Environment

A Sub-tropical paradise is the only way to describe this very special place. Coastal grasslands, wetlands and forests attract a wide variety of birds and small animals. Bird hides, nature trails and forest walks create a haven for man to share.

It has been possible to approach this project slightly differently and allow the diversity of the site’s natural flora, topography and geology, to dictate the design approach rather than trying to fit a golf-course or other sales tool into the property. The sites will be developed in harmony with the low density of the Sheffield Beach area, as the estate is to be created as an alternative to the high density and congestion of Ballito. Brendan Falkson from the Hulett Development Company agrees,

All homes on the estate will either have surroundings of glade forest, grassland, water frontage, coastal forest or sea views. Stands will be clustered in villages as small as 5 units and these villages will be protected from each other visually by foliage, natural ridges, water-ways or planted tree lines. The higher density areas will be tucked into 3 amphitheatres and set well below the ridge lines. All these areas will be surrounded by coastal forest bands to integrate them visually with the rest of the estate. A planting servitude along all roads will ensure that coastal forest species such as flatcrowns and milkwood trees re-establish themselves within the first stage of the development. This will also create visual buffers to enhance privacy.

Further, each site will be located in a unique eco-zone or biome. It is extremely rare for four eco-zones to be present within one estate and this provides for an abundance of birdlife and small game. These zones will either be in a coastal forest area, a grassland area, around water, or a glade forest area. Depending on its location each site will be allocated a planting palette of flora indigenous to that eco-zone.

A planting plan will have to be submitted and approved by the architectural panel. This ensures that these unique eco-zones increase in size and prosper as the estate develops.