey, netball, tennis and cross country, while cultural pursuits include music, dance, drama, chess, pottery and ceramics, singing and public speaking. Adding adventure pastimes to the menu, there’s horse riding, mountain biking, hiking, orienteering, rock climbing and canoeing, which are arranged as outside pursuits.

The Sport and Art Exchange A delightful inclusion in the Southdowns offering is the Sport and Art Exchange that is a separate complex situated close to the college. Known as SAX, this complex boasts a 600-seater theatre, a fully equipped gym, a dance studio, an accredited gallery, and art studio for drawing, sculpture and painting and a state-of-the-art music centre that has separate booths for sound recording.

Other facilities to be found at SAX include office space and meeting rooms suitable for conferences and presentations. A canteen and restaurant provide much needed refreshments on campus.

Irene Country Club Part of the motivation behind not going the golf course route was that the developers were concerned that golf would not be sustainable in the LIVING

future due to the tremendous pressure placed on

halfway house, terrace and restaurant. These facili-

water supplies for irrigation. However, to meet the

ties, along with access to the deli and restaurant at

demand for this elite sport, they injected R20-mil-

the Irene Dairy Farm, can be reached along a ‘coun-

lion into the building of a new clubhouse at the

try route’ that can be reached through a security

neighbouring Irene Country Club.

controlled gate.

The golfing aspect of this popular country club was conceived back in 1910 around the time that the

Along with the convenience of the shopping centre, this means that residents need not stray too far from

Union of South Africa was formed. The first nine holes

home for any of their social, educational or house-

of the golf course were originally laid out 1912 and

hold requirements. In addition to adding quality to

then, due to the great enthusiasm generated for

life, the superb features that Southdowns offers go

the pastime, it was extended to eighteen holes in

a long way towards substantially enhancing the in-

1922. Among the first vice-Presidents to be involved

vestment value that is inherent in these homes. <

in the club were General Smuts and Sir Percy Fitzpatrick and since then a number of notable celebrities and sporting greats have joined as members.

Advertisers relevant to the feature homes: > House Roos – Arnokon, LSB, The Gas Company,

In addition to golf, the Irene Country Club offers

Bladcon, Lafarge/ Bens Paving and Absolute Doors.

squash, bowls, cricket, tennis, squash and swim-

> House Coetzee – Hi Fi Installations, Elaine Jansen van

ming, as well as the traditional members’ lounge, LIVING

Rensburg and Arrowood Projects.