With land in prime position on which you can build your ideal home from the ground up, Helderfontein Estate is a bespoke property investment. Could this be your new dream address?

In such scenic surrounds, you’d be forgiven for thinking Helderfontein Estate was miles away from the bustling city. But, this award-winning estate’s main entrance is just off William Nicol Drive near Dainfern Square, with a second gatehouse on Chattan Road in Lonehill.

Nestled among greenbelts and parkland along the Jukskei River, surrounded by open parks, roaming fauna and natural streams, Helderfontein Estate is where families enjoy all the perks that are expected with country lifestyle estate living – a top private school, Reddam House Helderfontein; catch-and-release fishing dams, beautiful walking trails, a riverside retreat with tennis court and swimming pool, and state-of-the-art security. A larger main clubhouse with a restaurant, swimming pool and double-storey gym is in the works.

With vacant stands ranging between R1.8 million and R4.2 million, what better canvas to let your architectural and design imagination run wild? Investors can use their own architects and builders, or make use of one of the four diverse building packages on the estate.

For more information on this exciting development, or for a personal tour of the estate, please contact Vee on 082 937 1680 or visit century.co.za.

When you buy into Helderfontein Estate from now until December, you could win an exclusive interior design and architecture consultation. For more info, click here! 

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Hardie Property prides itself on being an Estate Agency that helps people live in more thoughtful and beautiful ways. We sat down with founder Richard Huxham-Hardie to chat about the local market, the challenges of starting a new business in 2020 and how design can be used as powerful force to give back.

What prompted you to launch Hardie Property in the midst of COVID-19?

It all began in hard lock down 2020 and brand Hardie Property was launched in the July of that year with the help of the incredibly talented designer, Pierre Odendaal. I knew the look I wanted for my brand, I predicted that people would want to move after lock down and I deliberately set my commission at 3.45% so that there is never any discussion. The market had been depressed for four years so I felt confident there would be a resurgence in the Cape Town market. 

You have a wealth of experience and international property knowledge – what made you return to Cape Town?

18 Years of residential real estate has taken me from the prime London market as an agent, manager and buying agent, the latter was my favourite role. Then off to Guernsey in the Channel Islands for eight years where I was MD of a design led estate agency which won awards for marketing and innovation. 

Five years ago I came back to South Africa after being born here in 1978 and joined a global firm as CEO. I knew Cape Town but I got a thorough understanding of the Atlantic Seaboard, City Bowl and Southern Suburbs in my four years looking after three offices and 40 odd agents. This stood me in good stead when I softly launched in July 2020 as immediately the referrals started flying in and I was selling from Hout Bay to Constantia and Tamboerskloof and everything in between. All of my sales and rentals to date have been a result of referrals or social media. I am hugely grateful.

What were the challenges of launching a new property business in 2020?

I have never looked back and wouldn’t have had the time to! At the end of 2020 I was feeling pretty exhausted, getting up at 4am and working long full days as the business just kept coming in. I took a break at New Year and thought I’d see how the start of 2021 went, before long I had to advertise for a PA. Shauni came on board very quickly and she couldn’t understand how I was managing to do everything. 

I have kept it small at this stage with just myself and Shauni as my PA. I’m loving the role as agent where I get to meet people and everyday is very different. Many of my deals have been working exclusively for buyers finding them the right property. I am a magnet for buyers and if I don’t have the right stock myself, I go and find it. 

We heard you were a fan of digital marketing?

I love marketing so I really push the boundaries for my clients and I am a huge fan of Instagram where I run my own account @richard.huxham.hardie or you can follow the @hardieproperty page. 

We love that ‘giving back’ is part of Hardie Property’s ethos. Can you tell us a bit more about it?

On a final note, Hardie Property gives back a % of its commission to a client’s charity of choice. Every little bit counts in these tough times and the beauty of it being my own company is that I could include philanthropy to be one of the core elements of my business alongside honesty, communication and a quality brand which is connected globally. 

For more information, visit hardieproperty.com

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Furnished with treasures and memories from a lifetime of collecting, an interior designer’s Oudtshoorn retreat is an intermingling of country charm and cosmopolitan flair.

All Karoo towns have their own rustic appeal, but Oudtshoorn has panache. The flamboyant spirit of the feather barons lives on in its lavish sandstone buildings with their broekielace fretwork – and in its feisty charm.

Interior designer David Strauss succumbed to this charm five years ago while looking for a house to buy for once-a-month getaways from Cape Town. He found a solid old sandstone classic, built in the town’s Victorian heyday, in West Bank. No palace this: a deep stoep, a string of small rooms off a wide central passage, the only flourish a wagon-wheel precast fence. Some renovation was necessary, but the age of the house meant the exterior could not be modified and any alterations would have to be undertaken under the strict eye of the heritage authorities.

“I was a bit lost to start off with because I knew nobody,” says David. “But this is such a friendly town. And everybody knows everybody else, which is very helpful. If you get stuck, you just ask somebody, anybody.”

It took only a few enquiries for help to come flooding in, in the capable form of builder Seun de Jager, landscaper Henties de Villiers, and multitalented mine of local information Morkel Mulder. Their combined skills helped David to create the spacious retreat, which he has now made his home. He keeps only a small pied-à-terre in Cape Town and spends as much time in Oudtshoorn as his work will allow. “Which is wonderful, because it’s quiet here; you can do all your admin, and the city is rush-rush-rush.”

The main house, where his mother lives, has remained basically unchanged. “I removed two interior walls to make bigger rooms and ripped out most of the built-in cupboards, but that was about it.” His next step was to build a cottage studio for himself right next to it.

“And then I thought: Why not build a summerhouse? And it’s worked so well, because it has created a courtyard. I’ve always been a courtyard person. I like places to be enclosed. It gives you a sense of being elsewhere, not in suburbia.”

David had more than enough furniture and art for both the main house and the summerhouse. Some of his most precious things are inherited; the rest come from a lifetime of collecting, each piece selected for its appeal and intrinsic quality, and arranged with the same unerring eye.

“It’s eclectic, not typical old-house. But I wanted to respect the house and be sympathetic to its age. My furniture all seemed to fit in easily and I hope there’s harmony. I choose things only because I like them. I can remember the day and place I bought each item, but I often can’t remember the artist or the maker. The meaning of something is much more important to me than a name or value.”

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HABITAT, the latest in suave contemporary Hyde Park developments, was designed by Studio A‘s award-winning Tristan du Plessis.

Featuring an eclectic interplay of texture and high functionality, the development consists of 17 minimalist units that encapsulate opulent suburban living. Each unit boasts two floors and ranges between 200 and 250 m². An open-plan layout is granted further volume by elevated ceilings and view-welcoming glass facades that allow indoor and outdoor spaces to function as one.

Fine white marbles with stone swirls of natural grey are juxtaposed by large tiles in a subdued monochromatic colour palette allowing homeowners to easily integrate their own style. A winter-warming fireplace is the heating heart of the home and the reclusive garden offers a natural embrace often rare to the suburban developments of Joburg.

Each space is uniquely optimised. The bedrooms offer an en-suite bathroom, the double-garage boasts a built-in storage space, and there is a designated spot for visiting friends or family. HABITAT also comes with a three-tiered security system complete with access control, CCTV surveillance and a 24-hour guard.

Studio A has also partnered with True Design, giving new homeowners exclusive pricing deals on Cassina, Moroso and Kartell designs.

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Local property developer Blok’s latest development, titled EIGHTONN, is situated in Cape Town’s Sea Point.

The five-storey apartment building features 18 modern apartments, all of which are water- and energy-efficient and divided into spacious, pet-friendly one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, as well as three- and four-bedroom penthouses.

The building comes complete with on-site security, access control, CCTV, high-speed internet, secure parking and water-wise fittings. All apartments come with oak flooring, undertile heating, Smeg appliances, built-in joinery, a fridge and dishwasher, gas top and electric oven, as well as TV units, desks and built-in cupboards.

“Nature itself is telling us to be more efficient and it is with this in mind that we have included into the design of the building a rain water harvesting system and borehole connection and filtration system which will connect into water tanks kept within the basement of the building,” says Jacques van Embden, Blok’s Managing Director. “This is added to the already efficient glazing, water heating and smart energy products and appliances we always include as fundamentals of a good building and home, ensuring we are working harder to create more sustainable buildings and living habits.”

When it comes to the design of the building, the interiors differ aesthetically to the exteriors. Architectural firm WAUW was inspired by natural fractals, aiming to replicate the balance found in nature.

The building is scheduled for occupation in summer 2019 / 2020.

For more information, visit blok.co.za.

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The Azure, designed by Metropolis and comprised of four luxury apartments, is due to be completed mid-2019.

Boasting mountain and sea views, the development, the latest from Horizon Capital Residential, is located 150 m from Camps Bay beach. There’s private lift access for mountainside residences, which have four en-suite bedrooms, and a private pool for each residence. The bespoke chef’s kitchen, with separate scullery, is fitted with Smeg appliances. 

“The four residences are works of contemporary architecture, integrated into their surroundings through the use of natural materials and simple primal forms,” says Jonathan Jacobson of Metropolis. “As homes in one of the country’s prime seaside locations, they are designed to combine simplicity and sophistication, relaxation and urbanity. With a strong flow between the inside and outside, the homes are connected to magnificent views on all sides. At the heart of each building is a green space – either a water-wise garden or courtyard – that continues nature’s presence into the interior of each residence.” 

The Azure has been designed with green efficiency and water sustainability top of mind. A well point will be established, providing an independent water supply to each residence. The water will first pass through an ultra-violent sterilisation unit, enabling residents to switch between municipal and well-point water. This supply will be supplemented with potable water storage tanks. A soak-away system is also being installed, whereby natural storm water is directed through a system of trenches allowing the replenishment of the aquifer, with only the overflow being directed into the city’s storm water system.

In addition, a grey water system has also been incorporated in the development, filtering and storing shower, bath and laundry water to be used in the sub-surface irrigation system. One of the key benefits of the sub-surface system is that less water is lost due to evaporation while the irrigation system is in operation. Finally, to avoid the thousands of litres of water that is traditionally lost by backwashing one’s pool, water from the pool will be backwashed into a storage tank where sediment is allowed to settle before the water is filtered and fed back into the pool by a gravity feed system.

For more information and to enquire about The Azure, click here. 

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The development has been designed with green efficiency and water sustainability in mind, encompassing the latest technologies.

Water-saving Initiatives

A well point will be established, providing an independent water supply to each residence. The water will first pass through an ultra-violent sterilisation unit. Residents can switch between municipal and well-point water. This supply will be supplemented with potable water storage tanks.

A soak away system is also being installed, whereby natural storm water is directed through a system of trenches allowing the replenishment of the aquifer, with only the overflow being directed into the city’s storm water system.

In addition, a grey water system has also been incorporated in the development, whereby shower, bath and laundry water is filtered, stored and then used in the sub-surface irrigation system. One of the key benefits of the sub-surface system is that less water is lost due to evaporation while the irrigation system is in operation.

The fourth initiative that has been incorporated into The Azure is recycling of pool backwash water. Water from the pool is backwashed into a storage tank where sediment is allowed to settle at the bottom of the tank, filtered and then fed back into the pool by a gravity feed system, hereby avoiding the thousands of litres of water that is traditionally lost by backwashing one’s pool.

Location

Situated in the centre of Camps Bay, The Azure offers the convenience of being within walking distance to the beach and Camps Bay Boulevard, where one can find an array of fine restaurants, bars and cafés. After an evening’s fine dining and entertainment, one can stroll back to the quiet sophistication and luxury that defines The Azure.

With Lion’s Head rising to the north, The Azure is backed by the majestic Twelve Apostles mountains and looks west towards the Atlantic Ocean – the perfect setting at the tip of Africa.

Each of the four residences offers four en-suite bedrooms with a large master suite, complete with a walk-in-closet and a beautifully crafted bathroom that features under-floor heating, heated towel rails, dual basins and an exquisite free-standing bath. The air-conditioning provided throughout ensures that a cool temperature can be maintained in Cape Town’s summer months, while one can enjoy the colder winter evenings in front of the comfort of the built-in closed combustion fireplaces.

With only three residences remaining, construction is set to commence during autumn 2018, with completion planned for mid-2019.

For more information and to enquire about The Azure, visit theazure.capetown or call John or David from Horizon Capital Residential on 021 425 8586.

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A new development by Rawson Developers, to be completed in September 2017, has popped up in Cape Town’s Observatory.

Situated 10 minutes from the Cape Town CBD, The Paragon is made up of eight floors and 141 units, complete with biometric access control, electric fencing, 24 hour security, gym facilities, high speed fibre internet, 24-hour concierge, secure parking and a rooftop pool and braai area.

While the one-bedroom apartments are already sold out, there is a selection of two-bedroom, two-bath (75m²⁾ and three-bedroom, two-bath apartments (91m²⁾ available – and if you purchase one, you’ll get a R50 000 @home voucher (until end of July 2017).

For more information, visit the-paragon.co.za.

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The collaboration between urban developer Jonathan Liebmann of Propertuity and celebrated architect Sir David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates is setting new standards for modern city living in Joburg.

The 1970s building, located in Joburg’s urban regeneration epicentre, Maboneng, has been transformed into a modern mixed-use residential and hotel development with Propertuity driving the development, Adjaye Associates behind the architecture and Aimee Henning of Malica Design designing the interiors.

Propertuity explained the vision, which aligned with David’s interest in context and history: to integrate retail, lifestyle, architecture and design into mixed-use spaces that celebrate art and urbanism, while combining residential and hotel living seamlessly with leisure and business spaces.

“I saw this project as an opportunity to help transform the city and move it beyond the incredible division that too often characterises it, as well as an opportunity to combine an African aesthetic with a contemporary vision,’ says Sir David. “It was very important to me to show that this building could address changing lifestyles. It was about taking one building and rehabilitating it, transforming it into an urban community that can truly address the changing, fluid nature of city life.”

As the building’s 66 m-high silhouette is one of the icons of Joburg’s industrial heritage, David felt strongly that he wanted to “reveal, not disguise its raw structure”. So this was sandblasted, cleaned and exposed as a feature throughout. Over time the planter boxes that wrap around the building’s perimeter on each floor, will form a vertical garden, adding much-needed greenery to the city. The private terraces also connect residents, or guests, with each other – the wooden gates between each terrace can be left open to encourage neighbourliness and interaction.

The 46 hotel rooms occupy floors four and five, while floors six to 15 are residential apartments ranging from 30 to 600 square metres in size. The interior’s attention to detail and focus on local design offers layered, sophisticated and inviting spaces. A rotating exhibition will be on display, curated by Hazard Gallery, as well as Nirox Art Foundation’s permanent collection.

Social areas serve both the building’s residents and guests. On the rooftop there’s a bar, dipping pool, restaurant, spa and gym; on the ground floor, a jazz bar and speakeasy for evening entertainment. A restaurant, coffee shop, conferencing facilities and serviced offices complete the well-rounded offering.

For more information, visit propertuity.co.za.

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The Winchester, a new development headed up by Rawson Developers, is a contemporary apartment block in the heart of Cape Town’s Observatory.

There are 105 New York-style apartments that form part of the block, all of which make use of clean modern lines and “future-forward” design-thinking. The combination of living and eating areas maximises space, as well as the floor-to-ceiling windows, which provide breathtaking views.

Features of the block also include professional security and green elements, including centralised heat pumps, LED lighting and VOC-free paint in communal areas.

Prices start from R1 699 990 for a one-bedroom apartment and R2 499 990 for a two-bedroom apartment. The apartments go on sale on 23 February 2017 at 12pm.

For more information and enquiries, visit thewinchester.co.za.

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