Longlands Estate
Stellenbosch

Longlands Estate is a proposed residential development located along Polkadraai Road, within the Stellenbosch countryside.  The site enjoys views of the various mountain ranges and its rich sense of place is further inspired by the surrounding rural landscape, framed by mature trees, vineyards and dams. Urban Concepts has undertaken a soft design approach so as to dissolve the residential buildings into the landscape by also creating an abundant integrated natural environment for residents with the introduction of a series of green belts of rehabilitated Renosterveld biodiversity.  

These green belts separate pockets of residential nodes, each of which is developed around an internal multi-functional courtyard, and which allows each erf to face either onto a road or communal green space (or both in instances). This mitigates the external visual impact as experienced from Polkadraai Road as well as the impact experienced by residents within the site by providing more privacy and more greenery between erven. Properties lining a belt have direct access onto it and are merged within an organic landscape that becomes a natural extension of their backyards.

The primary green belt consolidates the development and facilitates NMT movement between residential pockets and internal community facilities with a series of trails dotted around small streams, recreational areas and retention ponds and allows the surrounding nature to become a defining factor in both the lifestyle and leitmotif of the Longlands development.

An avenue of mature oak trees, located to the north-east of the site, is retained for both heritage and aesthetic purposes and is a welcoming gesture into the estate. The trees provide a sense of place upon entrance, yet also offers taller vegetation to reduce the visual impact of the development by screening erven located further south.

Typology                  
Residential, environmental, heritage

Client                                 
ABACUS Development Company

Location                            
Stellenbosch

Year                                    
2018

Team                                  
Urban Concepts – urban designers Landmark Studios – landscape architects Lyners Consulting Engineers – Consulting engineers Lize Malan – Heritage Consultant David Gibbs – VIA Consultant Legacy Environmental Management Consulting – Environment Practitioners

Image credits                   
Drawings, site photos and graphics by Urban Concepts