The rolling hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands are the setting for an eco-sensitive residential development that has already won acclaim by the American institute of Architects which will integrate each home into the natural surroundings, in the process extending wetlands and thus encouraging natural bird and animal life.

EnviroLiving, UbuntuStyle set among forests just south of Mooi River in the Nottingham Road area, is a break away from city living yet within easy reach of leading schools such as Hilton and Michaelhouse and South Africa's finest tourist attractions, including Rawdons, "big five" game lodges, the Midlands Meander, the awe-inspiring Drakensberg, the historic Boer War battlefields, and sub-tropical beaches.

The work of Stan Field, past winner of the South African Institute of Architects’ Award of Merit, and Donovan Neale-May, an international marketing and brand strategist, as well as Patrick Watson, one of South Africa's most sought-after landscape designers, renowned for his work at The Lost City and North Island in the Seychelles.

Nine houses will be positioned around a lake and will be linked by mini retention dams. A water conservation plan will channel rainwater collected from the roofs along exposed furrows into the mini dams and eventually back into the existing dams. The wetland area becomes an integral part of the house design with living spaces, decks and terraces overlooking pools, the new wetlands, the lake and forests. Other sites overlook the Mondi Forests onward to the Drakensberg peaks – each providing the security and comfort for modern luxury but with sustainable sensitivity.

Commenting on the design, Field says that successful human habitation requires striving for optimum congruency with the land that minimizes artificial support systems in favour of the organic that could lead to a self sustaining eco system. “The design approach is based on allowing an architecture to emerge from the existing land form to become a man-made extension of it. The built form to emerge becomes the filter, as it were, for all design decisions to percolate through the sensibilities that are both sustainable and belonging”, he explains.

“Each structure”, according to Field, “has been conceived of as a clam, capable of being opened or securely closed at will. Rock walls form the spine of the outer shell and sliding wooden shutters calibrate the desired levels of exposure. At the core of the house is the kitchen, with its intermittent glass roof letting in sunlight that is absorbed by the rock bed below the floor, radiating heat back into the house.” 

The building is designed to generate its own warmth and energy using the natural stone and concrete walls and floors for thermal mass. The development uses building materials from the surrounding vicinity and construction methods that optimize the skill and craft of local labour.

Field is well qualified to design an eco-friendly development of this nature, having worked on passive heating and cooling systems in Israel, where he was Chief Architect to the City of Jerusalem. A teaching stint at University of California, Berkeley, reawakened his interest in sustainable development and architectural design that aim to reduce the adverse effect of human activities on nature and the environment.

Developer Donovan Neale-May, a former professional rugby player, says the location lends itself to sporting opportunities for owners: “A mountain bike trail, trout fishing in the natural spring-fed lake and golf at Boschhoek together with bird or game watching are some of the leisure activities.” 

EnviroLiving, UbuntuStyle properties are upwards of R5 million.

Further details from www.ubuntustyle.com or Meander Real Estate 033 2666456.