Residents at the upmarket Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate in Port Elizabeth are encouraged to design their homes in line with well-established architectural guidelines.
These have been drawn up by the estate’s architects to ensure houses reflect a contemporary African interpretation of context, spatial requirements and identity.
Senior architect at Erik Voigt Architects Jonathan Lapham describes their vision as one that embodies a lifestyle where spaces are “open, free and engaged with the natural environment”.
He says the intention is that the architecture becomes the canvas for this lifestyle.
“It promotes a sensitivity to nature through scale and material, blurring the lines between indoors and out while being contextually and climatically responsible.”
While residents are subject to some restrictions, Lapham says they are encouraged to push the envelope in terms of form, expression and material use.
“Clever and thoughtful designs enhance the architecture and offer an enriched living experience for its users,” he says.
“The guidelines ensure the vision for the estate is maintained, the scale of the development remains site sensitive and that there is a golden thread that creates harmony within the estate.”
Lapham says the development is currently seeing some interesting building projects and expects great things in the future.
“The clubhouse, which will provide recreational facilities such as a swimming pool and tennis court, is one such initiative.”
Energy efficiency is another area where the estate aims to excel, according to Lapham.
“We promote sustainable measures aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the entire development.
“These include energy efficient light and sanitary fittings, basic rain water harvesting and the use of either solar solutions or heat pumps for hot water provision.”
He says prospective residents are presented with the full guidelines for building on the estate as well as a list of sanctioned architects that can be approached.
Plans are then submitted to the Design Review Committee, represented by the estate architects and homeowners’ association, to determine whether they are in line with the guidelines.