Paardevlei Square and Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate form part of several residential estates we’ve designed for Balwin Properties in the Western Cape. In this article, we’ve unpacked the basic summary of the two projects.

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Paardevlei Square‍

Paardevlei Square is located in the historic core of the Paardevlei precinct, adjacent to a vlei and wetlands. The site offers uninterrupted views of the Hottentots Hollands Mountains.

We designed a series of contemporary apartment buildings arranged around a landscaped park, oriented to take advantage of panoramic vistas and create a village-like feel within the development, while maximising the development capacity of the site.

The development comprises a combination of two- and three-bedroom units, with balconies on the upper levels and garden terraces on the ground level. Primary parking bays for the 87 units are provided adjacent to the buildings with some garages and additional parking located on the edges of the site. The upper-level balconies project out from the living and bedroom areas, articulating the front façades of the apartment buildings. Additional windows are set back and Juliet balconies add further detail to the façade. Circulation is located to the rear of each building, with the walkways protected by an irregularly spaced column screening detail.

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Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate

Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate is located in Somerset West. The architectural form of the buildings transition from the historic crescent houses with their original red roof tiles, pitched roofs and shuttered sash windows, to the more modern aesthetic of the pitched roof duplexes and clubhouse. The apartment complex sits outside of the historic core and its architectural language is much more contemporary.

Paardevlei has a rich history. The site was originally identified by colonial administrators as a strategically safe location for an explosives factory. The factory was later acquired by AECI and by the 1960s it had become the second largest dynamite factory in the world. The area features nine Herbert Baker-designed properties, built in the 19th century to provide accommodation for factory workers and administrative facilities for the factory.

Today, the site has been transformed into a bustling mixed-use suburb. Many of the original buildings now serve as offices or homes. Restored family homes are located to the north of the site, adjacent to a row of semi-detached duplexes, designed to a more contemporary aesthetic that complements and respects their historic neighbours. To the south is a collection of apartment buildings comprising around 260 units in one-, two- and three-bedroomed configurations. These are arranged around a series of courtyards with extensive residents parking and storage below ground.

A large clubhouse includes a catered dining hall, arts and crafts centre, hairdressers, medical suites and a swimming pool. These community amenities open out onto an expansive greenspace with access to the network of pedestrian pathways that encircle the vlei.

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David Southwood - Photographer