Construction World December 2022

ARCHITECTS

CONRADIE PARK

T o create cohes ion and cons i stency, whi le remaining cogni sant of the financial prudence needed around the social hous ing elements of the greater scheme, the des ign team agreed that there should be no di st ingui shable archi tectural di f ferences between tenure types for the new neighbourhood at Conradie Park . Predominant use of clay brickwork was used throughout in the bui ldings and publ ic realm to bring cons i stency. Brick features or ‘ rust icat ions’ around windows and the ground plane inter face bring express ion and create dynami sm around the facade, and a play on l ight and shadow. The choice to use brick (as opposed to plaster for example) was made for i ts robustness , sustainabi l i ty and aesthet ic appeal , as wel l as for i ts durabi l i ty, and low-maintenance and hardwearing qual i t ies . The integrated mixed-tenure neighbourhood proposed by the publ ic/private partnership project that i s Conradie Park creates an envi ronment des igned for al l incomes and age groups and l i fe stages , whi le ensuring safety, innovat ive and af fordable educat ion, and job opportuni t ies both ons i te and wi thin the nearby areas and close to the Cape Town CBD. Bui l t into the project ’s ver y des ign i s access ibi l i ty to good-qual i ty hous ing across the income spectrum to foster a blended communi ty. • Conradie Park , spread across 22-hectares , i s envi saged as a sel f-sustaining communi ty wi th al l the faci l i t ies and ameni t ies a good neighbourhood needs ; f rom a high-qual i ty publ ic realm, to securi ty, educat ional inst i tut ions , medical care, retai l and of fice space, and a l inear

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: dhk Archictects • Client: Concor • Start date: 2019 • End date: Approximately 2027

• Main Contractor: Concor • Architect: dhk Archictects

• Principal Agent: Igual Project Managers • Project Manager: Igual Project Managers • Quantity Surveyors: MLC Quantity Surveyors

park wi th hundreds of trees . • The ful l spectrum of the res ident ial market has been cons idered, f rom mul t iple property owners (buy to let ) , to fi rst-t ime buyers and those res idents who qual i fy for subs idi sed af fordable sale or social rental hous ing. • The integrat ion of res ident ial tenures (social , trans i t ional and market ) has been des igned to be non-di st ingui shable. • The scheme’s high-qual i ty publ ic realm des ign sets i t apart . • The integrated social and market hous ing on one s i te i s supported by a school , a park and a convenient neighbourhood retai l centre. • The organi s ing street grid i s rotated 45 degrees of f north orientat ion – so that the courtyard hous ing blocks al l have opt imal orientat ion, ei ther northwest or northeast . 

82 21 st Best Project Awards 2022