TPM Pretoria May/June 2012 by The Property Magazine

Property MAY/JUNE 2012

Winner of 10 publishing awards

Est. 2004, Issue 267

PRETORIA

decor, trends, luxury, design & real estate

TIN ROOF CAFÉ

FOOD WITH A VIEW

PRETORIA LAUNCH ISSUE

CREATIVE SPACES

AT WORK AT PLAY

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The Rule of Three: Adrienne Hersch’s recipe for success

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Contents DECOR

D DOWNLOA AL N IO OUR NAT N IO EDIT FOR iPAD from Zinio

If architecture can be

mountain views in Cape

thought of as fashion

Discover creative lighting,

Town tempts buyers

design for buildings, then

TRENDS PLATTELAND PEACE

for two at Hotel Izulu,

chic at Tin Roof Café in Pretoria East

We celebrate the launch of The Property Magazine

HOT PLATE

Pretoria in ﬁne style at

New restaurants spring up,

the Royal Elephant Hotel

stylish revamp from Miele

DESIGN

WHAT’S ON

Where to be this month

THE RULE OF THREE Adrienne Hersch’s formula for success

PRETORIA: RESIDENTIAL Value’s not hard to ﬁnd in Pretoria and surrounds

PRETORIA: COMMERCIAL A painstaking repair of Marabastad’s colourful

commercial ofﬁce space

Marieamman Temple,

Why we love Brooklyn

in Cape Town’s historic

and the integration of

Bo-Kaap, blends old and

landmark properties

TREND WATCH We look at the coolest

new design aesthetics

HOT INDULGENCE Indulgences for your

CREATIVE CAPITAL

inspiring ofﬁce interiors

LIVING WITH PURPOSE

@ Maison. city development. Turn to page See 11

jewellery box, your pets

Menlyn Maine, SA’s ﬁrst

for page the full 28story. for details.

and your wardrobe … Just

entirely green city, is

for starters

shaping up nicely

AFRICA Palais Namaskar Marrakech luxury hotel presents a decor feast

Advertising agencies’

LUXURY 10

REAL ESTATE

PURPLE HAZE

ofﬁce space

ON ON THE THE COVER COVER

A HAPPENING HUB

is haute couture

Urban-Hub, a new

accessories for your

TheMenlyn Kitchen Maine & Tasting greenRoom

Win a romantic getaway

INTO WELCOMING ARMS

and coffee-makers get a

Henk Boogertman’s work

LUXURY WIN

KZN, worth over R25 000

Discover farmhouse

FASHION FORWARD

A lakeside home with

functional storage

HOT DECOR & DESIGN

warm winter fabrics and

LADY OF THE LAKE

SOUTH AFRICA A rugged getaway in the Karoo

thepropertymag.co.za | 1

ED’S LETTER THE PROPERTY MAGAZINE ONLINE

Photograph Grant Difford

Kitsch or cool?

VISIT thepropertymag.co.za for the latest features. FOLLOW US on Facebook and Twitter: facebook.com/thepropertymagazine twitter.com/thepropertymag

‘I have worked for Russians with money so new, even they don’t know where it’s from …’

Nicky Haslam wears a number of colourful hats. Author, events planner, writer (you may remember his quirky words from The Telegraph and Hello Magazine). He has even tried his hand at music. But his ultimate passion lies with interior design, and this is where he makes the world of decor and design spin. Love his style or hate it … Kitsch or cool …? The jury is still out, but there is no denying that Nicky is a character and he has had an incredible influence on this industry. I met him at the St Leger and Viney Design Focus morning, and despite playing the diva and missing our midmorning meeting, I later caught up with him and watched his lecture, which had me chuckling in the aisles. Nicky has led a life that is certainly worthy of the autobiography, Redeeming Features, that he has already published. Born in the UK, he has lived in many places and followed many paths, always hanging with the jet set. Today he can boast as past clients Mick Jagger and Bob Geldof (who, he says, ‘have great taste’) and Bryan Ferry, all of whom he now calls friends. He once decorated a morning room for Rod Stewart. ‘He doesn’t have good taste; I gave it to him,’ he exclaims about the rocker. From wearing riding chaps made from bear fur on his hunting farm to creating events for the royal family, Nicky courts controversy and inspiration and does it well. Between projects and homes he has decorated, Nicky reminisces on his friendships with photographer David Bailey and artist Andy Warhol, who, he says, ‘took me to Park Avenue and made me smart’. The unique pair actually made a movie together, called Kiss (‘Watch it if you are bored enough,’ Nicky laughs.) Fashion and design have always gone hand in hand and so it’s no surprise that Nicky dabbled in this world. He reveals that some of his fondest memories are of working for US Vogue when Diana Vreeland was at the

SUBSCRIBE Call 0860 100 203 to learn more about our special subscription offer. +27 (0)87 230 0101

helm: ‘Those were the days of whisky first thing in the morning, 15 cigarettes in the office, and looking at pretty clothes pictures.’ Nicky later took on the role of art director at a magazine called On Show, where he shot icons like the Beatles and Barbra Streisand on her one and only modelling shoot. He talks casually of his famous acquaintances, including the Duchess of Windsor, better known to us as Wallis Simpson, the woman who caused King Edward VIII to abdicate. According to Nicky, she decorated Buckingham Palace in pink and silver and liked to play poker with Churchill. ‘I am better for knowing her – she wasn’t shunned like everyone thought,’ he says. When it comes to decor, Nicky believes rooms should be pretty and exude comfort: ‘Everyone should look good in their room.’ At the end of his talk he showed us a photo of his dream home: a giant yellow house with an elaborate shell on top: ‘Anything with shell is fabulous, and I worship caterpillar fringe. Don’t you?’ Some of us nodded and some of us vehemently shook our heads. His style is certainly not for everyone. However, the span of his career proves his ability to shape this world, and with Nicky declaring his love for gold gilding and walls made solely of tassels – kitsch or cool – there’s no denying this man has stayed true to his vision and is a decor powerhouse, fur chaps and all …

Nicky Manson, Editor

This month I would love to indulge in …

The gorgeous Looking Glass collection of mirrors

Vamp’s Yellow Nest of Tables. Vamp is in the

Eclipse’s new High-Gloss Chair collection. I love the

from Sobeit Studios. With quirky names, such as

business of giving old furniture a new lease of

collection’s Spider Chair – an adjustable barstool,

‘Alice’ and ‘Dian Fossey’, they come in a variety of

life. Simply inspirational. +27 (0)21 448 2755,

in black and white. Available from Eclipse stores

colours. The showroom is in Muizenberg, Cape Town,

vampfurniture.blogspot.com

nationwide. 0861 325 4773, eclipsegroup.co.za

but Sobeit delivers nationally and internationally. +27 (0)21 788 9007, sobeitstudio.com

2 | May/June 2012

Wealth & Investment

SEAN CAVENEY Investec Wealth & Investment Branch Head - Pretoria

Listed property provides diversification and long-term growth appeal An exposure to listed property reduces risk in the

Wealth & 1nvestment

overall investment portfolio by providing diversification benefits. The longer-term prospects for the sector are also appealing, with predictable, high income and

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Our #1 rankings are testament to our select investment services for discerning clients. Backed by

to do their homework.

our seamless global investment offering, we cater for your individual investment objectives.

In the absence of major bond yield shifts, we believe total returns of 12%-15% pa in the next three to

To find out more contact our Pretoria branch on 012 427 8300 www.investec.co.za/wi

five years are achievable. If long bond yields had to weaken to around 9%, total returns from listed property would more likely be 10%-12% pa. Going forward, the listed property market has scope to rerate as vacancies decline to normalised levels, the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modest current gearing level of 30% increases closer to 40% (a more appropriate level given mainly rental income streams) resulting in higher distribution growth, and the current implied property risk premium of around 5% (which is similar to that of equities and too high in our opinion, given the predictability of the operating cash flows, the low risk associated with distributions, and the potential for real growth) declines. Consequently, we believe that a fair value property initial yield of closer to 5% to 6% over the long-term is warranted. Investec Wealth & Investment manages listed property portfolios investing in quality SA property stocks and

Ranked #1

designed to deliver capital and income growth over the

By Business Day/Investors Monthly Stockbroker Awards for Sophisticated Investors.

Ranked #1 In the 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers Banking Survey in Wealth Management.

long-term. Contact Investec Wealth & Investment for more details. Pretoria 012 427 8300

69754 Property Pretoria.indd 1

Portfolio Management

Stockbroking

Wealth Management

Investec Securities Limited Reg. No 1972/008905/06. A member of the Investec Group. A member of the JSE Limited South Africa. An authorised financial service provider. A registered credit provider Reg. No. NCRCP262.

2012/04/26 5:37 PM

Property EDITORIAL Editor Nicky Manson nickym@medianova.co.za KwaZulu-Natal Bureau Chief Anne Schauffer anne@medianova.co.za Chief Subeditor Yaron Blecher Features Writers Genevieve Fisher (Western Cape) André Fiore (KwaZulu-Natal) Writer and Online Coordinator Catherine Riley ART Art Director Warren Uytenbogaardt Senior Designer Keverne Morland Junior Designer Chané Joemat Senior Retoucher Tim Lake CONTRIBUTORS Candace King, Tammy Sutherns PHOTOGRAPHERS Val Adamson, Nic Baleta, Sally Chance, Michael Glenister, Tim Lake, Fiona Barclay-Smith, Roeland Smith PRINTING DNAprint ADVERTISING Sales@medianova.co.za Sales & Marketing Director Shanee Smart Johannesburg Sales Milos Kovacevic, Tracey-Lee Schuster Johannesburg Sales Assistant Bianca van Deventer Western Cape Regional Sales & Marketing Manager Michèle Jones

thepropertymag.co.za Western Cape Sales Tharien Nel, Susan Erwee KwaZulu-Natal Regional Sales & Marketing Manager Jenni McCallum KwaZulu-Natal Sales Assistant Liezel Barnard Pretoria Sales Lorna MacPhail Directory Sales Amanda Faas Media Coordinator Tamlyn Pasqualie Trafﬁc Assistant Portia Mbele PUBLISHED BY MEDIA NOVA (PTY) LTD Managing Director Tony Vaughan tony@medianova.co.za PA to Managing Director Taryn Townsend General Manager Mark Pettipher markp@medianova.co.za Associate Publisher Namibia Mynard Slabbert Associate Publisher Pretoria Obed Sealetsa Financial Manager Leanne Cox leanne@medianova.co.za Finance Assistant Eleanor Scipio Credit Controller Anthea Odendaal IT Coordinator Adrian Petro Drivers Themba Gumede, Joseph Khoza, Willem September

SAPOA Property Journalism Awards 2011: Winner – Best Property Publication Nedbank Property Association Awards 2010: Winner – Mover & Shaker Award (Tony Vaughan) PICA Awards 2009: Winner – Special Award, Overall Publishing Excellence PICA Awards 2008: Winner – Consumer Magazines, Largely Free Distribution, and Highly Commended: Editorial Excellence, Public Interest Writer of the Year (Ed Suter) 20th SAB Environmentalist of the Year & Environmental Journalists of the Year Awards 2008: Winner – Merit Award, Print & Internet SAPOA Property Journalism Awards 2008: Winner – Best Property Publication, and Special Mention – Property Feature Journalist (Ed Suter) PICA Awards 2007: B2B – Publishing Excellence, Leisure Mondi Magazine Awards 2005: Winner – Foresight SAPPI PICA Awards 2005: Winner – Philip Tyler Trophy for Innovation in Magazine Publishing Brandhouse Media Owners Challenge Awards 2005:Winner – Innovation in Publishing SAPPI PICA Awards 2005: B2B – Highly Commended Mondi Magazine Awards 2004: Industry – Finalist Launch Edition: April 2004

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Published monthly in three regional issues: Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal Current ABC Audited Circulation (Q4 2011, October–December): Western Cape – 23 175, Gauteng – 23 536, KwaZulu-Natal – 13 750, Total Nationally – 60 461 Web Stats: Property Club Members – 24 884 AMPS National Readership (2011A): 287 815

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES General editorial@medianova.co.za Society socials@thepropertymag.co.za Hot Property hotproperty@medianova.co.za

NATIONAL EDITION E AVAILABL FOR iPAD io Get it from Zin

ON THIS MONTH’S COVERS Western Cape: On Show, Waters Edge Estate, Big Bay Gauteng: Urban Hub, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town KwaZulu-Natal: On Show, Thai-style home, Zimbali Golf Estate Pretoria: Menlyn Maine, Pretoria South Africa (National Digital Edition): Urban Hub, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

Tel 012 8038348 Fax 012 8039331 Email : absolutedoor@mweb.co.za Website : www.absolutedoors.co.za

Disclaimer The publisher and editor of this magazine give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised within this edition. Copyright Media Nova (Pty) Limited. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from Media Nova (Pty) Limited. The publishers are not responsible for any unsolicited material.

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You tell us Property involves us all. What’s your view? Email readers@medianova.co.za. CHURN OF THE CENTURY ‘Randy with brandy’ is an odd title for a brief note on the Roundhouse Restaurant in Camps Bay! Please query the claim that this building served as Lord Charles Somerset’s hunting lodge in the 18th century – he only arrived at the Cape in 1814! With the exception of the last five years, the Dutch controlled the Cape for all of the 18th century. It’s most unlikely that they would have allowed an English nobleman to go hunting there! Alan Campbell, via email You’re correct on the history front! The Roundhouse was built as a guardhouse by the VOC in 1786.The present-day proprietor’s website goes on to say: ‘Since then, the building has also functioned as a hotel, dance hall and, most famously, Lord Charles Somerset’s hunting lodge.’ As you point out, that would have been in the 19th century. As regards the title, the focus of the piece was the Roundhouse Restaurant’s brandy-pairing menu.

LETTER o f the Month

PIPING HOT We appear to be locked into the use of natural and manufactured tiles for many of the high-traffic surfaces in homes today. I’m somewhat surprised that recycled and synthetic options with a low carbon footprint have not yet come to the fore. A guilty party of note, we have homes with sandstone shipped in from India, manufactured floor tiles from Italy and Brazil and granite from as far afield as China. With hot water solar heating in one home and LED and solar lighting in most, there must exist a brand-new application for low-carbon-footprint home surfaces. Up on the Pipe Track in Cecilia Forest above our Constantia home is a bench made from some kind of recycled plastic which shows no signs of weathering after years of Cape rain, wind and sun. Now that material is an option for a chopping board surface in any modern kitchen! Andrew Pollock, Newlands Village

REGIONAL CIRCULATION ABC Audited National Circulation (Oct.–Dec. 2011) The Property Magazine – Johannesburg (formerly Gauteng) 23 536 The Property Magazine – Western Cape 23 175 The Property Magazine – KwaZulu-Natal 13 750 The Property Magazine – Combined 60 461

WIN WITH DAVID GREEN Remaining true to his mission to create eyewear that resonates with the environment, David Green has designed the Leaf Collection, a range of sunglasses inspired by nature. Each piece is precisioncrafted to incorporate in its frame a fallen leaf – dried, dyed and fashioned within a natural cotton-based acetate material. The

National Readership

287 815 AMPS (2011A)

leaf design is available in a variety of colours and forms, each one reﬂecting a unique identity. David Green is giving away four pairs of this unique eyewear to the total value of R6 000 to four lucky readers of The Property Magazine. Write to us and stand a chance of winning eyewear that is as unique as you are. Send your letters to readers@medianova.co.za. Include your full name and contact details, and put ‘David Green’ in the subject line. (Not all letters will be published.) 0861 114 852, greeneyewear.com

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HOT PROPERTY

HOT space

in Roof Café is the brainchild of graphic designer Jenny Fouli, who wanted to create a relaxing, country-style environment where

guests could enjoy restful surroundings while indulging in a good meal. ‘I worked as a graphic designer all my life and felt I needed a change,’ says Jenny. ‘I had always dreamed of opening a restaurant, and decided that 2010 was the year to take the leap.’ It seems faith paid off because, sitting on the patio among the formal lavender gardens, the stone waterfall trickling the day away, you can’t help but feel a million miles away. As a venue, Tin Roof Café contrasts with the many franchised establishments in and around Pretoria. It is located on a plot on the Boschkop Road, surrounded by rolling fields and happy horses. On your drive you may wonder what on earth could be out there, but later your mind is quickly put at ease as you page through the menu. The food complements the interior: simple yet elegant. Every weekend sees the launch of a new specials menu with enticing dishes, such as a pear Gorgonzola starter with pecan nuts, mascarpone, thyme, Parma ham and truffle oil, and gourmet pizzas, such as the Gorgonzola, chorizo, caramelised onion and

Platteland

peace

garlic choice or the chicken, Brie and fig pizza. Delectable seafood dishes as well as the slowroasted lamb shank ensure that the menu has something for everyone. The interior is subtly French Provençal

with a dash of ‘local is lekker’, accentuated by the corrugated iron wall cladding. The A-frame building with its cracked screed

We love surprises, and so we were delighted when Tin Roof Café jumped out at us from the surrounding farmland in Pretoria East

floor and bagged plaster walls is based on a spacious double volume where natural light dances around the rustic chandeliers. Carved wooden objects, old pitchforks and rusty bicycles complement antique silverware and freshly cut flowers. Modern white chairs add a contemporary edge to the space. It’s a place you can imagine a hip ouma would build, to cook for her extended family. Tin Roof Café is the perfect setting for functions, and there is even a cosy upstairs lounge that can be booked for groups of friends. Aside from having to keep a watchful eye over the mini humans as they attempt to fish in the pond with a piece of string

Words Gisela Nel Photographs Supplied

and a cork, you’ll find Tin Roof Café a very child-friendly venue – a rare and sought-after commodity these days. If lazy Sundays, sipping on crisp rosé and tucking into fresh cuisine beneath the trees is your style, then get to

the platteland.

+27 (0)72 367 5698, tinroofcafe.co.za

Glass lamps and antique silver adorn the servery table in the restaurant. 2Candy-striped

Visit thepropertymag.co.za for more hot

tablecloths enhance the interior’s homely feel. 3The cellar at Tin Roof Café will have wine

eateries in your area.

connoisseurs smiling.

thepropertymag.co.za | 7

HOT PROPERTY

HOT PLATE

New restaurants spring up and coffee gets a stylish revamp thanks to Miele SLEEK PICK-ME-UP Create the perfect bistro-style coffee in the comfort of your home with Miele’s new CM5200 free-standing coffee machine. Gorgeous to look at, thanks to its sleek and elegant design, it can make two beverages simultaneously at the mere touch of a button. Choose your fave hot beverage, be it espresso, coffee, cappuccino or latte macchiato, and personalise your coffee-maker to your own desired speciﬁcations, including the quantity of ground coffee, the brewing temperature, the pre-brew setting and the volume of coffee you require. Available from Stax, Elna, Euro Appliances and Hirsch’s stores nationwide. +27 (0)11 875 9000, miele.co.za

Warm & Glad is the new kid on the block in Craighall Park. We chat to owner Jonathan Shaw about our new fave hangout.

Q Where did the name come from?

‘Warm & Glad’ sounds like a good feeling – a nice place to be.

Q What’s your background? Do you have prior experience in the restaurant world?

My background is in design – graphic and Web. The food biz is a new thing for me, although I am an avid food-head. Warm & Glad is not only a restaurant, however; we are also a deli, magazine store and bookshop – we sell vinyl records, art prints and more.

LET THEM DRINK WATER New to SA is Fiji Water, which is sourced from the remote Yaqara Valley of Viti Levu, from a unique geological formation. Currently the number one selling water in the USA, it is bottled to protect the purity of water, and so the water itself is never touched by human hands. Discover bliss in a bottle. Available from stores nationwide.

Q Who is the chef, and what inspires your dishes? The food is a team effort. We are constantly updating and changing the menu. It is mainly my wife and I who come up with the menu.

Q Where did the idea derive from to mix food and media?

Warm & Glad is about all the things I love: food, magazines, art, design, fashion, business and coffee. We put it together, and it seems good. This is a constantly evolving space.

ﬁjiwater.com

BRIDGE BUZZ The new Lynnwood Bridge Retail development has opened its arms in a warm welcome to a number of trendy restaurants. Designed with an outside food court, the space is a buzzing mix of shoppers and diners. Most of the restaurants are open from breakfast through to dinner and some, Stephnie’s, for instance, are open even later. Stephnie’s sits next to the Atterbury Theatre and is the prime spot for the dinner-and-a-show crowd. Tribeca Standard, the go-to coffee bar, is another strong drawcard and promises to be more food orientated, with a breakfast, ﬁne food and dessert selection. Other dining options include the popular Vovo Telo, Café Beyritz, The Famous Fish Hoek Co., Rhapsody’s and Col’Cacchio.

As an interesting space with special products, great coffee, delightful food and free Wi-Fi. +27 (0)11 781 0455, warmandglad.com

+27 (0)12 472 8600, lynnwoodbridge.co.za

LOCAL PRODUCTION Brooklyn’s Ster Kinekor Cinema Nouveau is a dedicated art house channel, which guarantees its audiences a satisfying viewing experience with its inspiring content. Continuing as a trendsetter, Ster Kinekor Cinema Nouveau has introduced a new, stateof-the- art self-service food-and-drink boutique, so now you can beat the queues and can take charge of your own movie treats. sterkinekor.com

8 | May/June 2012

Words Nicky Manson

Q How would you describe your venue to a potential customer?

HOT PROPERTY

HOT DECOR & DESIGN

Creative lighting, fab winter fabrics and functional storage

Warm up in style

Just in time for our early winter, Graphica Textiles introduces its unique home accessories range, which falls under the Winter Home label in SA. Consisting of luxury throws and gorgeous cushions, their range of faux fur items are soft and easy to care for, lightfast and colourfast, and are available in an array of colours. Available from the Progress Decor Centre in Kramerville. +27 (0)11 493 6833, graphica-textiles.co.za

Lighting up local talent Empowering the community via the

creation of beautiful design is what drives Umcebo Design, whose newest range of lighting and decor pieces does not

St Leger & Viney’s recent Design Focus was a day of inspiration. We speak to

DAVID WALKER, sales director

of Sanderson UK, the masters of fabrics and wallpaper.

Q What is the secret to your success?

Having and keeping complete control of our brand, from the design process to producing the designs ourselves in a factory.

Q How do your designs come about?

We have seven in-house designers, all of who are young, very bright, artistic and, funnily enough, all female. But we are also often approached with ideas and designs by outside designers and often fall in love with them. Dandelion Clocks, a ’50s inspired design, was brought to us and became a bestseller.

disappoint. Using references from SA’s local arts and craft scene and drawing inspiration from our indigenous landscape, the lamps and wall sconce chandeliers are a fantasy of beauty and functionality. +27 (0)83 793 3408, umcebodesign.co.za

Q Is wallpaper still popular?

Wallpaper’s resurgence of popularity began in 2005 and is going strong, thanks in part to the growing trend of feature walls. Our designs, however, are moving to smaller, less intrusive designs that allow you to use them on all four walls. Technology has also made hanging wallpaper so much easier, and digital printing means we can print any design to any size, using a limitless colour palette.

Q What can we expect from Sanderson UK in the future? We have an archive full of designs

Freshly stacked

dating back over 150 years and we are

The Fresco Towel Shelf by Zack is a functional solution to storing towels in your bathroom.

as bed linen, ﬁne bone china, rugs,

The design of this stainless steel unit is great for stacked and folded towels as it promotes

stationery and so forth. +27 (0)11 265 9050; sanderson-uk.com

air circulation, to keep them as dry as possible. Available from Italtile in Menlo Park.

now licensing these designs. So we are branching out into accessories, such

+27 (0)12 348 8700, italtile.co.za; 0861 533 837, zack.co.za

thepropertymag.co.za | 9

HOT PROPERTY

HOT INDULGENCE

Indulgences for your jewellery box, your pets and your wardrobe. And that’s just for starters

MIND THE GAP Gap Inc. recently opened three stores in SA – in Jozi, Cape Town and Pretoria. These launches mark the much-loved American clothing brand’s ﬁrst foray into sub-Saharan Africa and we think it’s about time too. Find your nearest Gap store at Sandton City in Joburg, at Tyger Valley Shopping Centre in Cape Town and, soon, at Pretoria’s Brooklyn Mall. +27 (0)21 914 1390, +27 (0)11 783 5212; gap.com

SWAP MEET Started by an entrepreneur who is passionate about travel, LoveHomeSwap.com takes scenes from the blockbuster movie The Holiday to new heights. Realising early on that kids and hotels don’t mix, Debbie Wosskow, a career mom who still wanted to travel with family in tow, decided that a home away from home was the way to go. And so came about LoveHomeSwap, a labour of love that allows like-minded individuals or families to swap their homes via the website, ensuring cost-effective travel – and absolutely no hotels. Debbie has identified four groups of people who would benefit from this service: empty-nesters who have time to travel; second-home owners who swap holiday homes instead of renting; families who need more space than a hotel can offer; and first-time homebuyers who can’t afford a holiday. It’s similar to social networking – you join via the website, browse the properties and then build up trust with the owners of those properties. A luxe subscription rate gets you a dedicated travel and concierge team as well as a soon-to-be-released identification product and bespoke insurance product. Take out a trial membership and discover grand mansions in the English countryside or compact apartments in New York City. Happy holidays!

ENGRAVED IN THE STARS London-based jewellery designer, Kirsten Goss, is so hot right now. We love her new Geo-Graﬁk

ADD ANOTHER DIMENSION L’Oréal Paris has introduced the latest in eyelash technology with its new

collection, with its clean geometric lines and names

mascara False Lash Architect 4D Black Lacquer. Not content to navigate the

inspired by the ancient disciplines of geometry and

world of 3D, Lash Architect tackles women’s desire for more volume, more

astronomy, names such as the Orion necklace, Pyxis

length, more texture and more curl. This revolutionary mascara does it all for

studs and Octavia earrings. Available from Kirsten

you at a simple ﬂick of a wand. Available too in waterproof, so your gorgeous

Goss stores in Joburg, Durban, and soon, Cape

lashes won’t be affected by water or sweat. Released last month and available

Town. +27 (0)31 312 7573, +27 (0)11 447 2234;

from L’Oréal Paris stockists nationwide. loreal.co.za

kirstengoss.com

10 | May/June 2012

HOT PROPERTY

WIN WITH LOOFTLIGHTER! There’s nothing like the weekend. And when that weekend involves time spent around the braai, it’s guaranteed to be a good one. This Father’s Day, help Dad take the stress out of braai preparations with the amazing new Looftlighter, a Swedish patented device that lights your braai or fireplace in 60 seconds – no lighter fluid or braai lighters needed! With its powerful hot- airstream system, the Looftlighter is safe and environmentally friendly, cutting down on toxic fumes from petroleum-based products and providing Dad with a safe alternative to conventional firelighters. +27 (0)21 880 0074, info@looftlighter.co.za, looftlighter.co.za

WIN! Stand to win one of 12 Looftlighter hampers valued at R1 060 each, including a Looftlighter, basket, apron and braai tongs. Email readers@medianova.co.za with your details and put ‘Dad’ in the subject box. Ts and Cs apply.

EGYPT IN YOUR BAG Designer accessory label, Missibaba, has launched its Autumn/Winter collection, called

POSH PET

Missibaba and the Search for the Golden Scarab, which is inspired by the mysteries of Egypt

Docklands Hotel in Durban has scored a

and the Adventures of Tintin. Taking as its starting points the series of comic albums created

‘bow-wow’ now that it has become the

by Belgian artist Georges Remi (pen name ‘Hergé’) as well as ancient artefacts, sealed

ﬁrst pet-friendly hotel in the Signature

tombs and woven papyrus, Missibaba has created new bag, belt and jewellery styles that

Life Hotels collection. The hotel has no

will bring out the explorer in you. Plus, in collaboration with jewellery designer

difﬁculties with extending the welcome

extraordinaire, Kirsten Goss, Missibaba will be opening up a shop in Bree

mat to pets. GM Ellen Aucamp says,

Street any day now. Shop online, too. +27 (0)21 461 1083, missibaba.com

‘We have allocated speciﬁc rooms that cater to pets as we have had an increased demand for these facilities, and with the right pet zones and policies in place, we can more than happily look after man’s best friend.’ The hotel has achieved this by introducing demarcated pet zones, pet strolling and social areas and clearly displayed pet policies, and it is keenly observing every facet of operations, from food to health and safety. Signature Life Hotels CEO Alan Vels says, ‘We as a company are all about guest satisfaction. Our success and growth has relied on innovation. In observing overseas hospitality trends

HATS OFF

KZNa fresh and new Hatz by Natz is range d oa br a at offers based brand th ung ned millinery. Yo of custom-desig hing es ﬂ is p am nk ia Stee designer Natash with a for hat fashion out her passion y and fun. ek, stylish, funk range that’s sle tz.co.za 0515, hatzbyna +27 (0)82 528

that tap into new markets, we see that pet-friendly hotels are accepted as the norm in the US and Europe and we wanted to pioneer it here.’ +27 (0)31 332 8190, signaturelifehotels.com

thepropertymag.co.za | 11

HOT PROPERTY

PRETORIA DIARY

Irene Village Market, Saturdays The Irene Village Market is an open-air market held on the shady grounds of the Smuts House Museum on the second Saturday and last Saturday of every month. The market offers secure parking, great children’s entertainment, a fully licensed tea garden, numerous fresh-food stalls and over 300 exhibits with wares ranging from jewellery and crafts to clothing, delicacies, antiques, ﬂowers and the best baked goods you’re likely to ever taste. Free entry. +27 (0)12 667 1659, irenemarket.co.za

The Rocky Horror Party, 20 May For one night only, get into the Rocky Horror party mood and do the Time Warp again at the Menlyn Barnyard Theatre. Age restriction: 16. Doors open at 6.30 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets: R100. +27 (0)12 368 1555, barnyardtheatre.co.za

Ilse Mazzone Sings Barbra Streisand, 21 May Atterbury Theatre is hosting an evening with Ilse Mazzone, the nationally recognised and exceptionally talented singer/songwriter. Ilse is a lifelong devotee of Barbra Streisand and this show is her personal tribute to her idol. Immerse yourself in the classics, including People, The Way We Were and Woman in Love. Ilse will be accompanied by one of SA’s most admired and sensitive accompanists, Matthys Maree. This beautiful, hour-long musical tribute will surely touch your heart and reawaken your own love for ‘Babs’. Tickets: R120. +27 (0)12 471 1700, atterburytheatre.co.za; 0861 915 8000, computicket.com

Comedy Fiesta, 25–26 May How much funny can you handle? The Carousel is hosting a comedy evening with some of South Africa’s funniest people. Six of South Africa’s top stand-up comics will take to the stage to give audiences a laughter overdose! Tshepo Mogale, Mpho Popps and Skhumba will lead the way on 25 May and Mel Miller, Thapelo Tips Seemise and Chris Forrest will bring the house down on 26 May. Tickets: R50. 0861 915 8000, computicket.com

Hazel Food Market, Saturdays The Hazel Food Market provides some of the best food products Pretoria has to offer. You’ll ﬁnd fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, delicious homemade tarts, oven-fresh breads, coffee, fresh ﬂowers, home-grown herbs, deli products and much more, so don’t miss out. The market runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, at Greenlyn Village Centre, Menlo Park.

Hazel Food Market

Send your 2012 event information to readers@medianova.co.za. 12 | May/June 2012

Words Gisela Nel

+27 (0)83 554 5636, hazelfoodmarket.co.za

hot property

HOT mandate

Lady of the Lake

This beautiful home at Lake Michelle Lifestyle Security Estate offers glorious mountain views and much more

o expense has been spared in the design of this beautifully finished home in the Southern Peninsula suburb of Noordhoek in the Western Cape. Situated on an erf of 800m2 alongside the main lake at Lake Michelle Lifestyle Security Estate, the house has a total floor area of 519m2. The welcoming entrance hall of this north-facing home opens onto a large, open-plan dining area with living room, TV room, kitchen and scullery. The kitchen is kitted out with imported Italian wares, such as Smeg appliances and a built-in coffee machine. The home comprises two levels of living space, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a guest toilet on the ground floor. The main bedroom suite with lounge and open- plan bathroom as well as the guest suite with separate bedroom, lounge, bathroom and balcony are situated on the upper level. There is also a study in a loft-like layout one level above. The home offers fabulous lake and mountain views from all levels. All the bedrooms feature imported Italian cupboards, and the bathrooms are fitted with top-end imported sanitaryware. 1

The home features a high-tech security and entertainment system. In addition to the alarm there are CCTV cameras that are linked to six wallmounted televisions throughout the home (the largest TV is 74”). Smoke detectors are fitted throughout the home, for added peace of mind. The smart-home technology extends to a central music, Internet and movie hub system that is connected to each room in the house as well as to the outside of the home. The system can be controlled by remote or via an iPad. The views of the surrounding mountains are stunning, particularly from the loft level. In the courtyard is a large wind-protected wrap-around swimming pool area. There is also an outside braai room with fold-away glass doors for uninterrupted views, even in bad weather. The designer garden is planted with three large trees and has direct access to the main lake via the private jetty. The lake is ideal for swimming, canoeing, sailing and fishing. Two and a half garages with automated doors and direct access to the home complete this spectacular property. For more information contact Jenny Shaw at Harcourts Back Wave on +27 (0)84 307 9256 or +27 (0)21 785 5227, harcourtsbackwave.co.za.

The sleek, modern property includes a high-tech security and home automation system. 2The courtyard is

perfect for summer entertaining by the pool. 3Views of the lake and the Noordhoek Mountains.

If you would like to have your hot mandate featured, email editorial@medianova.co.za.

thepropertymag.co.za | 13

14 | May/June 2012

PRIME PROPERTY

A HAPPENING A new commercial office block, Urban-Hub, in Cape Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic Bo-Kaap neighbourhood, is a hybrid of old and new design aesthetics Words Genevieve Fisher Photographs Tim Lake and Supplied

thepropertymag.co.za | 15

prime property

16 | May/June 2012

prime property

Opening page Reclaimed wood from the previous building on the site has been turned into an attractive design feature at Urban-Hub, as demonstrated in the reception area. Opposite Some antique furniture provides a contrast to the contemporary spaces and nodes at Urban-Hub. This page, top Individual industrial-style lights have been grouped together to form an interesting lighting feature. Bottom The stairway from the ground floor to the first floor is flanked by the signature reclaimed wood.

tanding in the reception area of UrbanHub, you can’t help but think that this is a place you’d love to work from. As far as commercial office spaces go, Urban-Hub is the antithesis of the stale and clinical corporate ones that most people would imagine an office block to be – harsh fluorescent lighting, synthetic blue carpet tiles, long corridors and vending machines selling goods whose main ingredients start with an E. But walking through the slick glass doors at Urban-Hub, what faces you is as urban a space as can be: industrial chic in the form of concrete, red-brick and original old fire escape doors, a warm ambience, thanks to reclaimed wooden cladding, all of which is pulled together by a thread of cool in the form of contemporary art and furniture, not to mention a node where iPads are lined up for visitors’ use. But this is a place that’s more than just chic, hip and happening. As Jonny Friedman, CEO of Urban Lime, the property investment company responsible for this project, says, ‘It’s not a new development in the sense that it was built from scratch; rather, it is a restoration project, in that we worked with what was there already and transformed it.’ Structurally, there are five adjoining buildings dating from the turn of 1800s to the 1970s, which have been interlinked, to make up Urban-Hub. The oldest of the buildings was owned by the same family since 1904.The newest one is a typical red-brick 1970s design and is now the knuckle of the development, where the modish reception area is. The transformed buildings now accommodate offices spaces ranging from 84m2 to 192m2, hotdesking units, a rooftop deck and garden, a restaurant that Jonny says will serve the best coffee in Cape Town – big props here! – and three retail shops. ‘We wanted to create a place where those working here don’t need to, and more importantly, don’t want to leave,’ says Jonny. From the get-go, Jonny loved the area and had his sights set on these buildings for nearly two years before the transformation began. His company, Urban Lime, based in London and for the last eight years also operating in Cape Town, has garnered a niche for itself in that it targets areas that most developers wouldn’t, finds a site, and turns it into a trendy locale. ‘We’ve had a lot of experience doing these sort of restoration projects and Urban-Hub was in fact modelled on one we did in the now popular Shoreditch area in London’s East End, which was a no-go zone until a few years ago,’ he says. Because he isn’t bashing down buildings, but merely restoring them to glory, Jonny knew about the history of these particular building and was as emphatic about retaining that sense of history as he was about modernising the spaces. And what a history it is. When Jonny enlisted the skills and insight of Aidan Hart, from Inhouse Brand Architects, Aidan and his team started stripping down and dismantling the many layers of these buildings. Backed with research, they uncovered a lot of what went on in them over the years, almost like a visual history book of the buildings and the area. ‘When we started working on one of the buildings in the hub, the old Delos building, through uncovering its many shells, we discovered quite a long and wild history,’ says Aidan. ‘The long retaining wall has as its bottom half an old stone wall that dates back

thepropertymag.co.za | 17

prime property

Above left Retro seating and contemporary artwork in the waiting area. Above right and opposite An old stool as well as wooden beams from the original building enhance the industrial feel of the premises.

to the first Dutch settlers. Above it is another layer of red-brick that is typical of the English colonial era.’ What’s even more interesting is that the original wooden columns have been stripped down to reveal extensive burn marks dating back to anti-apartheid riots that occurred in the area during the ’60s, which have now been revealed and become part of the look and feel of the space. Retaining the history of these buildings was just a part of Jonny’s brief to Aidan. ‘The practicality of making these buildings into one modern and contemporary office hub required a lot of work. We needed to create flow between the interior spaces of the buildings, maximise light and bring in an international feel,’ says Aidan. Jonny had seen Aidan’s work at the Test Kitchen and Carne SA restaurants and knew that he was the man for the job. Aidan’s expertise in spatial effects and his ability to tie nodes together is what Jonny needed in order for this project to work, namely, a special effects artist. Aidan says, ‘My starting point was to ask the question, how would this space be utilised? In other words, starting with the psychology of architecture, or the human aspect of the discipline, which is like figuring out a puzzle.’ The first piece of that puzzle

18 | May/June 2012

was the idea of circularity as opposed to linearity. As he admits, ‘I’m not a fan of long passages or corridors – they’re negative spaces for me.’ The result is that, from the reception area, the voluminous space tapers off towards the back and directs you to other nodes by means of interesting wall features and stairs. On either side of the reception area there are the original metal fire escape doors that lead you into other areas, such as the restaurant on the left and more office spaces on the right. Both of these areas connect on a terrace at the top, with vertical gardens, dramatic views of Table Mountain and the vibrant colours of the Bo-Kaap framing them in the foreground. One of facets of this development that really boosts its credibility is that it is located in the Bo-Kaap, renowned for its Cape Malay history, restaurants, mosques, and most of all, its rainbow- coloured old homes. ‘Urban-Hub is in a great location in the Bo-Kaap: it’s a stone’s throw away from town and the Cape Quarter and is visible from one of town’s main arteries, Buitengracht Street. So far the reaction from our tenants has been fantastic – they love the design, location, and the fact that it is not commercialised yet still a safe area,’ says Jonny, who holds his tenants’ opinion in high regard.

This has been the key to Urban Lime’s success over the last 20-odd years. As Jonny says, ‘We’ve established lasting relationships with our tenants over the years. We really value them and have in some instances built premises to accommodate their changing needs.’ Jonny believes that the tenant mix of Urban-Hub will be the key to the development’s success. ‘The project is aimed at attracting small-tomedium-size businesses that have been around for at least five years and who are in the creative fields. We’ve created a space with a strong emphasis on networking that we hope will make tenants and their visitors linger longer.’ He points out that, although the pricing of units is on the high end, what tenants get for their money is a boutique office environment that includes top-notch security, ample parking, a receptionist and concierge, cleaning service, fast Internet access, and above all, a whole lot of style accolades, thanks to their being able to call this chic, happening hub their office. With thanks to … Inhouse Brand Architects, +27 (0)21 488 2400, inhouse.ws Urban-Hub, +27 (0)82 836 9333, urban-hub.co.za, urbanlime.co.uk

prime property

thepropertymag.co.za | 19

SIZE MATTERS Now live: The Property Magazine South Africa a national digital-only edition of 200-plus pages from all our regional editions, plus much more …

As the largest magazine in South Africa, we’ve always believed that size matters. So until Apple makes an iPad that is as large as our magazine, we’ve decided to squeeze our magazine into the space available – but we’re also squeezing in all of our regional and national advertisers, together with all of our regional editorial content and more. Each month we’ll be expanding several of our editorial features to bring you more than we ever could in print alone. There are also brand-new, digital-only advertising opportunities for our advertisers. So, with over 200 pages of The Property Magazine South Africa on your iPad, Samsung Galaxy or other tablet every month, we still believe that size does matter! The Property Magazine will still be available in hard copy each month as three separate regional editions, but with our new monthly digital-only national edition, you can now see what your neighbours are up to, too! The Zinio app is available for your iPad, your Samsung Galaxy and other tablets and also from www.zinio.com. Register with Zinio for free and download 200 pages of The Property Magazine South Africa now!

DESIGN

CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL CREATIVE CAPITAL Creative capital CREATIVE CAPITAL

CREATIVE CAPITAL If all corporate environments were to take a leaf out of the advertising industry’s decor and design book, then you’d find your days at the office much more inspiring Words Genevieve Fisher Photographs Supplied

dvertising is big business. It is also big on creativity, and in all instances this ﬂair for the creative ﬁlters through into the places

these agencies call home. Here we bring you the inside story of how two agencies, one an industry heavyweight, the other relatively young, but destined for great things, have managed to create spaces that reﬂect their respective cultures and values. We also feature a new agency that has got a lot of heart and is focused on skills development.

Top right Ofﬁce space at Promise Brand Specialists. Centre Aspiring designers at OFyt’s studio. Bottom right Reception area at King James Group.

thepropertymag.co.za | 21

O DESIGN

OWN IT!

The palatial Woodstock home of 2011’s Agency of the Year, King James Group, is as regal as they come

ing James Group has some of the most provocative ads and campaigns behind its name, not to mention some blue-chip clients. But Group Creative Director Alistair King says that for its first 14 years the group had been ‘camping’, because it did not own its own premises. Until now. From the get-go it was Alistair’s and his partner, group managing director, James Barty’s, dream to one day own their own premises. Four years ago, when visiting their auditing firm, which was based at what was then Roodebloem Manor, a heritage property in Woodstock, Cape Town, dating back to the 1800s, Alistair had a jaw-dropping experience. ‘I couldn’t believe that such a property existed, tucked away amongst some very modest houses. The property was nothing short of spectacular. It was like driving into an oasis of impressive lawns, a stately manor house and an endearing washuisie. We told one of the partners there and then that they should speak to us should they ever want to sell, and they

22 | May/June 2012

laughed because it was the furthest thing from their minds at the time,’ says Alistair. When entering the almost-150-year-old main building, the manor house, you can almost hear that laughter reverberating off the walls, pressed ceilings and incredibly voluminous spaces. Alistair and James have created a space that houses all seven of the communications agencies falling under the King James Group umbrella, where the balance between creative thinking, sophistication, history and humour is finely struck. The group is one of the few independent agencies to have garnered exceptional credentials over the years, but as far as Alistair is concerned, owning this new office space is one of the group’s proudest achievements. ‘It’s a profound feeling, owning our own offices. It’s one thing to own property as an investment, but it’s altogether another feeling to have one that feels like an essential ingredient to our company culture. We always felt a little out of character when we were in other buildings, and for the first time ever we now feel

that we’re in a place that mirrors our temperament and brings the right kind of energy to the creative process,’ he says. And talking about ‘the right kind of energy’, Alistair believes there’s been a marked difference in the agency’s growth since it moved to the premises just over a year ago, as evident from the sparkling awards from 2011 scattered around the agency and the fact that the team is now 100-odd people strong. Alistair says that the manor house, its lawns and the old washuis, where the first Jersey cows in South Africa were milked (the agency has a book describing how this was done) and that today houses the agency’s café, all have a dignity about them. ‘We were immediately attracted to it because it’s strong and substantial, and I guess that’s what we strive to be as a company,’ he says. The innate dignity of the property comes from its deep historical roots, made tangible by the 250-year-old fig tree rooted in the front lawn. With history come great stories, which anyone in advertising is tuned in to.

DESIGN

Above left and inset The boardroom at King James Group; tongue-in-cheek pen holders in the shape of a sharpener rest on a boardroom table that doubles as a ‘notepad’. Above The agency’s signature purple accents many of its ofﬁce areas, such as this communal chill pod. Above right and inset The café is located in the repurposed old washuisie; several industry awards adorn the reception desk.

Built in the 1870s, Roodebloem Manor was the home of the Van der Byl family. Fast forward a few decades to when the property was bought by Charles Boyd and converted to the swanky Lord Milner Hotel, named after the governor of Cape Town, who used to frequent the hotel with his ‘companions’. ‘We often wonder what conversations and mischief have taken place between these walls – and we’ll do our best to contribute to that,’ Alistair says, playfully. With touches of the company’s statement colour, regal purple, accenting many of the communal rooms and office nodes, as well as some interesting light features, one thing that you can’t help but notice is the bare walls, save for a few pieces in the front reception area. When the agency moved into the premises it became incredibly busy with clients and so the team decided to do the space up room by room as opposed to doing it all in one fell swoop, specifically, the main communal areas, such as the boardrooms, agency bar and front lounge, whose look and feel was coordinated by

James’ sister, Caroline Drummond-Hay, an interior stylist. In addition to sourcing the furniture and decor pieces, Caroline consulted with Upstart Ventures about specialist office furniture. The result is rooms that are wonderfully warm, with interesting features and some unique pieces, such as the massive glass boardroom table that can be written on and washes off easily. The slow but steady process makes you believe in the virtue of patience. ‘For a company that looks after brand’s identities, we’re notoriously bad at looking after our own. We tend to let our brand evolve as people come and go. We also didn’t have the luxury of time to plan our space before we moved in, so we have started slowly, literally room by room. We made two decisions. The first was to be respectful of the building and not turn it into anything too flashy. The second decision was not to fill it with art that has no meaning to us personally’. An ongoing project of the agency’s is based on its Remember Book, a collection of the agency’s memories that was compiled four years ago. The

project continues with the work produced by the creatives in the form of sketches, storyboards, concept animations and the like, currently being primed for placement on the walls and, in some instances, on desks and other surfaces. ‘We’re very big on memories,’ says Alistair. ‘We’ve decided that everything adorning the walls must come from our staff or be part of our history. We want to be surrounded by the things that define us and have made us who we are.’ With history playing such an integral part in the agency’s culture, it is no wonder that Alistair says ‘the stars were aligned’ when the team got the news that the property was up for sale. Reclining in his chair, he recalls, ‘The first time I walked into the building, I pointed at this space and said “That will be my office!” The man sitting in it at the time, probably one of our auditing firm’s partners, just looked at me as if to say, “Keep dreaming, stranger.”’ Alistair did just that, and now adorning his office door is a golden plaque that reads: ‘His Lordship.’ +27 (0)21 469 1500, kingjames.co.za

thepropertymag.co.za | 23

DESIGN

WHERE

PROMISES A

Promise Brand Specialists of Parktown North in Jozi keeps its promises, not only to its clients, but also to itself, as its premises reflect

key ingredient in creative professionals’ recipe for success is passion. When that wanes or is lost completely, it can be tragic. In some instances, however, as Marc Watson and James Moffatt, executive creative director and managing director, respectively, of Promise Brand Specialists, discovered, it can also be the motivating force to take the plunge and improve on the recipe. ‘James and I got to a point where we were unhappy in our careers, and being in a creative industry it’s so important to love what you do – in our opinion, more so than in any other industry. We felt a strong need to be able to steer our own course and be a part of something that has meaning for us. It was for those reasons that Promise began to take shape in our minds,’ says Marc. The starting point for Marc and James was to uncover the core values that they believed creative brand communications was about, and for them that meant trust, and keeping promises, promises that they as creatives make to clients and those that clients make to their consumers – a circle of trust formulated, respected and constantly encouraged between all three parties. ‘In the early stages of defining the kind of agency we wanted, we had a few inexperienced clients who had never been serviced creatively before. In helping them understand the process, we would discuss how the most important thing a brand communicates to a consumer is its promise – the thing that you should consistently expect from that brand,’ says Marc. The name ‘Promise Brand Specialists’ emerged from this idea and today it also serve as a reminder of their great ambition: to keep the promises

24 | May/June 2012

they’ve made to themselves and ‘to create amazing things and maintain our love and respect for creativity’, says Marc. Fate obviously appreciated this honourable code that Marc and James had set for themselves. Marc recalls standing in a queue at the bank, which looked onto the hip and happening Workshop development in Parktown North, a commercial node bursting with creative businesses, and telling James that that was the perfect location for their offices. Lo and behold, a couple of months later, they moved all their equipment from their dinning room table and were sitting in their new space, ‘a broom closet’, as Marc describes it. ‘We quickly grew out of that tiny premises and moved three times within the Workshop before finding ourselves in the space we are in today,’ he says. They enlisted the help of JP Beukes, interior architect at One Point Zero, to translate their ambition into their work environment. JP had worked on the venue for the previous tenant, and Marc and James believed that his understanding of the space was imperative to its transformation. The team wanted to retain the existing open-plan studio feel of the space, to encourage the sharing of knowledge, encourage everyone to get involved in adding value to their jobs, and to have people inspire one another. ‘Most agencies contain a lot of different departments – client service, strategy, etc. We hate departments! They often have walls that separate them, in the figurative and literal sense of the word. At Promise we try to facilitate the free flow of ideas and conversation,’ says Marc. This fluidity of ideas and creative contributions by staff members has been executed in the form of a 30m-long raw wood table that curves snake-like

throughout the space. Everyone sits at this table at his or her individual workspace. Something else that Marc and James wanted the space to be was a refuge for their clients. Marc says, ‘I told JP that when our clients visited we wanted to make them feel like part of the studio and involved in the process of steering their brands. Part of our ethos is getting our clients actively involved at the relevant stages of the creative process. This has been successful in business terms as well, in that from time to time our clients will work out of our office when they need an escape from their own. It’s a good feeling, knowing that we’ve created a welcoming, happy place where we get a little work done too!’ The result of all the thought that has gone into the space to have it tie in with the group’s values is a remarkably chic and contemporary industrial space that’s warm and loaded with personality. ‘In an industry where we try so hard to distil ideas into their purest form, it was crucial that we approach our space in the same way,’ Marc explains. ‘It’s important that the most relevant and functional parts of the space come forward and everything that is superfluous recedes. The central work areas are finished in light raw woods, with the eye-popping yellow bulkhead above being the focal point and drawing your attention to the most relevant part of the space.’ Although Promise Brand Specialists is a small-to-medium size agency, we’re sure that by remaining dedicated to its staunch vision, it will in no time probably have to move again, to bigger premises, where more promises will be made, and more importantly, will be kept with +27 (0)11 442 2612, unwavering passion. promisebrand.co.za

Clockwise from top left A communal desk helps break down departmental barriers and lets the creativity flow; a comfy, quiet alcove overlooks Parktown; a chill lounge flanks the workspace; a designer Smeg fridge is right at home in Promise Brand Specialist’s modern office; a bonsai tree enhances the tranquillity of this office space.

thepropertymag.co.za | 25

Photographs Roeland Smith

DESIGN

TAKING THE GAP Taking the gap TAKING THE GAP Taking the gap TAKING THE GAP Taking the gap TAKING THE GAP Taking the gap TAKING THE GAP Taking the gap TAKING THE GAP Taking the gap TAKING THE GAP Taking the gap

A new agency in Muizenberg, Cape Town, is filling a gaping hole in the local advertising industry – accessibility and skills development

Top right OFyt has the head lease on the well-known Old Post Ofﬁce building in Muizenberg, where old industry hands nurture talented creatives from various backgrounds. Centre The colourful interiors of OFyt’s ofﬁce space strikes a balance between the need for industriousness and the need for relaxation.

dvertising is an interesting beast. Not only is it a global, multi-billion-dollar industry, but also, out of all the multibillion-anything industries, it is the one where creative capital is the most treasured commodity. As with any money-spinning industry, accessibility is dependent on high- level skill sets. And we in South Africa are all too familiar with the story of such skill sets being a historically exclusive domain, particularly in a creative and specialised field such as advertising. The founders of OFyt, Gary Leih, Jono Shubitz and Paul Newman, stalwarts of SA’s advertising industry, recognise this. ‘We don’t believe it’s possible for anyone to live in South Africa and be in business here and yet be immune to the serious debates and conflicts that bubble and occasionally rage around inequality, transformation and discrimination. Unless you’re an ostrich, perhaps. We believe that action is needed now, in every way,’ says Gary. The name OFyt stands for ‘Old Friends Young Talent’, which reflects the agency’s business model, namely, to encourage and nurture young talent through the expertise that each of the founders and friends has gained during their

26 | May/June 2012

extensive careers in advertising. Gary is the former CEO of Ogilvy Group UK and an Ogilvy Worldwide board director. Jono is a former Creative Directors’ Forum chairman and Loeries Awards judge. Paul Newman is a former banker turned airline industry marketer. ‘Our operational model is to gather together passionate young talent, which is predominately, but not exclusively, historically disadvantaged, and put it together with experienced old hands – ourselves,’ says Jono. ‘What we’re doing at OFyt may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but we believe that every step is a worthwhile step. This step will help build experience and momentum in our industry for those who have not had easy access to the industry until now.’ In addition to the three old friends, OFyt comprises 10 permanent staff members and 8 young graduates in the fields of marketing, graphic design and other industry-related fields. Their backgrounds and contexts differ vastly. Some of them are from Gugulethu, some are from Langa and others are from the Southern Suburbs and other areas around Cape Town. There are even staff members from Port Elizabeth. The common thread is the desire to learn, to

experience and to whip out some fresh, original and indigenous work, says Gary. Paul adds, ‘Our young team members are tasked with more than just creating locally relevant work. They also gather intelligence and insights where they live – in townships, the city and the suburbs. In this way they are both a creative resource and an insight factory for our clients.’ Another ‘old friend’ is the premises. OFyt occupies the ground floor of Muizenberg’s Old Post Office building, built in 1932. The ‘young talent’ in this sense is the warm and trendy open-plan interior of dark wood, interesting and colourful wall treatments and red-brick. The extended balcony overlooks Muizenberg beach and a row of surfboards stands waxed and ready should anyone at OFyt wish to hit the waves. Muizenberg is an appropriate place for a fledgling and unique agency: quite off the radar, scenic and, says Gary, ripe with potential. ‘When one looks at trends in urban redevelopment all over the world, including the Woodstock example of the Biscuit Mill precinct redevelopment, when the advertising and design industries move in, things really start to happen.’ +27 (0)21 709 0290, ofcomms.com

64 since 19

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PROMOTION

Living with

PURPOSE Menlyn Maine, South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first entirely green city precinct, is shaping up nicely

28 | May/June 2012

PROMOTION

Opposite The 17m-high vertical garden at Nedbank’s regional office at Menlyn Maine is a living symbol of the development’s green ethos. Above Nedbank has already moved into its green-star-rated regional office, making it the very first corporate tenant of the green city precinct development, Menlyn Maine.

ll of Menlyn Maine’s buildings have been designed with the aim of achieving a four-star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). This in itself would be an impressive achievement. But the developers are making history with their aim to build an entirely green city precinct. The streets, residential developments, office buildings, retail outlets, dining establishments and all other public spaces have been designed to promote responsible, healthy lifestyles. ‘The idea behind a completely green city precinct or town centre, as opposed to individual green buildings, stems from the fact that the public spaces between the buildings, namely, sidewalks, streets, parks, squares and general landscaped areas, should also be green, to enable us to provide a distinguished address of choice for living, working, shopping and entertainment,’ says Henk Boogertman, MD of Menlyn Maine and the architect responsible for the development’s concept design. Menlyn Maine is being designed according to the standards set down in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighbourhood Development (LEED ND) rating system. Henk explains, ‘As there is no green star rating tool for neighbourhoods in South Africa yet, Menlyn Maine is following the American green-star rating system for neighbourhood areas. We aim to be certified as a carbon-neutral city precinct, which will simply put Menlyn Maine in the top league – a cut above any other mixed-use neighbourhood on offer and therefore an address of choice.’ The LEED ND rating tool is based on the principles of new urbanism, an urban design philosophy

that focuses on strategic location linkages and land use. ‘The implementation of an LEED rating system is an incredibly onerous undertaking and one that we are not taking lightly,’ says Menlyn Maine Investment Holdings Development Director, Justin Bowen. ‘This is a multi-year journey that we are starting on, to ensure Menlyn Maine does not only end up as a collection of green buildings, but is certified as a truly world-class green city precinct.’ The developers’ other goal is to create a sustainable, carbon-negative environment. ‘In today’s world it would be irresponsible for any developer to build without complying with green building regulations,’ says Andrew Glencross, director of Equity Estates, one of the co-developers of Menlyn Maine. From its construction to the day-to-day running of the green precinct, strenuous steps have been taken to help ensure Menlyn Maine’s sustainability. One of Justin’s roles is to oversee the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions caused by the construction of the precinct. Green technology, such as installing solar absorption chillers to power the air conditioning, harvesting rainwater to irrigate the grounds and the use of solar power, are part of the sustainability drive. To make room for this mammoth project, the developers tasked Pam Golding Properties with purchasing 100 plots of land that had residential buildings on them. These homes were demolished and old materials from the building site are being recycled into the construction of the new precinct. The replanting of indigenous trees from the site is also playing its part. ‘Walkability’ is another aspect of new urbanism that’s being built into Menlyn Maine, where residents and tenants will be encouraged to either walk from

one location or another within the precinct or make use of public transport, including three Gautrain bus stops, city bus stations and taxis stations. Fewer cars on roads means lower carbon emissions. The developers of Menlyn Maine have partnered with the Clinton Climate Initiative and the precinct is one of 18 green cities that will be built in various countries. On its completion, Menlyn Main will offer potential tenants office spaces sized from 6 000m2 to 15 000m2, as well as 35 000m2 of lettable area for retail stores, restaurants and entertainment venues. The residential node will consist of 500 units, sized from 79m2 to 112m2, as well as 15 000m2 for boutique or luxury hotels. Menlyn Maine intends to be the corporate office address of choice in Pretoria. Its first corporate tenant, Nedbank, has already moved its regional head office to the precinct. Future corporate tenants include Payroll VIP (the software company will have its head office in the precinct). PwC, Sanral, Investec, private banks BOE, RMB and Investec, as well as Media24, First National Bank, Deloitte, BVI Consulting Engineers, WorleyParsons, Santam, the PIC and BDO South Africa have all relocated, or will soon be relocating to Menlyn, and although not in the Menlyn Maine precinct, lend support to the fact that Menlyn has become the corporate hub of Pretoria. A bulk developable area of some 315 000m2 is on hand, which will allow Menlyn Maine to expand to include sectional title offices, a retail centre, and a number of hotels, including a four-star hotel linked to the public park zone and central square, conference facilities, an executive health centre, spa and Virgin Active Classic gym and medical centre with day clinic.

thepropertymag.co.za | 29

PROMOTION

Clockwise from top Aerial view of Menlyn Maine green city precinct; still freshly wrapped, the office furniture arrives at the central atrium of Nedbank’s regional office at Menlyn Maine; the Softline VIP lift core tops out above the precinct taking shape below; the Nedbank entrance facade is dominated by an iconic 340m2 green wall.

Menlyn Maine is close to Menlyn Park Shopping Centre and a number of major motor dealerships, general service industries, and schools, including the Glen High School, Damelin College and CTI College. Add to this the precinct’s own entertainment facilities and cinemas, 500 apartments, showrooms, public parks and the town square and you have an integrated space dedicated to the live-work-play ethos. At the heart of the precinct is a series of interconnected parks that will be planted with the mature trees salvaged from the demolished homes (the trees are being stored in the on-site nursery). These parks will service the workers from the surrounding offices, homeowners from the precinct and the general public. They will also be suited to festivals and markets. Menlyn Maine, including the Visitors Centre, will be managed by the Menlyn Maine Property Owners

30 | May/June 2012

Association, which will also oversee the marketing of the precinct. State-of-the-art technology is high on the list of priorities within this Pretoria East development. Menlyn Maine will have a central security system, including CCTV and patrols. The Ethernet metropolitan network will provide the business district with fast connectivity. Henk says, ‘We believe people would love to live, work, shop and be entertained in a well-designed urban setting which is green, human, safe and attractive. People generally love to see and interact with each other, and that is what people experience when they travel abroad and usually react favourably to. SA’s living, working, leisure shopping and entertainment

offerings have been segregated over the years, largely as a result of city sprawl and poor urban planning. Crime has driven housing behind security walls and fences and basically killed off the vibrancy of our cities and neighbourhoods. We believe the new generation of people to live and work in Menlyn Maine will welcome this type of precinct and this opinion is certainly being reinforced by the prospective retail, hotel and entertainment tenants and also the office tenants that we have engaged with thus far.’ Menlyn Maine’s future looks bright. This pioneering, green, mixed-use development offers potential homeowners, corporate tenants and property investors an unmissable investment opportunity.

With thanks to … Menlyn Maine, +27 (0)12 361 7758, enquiries@menlynmaine.co.za, menlynmaine.co.za

Softline VIP Head Office, Menlyn Maine, Pretoria

Nedbank Regional Office, Menlyn Maine, Pretoria LEVEL 2 B -BBEE CONTRIBUTOR Johannesburg +27 (0)11 548 4000 Pretoria +27 (0)12 348 1040

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DESIGN Profile

This page, from top Renders of the central square and the Softline VIP office building at Menlyn Maine, SA’s first entirely green city precinct. Opposite, clockwise from top left Henk’s most recently completed retail project, Bagatelle Mall of Mauritius; House Mandela, Maputo; Henk Boogertman is the project driver on the groundbreaking Menlyn Main development; two of Henk’s award-winning commercial projects, the head offices of Unilever and Momentum Life in Umhlanga and Centurion, respectively.

enk Boogertman specialises in architectural design and he believes, like the motto of Boogertman & Partners Architects (BPA) states, that ‘excellence by design’ should always be at the forefront. Describing himself as ‘entrepreneurial by nature’, Henk likes to keep busy and always has his finger on the pulse. He has been in the architecture game for many years, and firmly believes that the ideal approach to the discipline is to produce timeless buildings. In Australia he participated in Glenn Murcutt’s masterclass, where the focus was on hand, eye and brain coordination as the first step of architecture. However, the ‘thinking hand’ – the computer – is a fantastic tool and useful

32 | May/June 2012

for the second step, namely design development, adds Henk. He believes the younger generation is too reliant on computers for design, but balances this view with the notion that one is never too young to be given an opportunity to design a building. Henk believes in young people and always tries to impress on aspiring architects that it is ‘the most fantastic profession, a lifestyle occupation that is 50% about financial reward and 50% about personal fulfilment’. Henk loves travelling, and once he’s been inspired by foreign architecture, he likes coming home and applying what he’s learned overseas to a South African context. The proudly South African architect comments, ‘You don’t have to emigrate to

be successful; there is a lot to do here. In South Africa, with its usual limitations on budgets for architecture, one often needs to create champagne with beer money,’ he laughs. Regardless of these limitations, the local industry is capable of creating world-class architecture, he adds in a more reserved tone. ‘I think we are very competitive in design, but we’re also affordable in world cost terms,’ he adds. Henk has a world-class CV of his own. He says that although he may have to cut the cord with Boogertman & Partners, he’s had an amazing career thus far, and some moments are very close to his heart. His client briefs for the head offices of Unilever and Momentum Life, for example, allowed him a lot of

DESIGN profile

Fashion forward

If architecture can be thought of as fashion design for buildings, then Henk Boogertman’s work is haute couture Words Catherine Riley Photographs courtesy of Boogertman & Partners Architects design scope and he won several awards for those two buildings alone. He was also recognised for the role he played in forming Dubai South Africa Architects and for his contributions to the design of the world- renowned, $600-million Madinat Jumeirah Resort in Dubai. The last major retail centre Henk was involved in was Bagatelle Mall of Mauritius, in partnership with ENL Group, on behalf of South African developer, Atterbury Property. But just as rewarding as his overseas work are his local projects, including designing Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel’s home in Maputo. ‘It was such an honour to do this project and truly amazing to meet these two very special people,’ says Henk.

Henk is currently working on the Menlyn Maine green city precinct development in Pretoria. His involvement in this project came as a surprise to him. Initially he had simply been asked to review the plans and give advice, but was later offered the position of managing director, which he readily accepted. Carl Jankowitz, who approached Henk to join the team at Menlyn Maine, says, ‘There is no other person in SA with Henk’s experience and abilities. To secure him for Menlyn Maine was a tremendous coup.’ Henk says, ‘No other architect I know of has had this kind of opportunity of a lifetime. To play such a role in all the design and development facets of a development on such a large scale is unprecedented.’

In a sense, Henk has become a client of Boogertman & Partners, the principal architects on Menlyn Maine. Henk does the concept designs for the precinct and BPA provides the contract documents and plans. Menlyn Maine is scheduled to be completed in the next eight years. Green architecture is a cause close to Henk’s heart. When asked about his plans, he hints that there is still a lot to be done, but he doesn’t want to give everything away just yet! ‘We’ll be working on similar green precincts in South Africa – and abroad,’ is all he’ll say on the topic. We are intrigued … +27 (0)12 747 4600, boogertman.com; +27 (0)12 361 7758, menlynmaine.co.za

thepropertymag.co.za | 33

Brooklyn Mall_PropertyMag_change is good.pdf 1 2012/04/24 10:13:23 AM

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Living In

Purple A suburb of contrasts, Brooklyn has been a haven for young professionals and happy families alike for many years. Here’s why we love it

haze Words Gisela Nel Photographs Supplied

rooklyn in Pretoria East is a wellestablished area with universal Old World appeal. Beautiful villas with powder-blue shutters rub shoulders with contemporary apartments with cantilevered balconies and vast expanses of glass, all shaded by trees that have outlived many a resident. The sidewalks are impeccably manicured, smiling people walk their dogs and kids ride their bikes in safety. The expression ‘Ain’t life grand?’ just about sums up this Pretoria neighbourhood. With thanks to … Heiberg Estates, +27 (0)12 362 4628, heibergestates.co.za Seeff Properties, +27 (0)12 452 2500, seeff.com

Out and about There are great places for shopping, such as Brooklyn Mall (left), which has a variety of specialist shops and banks in addition to your daily shopping needs. Its extension, Design Square, has a concentration of designer and home decor shops and a bustling piazza lined with restaurants to suit any taste. When the bell goes at 5 p.m., the place comes alive with professionals from the surrounding offices, ready to celebrate the end of a busy day with a glass of Merlot at Moo Moo or a cheeky cocktail at trendy Tribeca. Fancier nosh can be had at Brooklyn Bridge Centre at the extravagant restaurant, History

Kream, a hot spot for Pretoria’s high-flyers

Brooklyn was established in 1903 on what had been part of one of the original farms owned

and diplomats (opposite, top, shows an

by a Voortrekker named Bronkhorst. It was sold on his death in 1848, and passed through

embassy) while Cynthia’s Indigo Moon is a

a number of hands before the name ‘Brooklyn’, originating from the Brooke family, who

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meals and an intimate setting.

thepropertymag.co.za | 35

Living In

What the agents say Bambie Heiberg of Heiberg Estates and Estelle van Staden from Seeff discuss Brooklyn’s appeal for property buyers

Q What makes Brooklyn so appealing?

BH: Brooklyn has been one of my specialist areas for the past 23 years. It is a well-established, tranquil residential area. Its centrality, lovely treed streets, proximity to tertiary institutions, such as Tuks, Unisa and the Tshwane University of Technology, as well as to well-known schools, shopping centres and hospitals, make Brooklyn a sought-after, prime area in the Old East of Pretoria. It also offers easy access to two sides of the N1. Beautiful established gardens catch the eye, and properties are continually being upgraded and modernised, increasing the area’s value. Excellent security can be seen all around the Brooklyn area. EVS: Brooklyn encompasses several upmarket retail developments. Worldclass restaurants, hip coffee shops, art museums and easy access to the State Theatre, Brooklyn Theatre and Atterbury Theatre add to the cosmopolitan feel.

Q How’s Brooklyn’s infrastructure?

EVS: The two main arteries, Duncan Street and Charles Street, have been extensively upgraded in the past year. Even with the number of businesses that have been newly established along these streets, services have been well supplied. Home away from home If you are looking for a place to stay, there are many new and old guesthouses and hotels in the area. Brooklyn Guest Houses at 128 Murray Street (opposite, top) is a cosy home away from home. If you prefer something grander, try Illyria House boutique hotel at 327 Bourke Street for some Old World class.

Visiting Walking through the streets of Brooklyn in springtime is an experience. The sheltering jacaranda trees (above) seem to be ablaze in a lilac inferno and the path under your feet a scattered lilac rug. Brooklyn is home to serene parks, such as the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary, which has a lovely restaurant and walking trails. If you are a keen or casual birdwatcher, don’t miss the park’s bird-hide, where feathered friends, such as the blue crane, masked weaver and Egyptian goose, can be observed up close. If you’re after a bit of rugged outdoor action, head for the Groenkloof Nature Reserve on Groenkloof Hill, where you can hire a mountain bike and enjoy the views of the city while watching the resident giraffe and blue wildebeest watching you. For the history buffs, about 5km out of Brooklyn lies the impressive, monolithic Voortrekker Monument, which commemorates the pioneering spirit of southern Africa and the history of the Afrikaner. It sits imposingly, high on a hill. Gerhard Moerdyk, its architect, found his inspiration in Kranskop, an inselberg alongside the N1 east of Nylstroom, where he grew up. Today this is the most-visited heritage site of its kind in Gauteng, and one of the top 10 cultural historical visitor attractions in the country. The last Sunday of every month sees music lovers flocking to Fort Schanskop for al fresco entertainment by Park Acoustics. If classical music is more your style, visit Brooklyn Theatre in Thomas Edison Street for a variety of classical music and ballet.

36 | May/June 2012

Q Is buying in Brooklyn a good investment?

BH: Absolutely, as any investment in this area is guaranteed to increase in value. The buy-to-rent market is also extremely popular, as there are more than a 120 diplomatic and corporate institutions within and around the Brooklyn area, and diplomats love to rent in Brooklyn. EVS: Since 2009, average property prices in the area have shown a small but steady increase, year on year, thanks to the suburb’s mix of elegant, established homes and modern, secure complexes. For many decades, diplomatic embassies were clustered in the Arcadia and Hatfield areas, but many of them are now relocating to the Brooklyn and Nieuw Muckleneuk nodes, adding to the exclusivity of the suburb and leading to ongoing property price increases. So, whether you invest in residential or commercial properties here, the returns are guaranteed.

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PROPERTY DINNER

INTO WELCOMING

ARMS Words Nicky Manson Photographs Michael Glenister

We trumpeted the launch of The Property Magazine Pretoria in fine style at the Royal Elephant Hotel

he warm and inviting wine cellar of Zagora Grill Room at the Royal Elephant Hotel & Conference Centre near Centurion was the scene of this month’s Property Dinner. Aside from the outstanding service and gourmet cuisine, the interesting venue remained a talking point throughout the evening. A stellar cast of guests completed the picture for the introduction of the newest title to the Media Nova stable, The Property Magazine Pretoria, which targets Pretoria readers separately from Joburg’s. The consensus around our two long dinner tables was: ‘It’s about time!’ Nedbank’s Deon Minnie told us about the bank’s bold move to Menlyn Maine, a mixed-use precinct whose development is well under way.The developers

intend it to be SA’s first entirely green city precinct. ‘We at Nedbank Group Property Services are very proud and excited about our new campus building in the Menlyn Maine precinct. In the design phase we were able to achieve our third green-star-rated occupied building and placed the focus on our aspirations to create a great place to work, bank and invest,’ said Deon. ‘People expect green to be visible,’ he added. To this end, Nedbank has built a 17m-high vertical garden in its regional office at Menlyn Maine. Created by Lemon Decor, it’s the largest such garden in the country. Two guests who were overjoyed at The Property Magazine’s long overdue journey to Pretoria were Wendy Williams from Engel & Völkers and Rosella Dingle from Rainbow Junction. ‘Superb news,’ said

Wendy, who has recently secured an Engel & Völkers licence for the Centurion area. ‘It’s a great residential area and it’s doing well,’ she added. In Rosella’s opinion, Pretoria has always been unfairly treated as an afterthought, an appendage to Johannesburg. She said it was high time this mindset changed and that she was glad that The Property Magazine had arrived. Pretoria also has a different ethos and dynamic to Joburg’s and so it should stand alone. ‘One must cross the boerewors curtain,’ Rosella laughed. ‘People live in Pretoria and work in Joburg and this is now even more possible because of the Gautrain, so it’s also helped the Pretoria property market.’ Wendy agreed. ‘This in turn has caused property near the Gautrain station of Pretoria to grow exponentially,’ she said.

GUEST LIST Lorette Barnard RealNet Holdings, Jan Davel RealNet Holdings, André de Beer Megamaster, Frik and Lizel de Lang Century 21 Menlyn, Rosella Dingle Rainbow Junction, Dr Bambie Heiberg Heiberg Estates, André le Roux Saint-Gobain Weber, Lorna MacPhail The Property Magazine, Nicky Manson The Property Magazine, Deon Minnie Nedbank, Annah Mothudi Rawson Akasia, Yvette Olivier Guvon Hotels & Spas, Riette Prinsloo Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, Martin and Nicolene Pretorius Van’s Auctioneers, Anne Schauffer The Property Magazine, Anton Sinovich Sinovich Group, Francois van Huyssteen Megamaster, Rob and Lyn van den Berg Absolute Doors, Estelle van Staden Seeff Northern Region, Retha Schutte Pam Golding Properties, Obed Sealetsa The Property Magazine, Shanee Smart Media Nova, Tony Vaughan Media Nova, Wendy Williams Engel & Völkers.

thepropertymag.co.za | 41

PROPERTY DINNER

Martin Pretorius from Van’s Auctioneers has been in Pretoria for 48 years. ‘I think your magazine will be beneficial to us, providing its distribution works well,’ he said. Rob van den Berg from Absolute Doors agreed: ‘I have always wanted to advertise Absolute Doors’ product in The Property Magazine. As our target market is the higher end of the market, we have found that the normal advertising magazines in the Pretoria area don’t work for us.’ The e-tolling controversy inevitably reared its head, with many of our guests saying the tolls will affect where and how people chose to live. But Retha Schutte from Pam Golding Properties strongly disagreed. ‘We can adapt to e-tolling,’ she remarked. ‘If people have always lived in Pretoria and worked in Joburg, they certainly won’t change where they live just because of e-tolling. Instead, it will become a matter of better time management, using the Gautrain and/or car pooling.’ She agreed, however, that e-tolling made a refreshing change of topic from crime. Retha was also pleased about our Pretoria edition. ‘The city’s unique; we have 12 embassies in Pretoria alone,’ she said. Andre le Roux and Yvette Olivier got us onto the topic of sport (not unheard of at a South African dinner party). According to Andre, F1 lost its appeal when Schumacher left. ‘Now he’s driving for Mercedes; say no more.’ With further discussions of sport, South African patriotism and of course what Pretoria has to offer in terms of living, working and playing there, it was clear to one and all that Pretoria’s newest arrival, The Property Magazine, would be welcomed with open arms.

8 Menu Starter Rooibos tea smoked ostrich carpaccio with rocket shoots,

avocado cream, sweet potato chips and pawpaw salsa. Crisp salmon with spiced herbed crust on a bed of wok-fried pak choi and peppers with citrus chilli sauce. Double-Baked Three-Cheese Soufflé with micro green salad, warm apple and red wine chutney, splashed with red wine balsamic glaze. Starters paired with Ridgeback Shiraz Rosé. Amuse-bouche Sorbet. Red wine granita with soured cream. Main Peppered pork fillet and thyme-rubbed roasted chicken breast, crushed potato and butternut cake, glazed baby beets, ginger roasted plums with cassis jus. Roasted herb crusted loin of lamb on apple mash, lamb rillettes phyllo cigar with baby marrow ribbons, red currant jus. Wild mushroom fettuccini, spring onion, freshly shaved radish, grilled asparagus, finished with truffle oil (V). Main courses paired with Ridgeback Shiraz. Dessert

15 16

Chocolate raspberry tart with bitter chocolate sorbet. Paired with Ridgeback Cape Ruby Port.

Francois van Huyssteen 2Martin Pretorius 3Tony Vaughan 4Frik and Lizel

Royal Elephant Hotel & Conference Centre

de Lange 5André de Beer 6Rob van den Berg 7Lorna MacPhail 8Lizel and

Bondev Park, Cnr Willem Botha and Wierda roads

Frik de Lange 9Annah Mothudi 10Francois Stremmelaar 11Deon Minnie

Eldoraigne, Centurion.

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van Staden 17Lorette Barnard 18Nicolene Pretorius 19Yvette Olivier 20André

Jan Davel 13Rosella Dingle 14Dr Bambie Heiberg 15Nicky Manson 16Estelle

le Roux 21Riette Prinsloo 22Retha Schutte.

42 | May/June 2012

PROPERTY DINNER

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Real estate

residential & commercial

The Rule of Three After 21 years in real estate, there’s one question I’m asked constantly: how’s the market?

Main image 123rf.com Portrait photograph Supplied

sk the sellers who priced their properties correctly, chose the right agent and took all the essential measures to make sure their homes were attractive to buyers, and they’ll join me in my response: the market’s good! This doesn’t only have to do with the banks’ releasing their tight grip on bonds. I believe the market will continue to improve if we internalise just three monosyllables: know your worth. It’s a simple creed, but a profound one, and it applies to agents, sellers and buyers, equally. Agents need to understand the value they add so that they don’t compromise their worth. Sellers need to understand the value of their property and maximise its strongest features. And buyers need to feel that they’ve landed their dream home at a fair price. All three are achievable. Collectively, they are my definition of success in this exciting and ever- evolving industry. Most people ask about the market because they’re trying to gauge whether their property will sell. How soon will it sell? Will it sell at the right price? What is the right price? You’ll be glad to know that the banks and the economy don’t have all the control in property sales today. Much depends on the seller’s

approach. One of the biggest mistakes many sellers make is overpricing the property. Overpriced homes will sit on the market for far too long, will not be attractive to buyers and will cause the seller a lot of angst. Eventually, the seller will have to reduce the price, which will often be much lower than the price it would have been had the home been priced correctly from the start. If sellers understand the value of their home and are proactive in optimising its strengths, the property will sell. Quickly. Selling a home successfully means giving the right agent the right mandate at the right time. I realise it’s not that simple. Selling one’s home is, for the vast majority of homeowners, a highly emotional decision. Both psychologically and financially, we invest an enormous amount in our homes. Hearing that the price you want is neither reasonable nor possible can be disheartening. A good agent will remain abreast of all new trends and changes in the industry (such as current bank criteria), educate and support the seller, strive for the right price and keep clients informed about how they can get involved. While the right price may depend on factors beyond everyone’s control, there is one important process in which the seller should be fully engaged:

dressing a home for sale. As a woman in real estate, I’ve learned that dressing for success doesn’t just apply to my wardrobe. Here are my two top tips. One is in direct accordance with my wardrobe rules, and the other is … not. First, the finer details go an awfully long way to creating a powerful first impression. Second, leave very little to the imagination. In other words, don’t force potential buyers to imagine what the house would look like if the pool were blue and clear or the garden green and tidy. As real estate professionals, nothing we do is a perfect science. If it were, most of us wouldn’t do it as well or love it as much. But there are certain patterns that seem to emerge every time, no matter the state of the market or the size of the property. In over two decades in this business, I’ve learned that there is a recipe for everyone walking away happy, and it works in threes: sellers, buyers and agents need to internalise the value that each of them adds to a successful sale.

Adrienne Hersch, CEO Adrienne Hersch Properties

thepropertymag.co.za | 45

RESIDENTIAL Real Estate

Estates offer good value The real estate market, in terms of gated complexes and upmarket golf and lifestyle estates, is flourishing, because these types of developments offer affordability and high security, and the properties are low maintenance. Lew Geffen, chairman of Sotheby’s International Realty SA, says people are buying into these estates because prices are generally still below 2008 levels and are often well below the prices of comparable properties in the older, blue-chip suburbs. He says that three years ago it was quite difficult to find a home for under R3 million at Silver Lakes Estate near Pretoria, but now several luxury properties have been sold there for roughly R2,5 million. ‘Even better news is that many of the larger estates now incorporate upmarket apartment and townhouse developments that facilitate entry for younger buyers who will become the upgraders of the future. They also accommodate older buyers seeking to downsize to homes on estates that offer them additional security and less maintenance.’ +27 (0)12 460 9261, sothebysrealty.co.za

On the rise Pretoria’s Moot West area is abuzz with real estate action, thanks to its affordability and central location. Good schools and access to extensive public transport are driving forces, too, says RealNet Agency Principal, Willie du Plessis. ‘Add this to the fact that the area is very well located in relation to the CBD of Pretoria, the industrial areas to the west and north of the city and to the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, and you have a real winner,’ says Willie. Sought-after suburbs are Mountain View and Suiderberg, where you can buy a three-bedroom, two- bathroom home for under R800 000. Capital Park, where home prices reach R1,2 million, is attracting medical professionals because of its proximity to the academic hospital, says Willie. However, he believes that there is a shortage of townhouse complexes in the area and that this could spell opportunity for insightful developers, especially as many of the homes here are still set on very large stands. +27 (0)71 692 0437, realnet.co.za

Stable markets The question on everyone’s lips right now seems to be, is the property market recovering? According to Joanie la Grange, principal of the Leapfrog Pretoria East and Centurion franchises, her areas have remained fairly stable, and if homes are correctly priced from the get-go, sellers will achieve their asking prices. Joanie says, ‘There is no shortage of buyers in the good investment areas throughout Pretoria. The challenge is to get buyers who can qualify in terms of the banks’ lending criteria. It seems that the banks are becoming slightly more lenient in their criteria.’ leapfrog.co.za

Centurion sizzles

Thanks to its convenient proximity to major cities, such as Johannesburg and Pretoria, the demand for homes in the Centurion area is high. With this in mind, Re/Max Jowic plans to increase its market share in the wider eastern Centurion areas. It has relocated its Lynwood branch to Irene and will now cover most of Centurion’s eastern towns and estates, including Irene, Centurion Golf Estate, Pierre van Ryneveld and Kloofsig, among others. Willie van den Berg, broker/owner of Re/Max Jowic, credits Centurion as one of the fastest-growing areas in Gauteng and says that the prices are increasing, as good residential stock is scarce in the area. He adds that homes in Centurion sell within 60 days, on average, and that prices start from R450 000 for one- bedroom units, from R550 000 for two-bedroom units, and from R600 000 for three-bedroom units. For free-standing homes of two or three bedrooms, with a garden, buyers can expect prices ranging from R750 000 to R900 000. Willie says there is a large mix of buyers in the area, from ﬁrst-time homebuyers to those looking for luxurious accommodation. remax.co.za

46 | May/June 2012

A large percentage of deals are collapsing due to the lack of qualification of buyers and their needs – Adrienne Hersch, CEO Adrienne Hersch Properties

COMMERCIAL Real Estate

Painstaking repair

Marabastad’s colourful Marieamman Temple has undergone extensive repairs to ensure its future prosperity as an iconic Hindu landmark. Due to its past restoration experience, including the Union Buildings of Pretoria, specialist contractor Gordon Verhoef and Krause (GVK) was given the mammoth task. Built in 1905, the Marieamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Pretoria and over time its gopura (a pyramidshaped tower) had eroded. This and other structural repairs were done by GVK, which used plaster and concrete for the job. To ensure all the repairs accurately matched the original building, the team carefully salvaged and reused splinters of original decorative mouldings and also mixed the paint carefully to ensure the colours applied were identical to the original colours. ‘The Marieamman Temple is an important part of Marabastad and South Africa. These restorations and repairs have revitalised her for another good few years,’ says Eben Meyburgh, managing director of GVK’s operations in Gauteng. +27 (0)11 608 0313, gvk.co.za

Landmark union

It has been confirmed that the integration of Brooklyn Mall with Design Square, which lies adjacent to it, will go ahead. Growthpoint Properties will have 75% ownership of the new mall, while Atterbury Property Group will retain a 25% stake, held by its subsidiary, Abacus Property Holdings. The value of this new mall is estimated at R1,7 billion. Together with this deal come plans to upgrade and expand the mall and to enhance the link between the two centres. Managed by Atterbury, the refurbishment will also introduce a figure-8 mall, which will improve shopper flows, create additional parking space and add 6 000m2 of retail area to the mall. Completion is estimated for April 2013. +27 (0)12 471 1600, atterbury.co.za

Good news on mortgages

Homebuyers have been having a difficult time securing a home loan in the past few years, but good news has arrived at last. The welcome announcement that the interest rate is likely to stay the same for 2012 has brought some financial relief and as such banks are beginning to approve more home loan applications. In light of this development, Absa Bank says it wants its mortgage share back. Sifiso Shongwe, managing executive of Absa Home Loans, says Absa currently holds a R221-billion share of SA’s R900-billion home loan market. Sifiso says Absa intends to conduct 30% more business this year as compared with 2011. Sifiso adds that Absa intends to improve its services, through the implementation of its Easycheck system, which can tell home loan applicants in 60 seconds whether or not they qualify for a bond. Leapfrog Property Group CEO, Jan le Roux, says, ‘It is very good news. The home loans market was dominated by Standard Bank last year and the re- entry of Absa at this level is bound to create competition.’ Absa’s desire to become a bigger competitor in the market makes sense because the affordability of housing continues to improve. Jan believes that for Absa to increase its market share it will have to win over applicants from other banks. ‘Now is a good time to make those decisions and make a medium- to long-term commitment in owning property,’ says Jan. Seeff Chairman, Samuel Seeff, has also welcomed the news of Absa’s intentions and that of the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee decision to keep the repo rate at its current level. ‘Seeff has had its best March and April months of the past four years and this, along with the announcements by Absa and the Reserve Bank, provide some hope that the property market is heading towards a recovery. The flat house price growth together with the low interest rate means that home affordability is the best in decades and it seems that many buyers who have been looking around for some time have finally made the decision to take the leap and put pen to paper.’ Samuel also believes that this will be the year in which a significant portion of the distressed property stock will be cleared out of the market. Following this, there will be a better balance between demand and supply in the market, a vital foundation for its recovery. But, he warns, buyers and sellers need to get used to a new market reality: ‘We are unlikely to see the price gains of the pre-2008 boom period for at least a few years. Recovery of the market will be slow and Seeff expects that sales volumes will be the first to gain momentum. Once there is more robust buyer activity in the market, sellers will become less likely to negotiate and prices will start rising. The positive start to this year is a sign of some energy returning to the market and it gives us hope of a recovery towards the end of next year or at least in 2014.’ +27 (0)21 671 4880, leapfrog.co.za; +27 (0)12 452 2500, seeff.com

thepropertymag.co.za | 47

Africa

investment, real estate, news & leisure

Magic in Marrakech

The five-star Palais Namaskar luxury hotel is a decor feast

esigned by Paris- and Marrakesh-based architect, Imaad Rahmouni, the recently opened Palais Namaskar is a gorgeous hotel set on 5ha of land between Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and Djebilet Hills. Part of the Oetker Collection, Palais Namaskar comprises 41 exclusively designed villas and suites as well as a Pool Palace, Mountain Palace and Water Palace. It is set within fragrant, manicured, Balinese-style gardens, surrounded by lakes.

3 The hotel is contemporary oriental in its look, with feng shui principles woven into the interior design. Complementing the decor are bespoke, handmade light fixtures by luxury lighting design company, Andromeda Murano. The Italian company’s aim was to create a magical place with reinterpreted modern taste and sensitivity and a unique mix of exquisite tradition and oriental fusions. The overall effect is simply breathtaking.

4 Some of the rooms offer terraces, while others feature Jacuzzis and heated pools. There is also a spa offering guests pampering in the most elegant setting. Dining options include a restaurant, tea lounge and a bar. Surrounded by golf courses, shopping centres and cultural hotspots, Palais Namaskar is only 30 minutes away from Marrakech-Menara Airport. +39 041 736 674, andromedamurano.it; +212 (0)5 24 29 98 00, palaisnamaskar.com

The main swimming pool at Palais Namaskar. 2–3Water features and lakes in the

hotel’s gardens. 4Handmade Murano chandeliers by Andromeda adorn the public

Visit thepropertymag.co.za for more business

spaces of the hotel. Imaad Rahmouni was responsible for the hotel’s design.

and leisure news from Africa.

48 | May/June 2012

Words Tammy Sutherns Photographs Supplied

africa

Protea Hotel Lusaka

Protea flourishing in Africa

Protea Hospitality Group will be driving US$130 million (about R1 billion) into Africa with the construction of 11 new hotels. The expansion, one of the biggest in Africa by a hotel group, will bring to nine the number of African countries where Protea has hotels. The first hotel will be built in Nigeria. Plans for hotels in Uganda and Zambia are in the pipeline. Protea Hospitality Group CEO Arthur Gillis says, ‘As political stability and business opportunities increase, they create a greater need for the hotels.’ He adds that certain African countries are setting global economic trends in terms of hospitality and that the change of traditional trading partners has resulted in growth for these countries. The new hotels in Nigeria will include Protea Hotel Ibadan, Protea Hotel Select Emotan, Protea Hotel Select Ikeja, African Pride Avalon Hotel and Spa and Protea Hotel Asaba. The new hotels in Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia are expected to create 1 000 new direct jobs in the hospitality industry in those countries. 0861 11 9000, proteahotels.com

It’s raining accolades The hospitality industry is booming across Africa, and big congratulations must go out to Rani Resorts, which won a host of awards at the World Travel Awards Africa and Indian Ocean ceremony in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Among the awards that the hospitality group scooped was one for the Leading Resort in Mozambique for its Indigo Bay Island Resort and Spa, while Pemba Beach Hotel and Spa scored it the Leading Hotel in Mozambique Award. Rani Resorts’ Stanley and Livingstone at Victoria Falls earned it the Leading Hotel in Zimbabwe Award. And Matemo Island Resort in Mozambique, the jewel in the group’s crown of African hotels and resorts, was named the Leading Resort in Africa. +258 21 301 618, raniresorts.com

Pyramid dream The prospects for Cairo’s real estate market are looking up, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s (JLL) Cairo Real Estate Overview. Ayman Sami, head of JLL’s Egypt office says, ‘If the

Indigo Bay Island Resort and Spa

country is able to address its political issues, then we are confident that activity will return to the market relatively quickly, as demand exists across a number of sectors.’ The economic stability of the country is very much linked to the political situation and has had a negative impact on the tourism industry and new investment in Egypt, says Ayman. Despite this, JLL has noted potential improvement in the Cairo real estate market, where there is demand for between 5 000m2 and 15 000m2 of office space and retailers continue to open new stores. Ayman says, ‘Investment opportunities currently lie in the mid-market segment across various sectors.’ +2 02 25777 836, joneslanglasalle.com

Stanley and Livingstone at Victoria Falls

thepropertymag.co.za | 49

South Africa Wide-open

spaces

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve’s Explorer Camp offers a succulent outdoor Karoo experience

and other wildlife. The enchanting view extends for kilometres, and only the sound of the crickets chirruping in the grass is there to distract visitors from their game- viewing. Comprising 54 000ha of mountains, plains and indigenous flora and fauna, the reserve offers a feeling of total isolation, a place where historic rock faces and caves are decorated with San paintings, and a variety of birdlife guards the skies. The Explorer Camp is a tailor-made safari. The walking trails are chosen by guests, who are then assigned a qualified, armed guide. The trail walks can last up to four hours. There’s an optional game- viewing vehicle for specialist tracking needs,

Sanbona Explore Camp allows guests to get back to a simpler way of life amid the

allowing guests to travel further afield to explore other walking trails and see what game awaits them in different parts of the reserve. Guests select the spot on which to pitch camp. Accommodation comprises three mobile canvas tents kitted out with comfortable camping beds. Each tent sleeps two, has its own bathroom facilities and provides optimal privacy. Meals are enjoyed under the stars, and guests need simply relax, put their feet up, and take in the magnificent surroundings.The Explorer Camp operates +27 (0)41 509 3000, from October to April. sanbona.com

1–3

Visit thepropertymag.co.za to discover other

rugged natural splendour of the Karoo.

fantastic getaways in South Africa.

50 | May/June 2012

Words Catherine Riley Photographs Supplied

orming part of the luxury leisure group, Shamwari, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is situated between Montagu and Barrydale on the world-famous R62 and brings a whole new meaning to camping. The reserve’s Explorer Camp offers the more adventurous and active visitor a two-night outdoor tented bush camp along a shaded river line. The experience centres on being on foot in one of South Africa’s largest private game reserves, where the potential to have a close encounter with many different species of game is always a reality. The reserve is home to the Big Five, zebra, buck, giraffe

AFRICA South Africa

Waterfront living Pam Golding Properties is marketing Ambermere Estate, which is situated on 300ha of prime land right next to the conﬂuence of the Vaal and Wilge rivers. There are 61 waterfront stands available, each a minimum of 2ha in size and with at least 100m of private waterfront. Plots are priced from R750 000. Building regulations are strict, allowing future buyers two years to build on their plots, and only single-storey homes of a maximum 600m2 in size. All services will be underground, ensuring no unsightly cables are seen, as architectural guidelines are geared towards being sympathetic to the surroundings. In the last few years, more than 10 000 indigenous trees have been planted on the estate and the waterfront areas have been improved, including the building up of embankments and the construction of two marinas. Residents will be able to enjoy outdoor activities, including water sports and birdwatching. The estate is fully fenced and secure, in line with the reintroduction of game into the area. +27 (0)16 371 1377, ambermereestate.co.za

Bargain bay Property sales along the southern coast of KwaZuluNatal are seeing both local and upcountry buyers snapping up seaside property bargains. Deidre Ronnenberg, owner of the Aïda Amanzimtoti ofﬁce, says the biggest driver of this activity is the proposed R100-billion upgrade of Durban’s former international airport, which is just 11km from Amanzimtoti. ‘The anticipated increase in local property values as a result of this development, plus the fact that the demand for long-term rentals

Interest-on-Sea

here is already increasing, is attracting a far greater

Homebuyers are showing increased interest in properties in the Eastern Cape town

number of investment buyers, and many of them

of Kenton-on-Sea, particularly in the middle-income market. Older, well-priced,

are paying cash,’ says Deidre. The South Coast

well- maintained homes are seen as offering good value or as having that ready-to-

fares well in terms of property values. For example,

move-in feel. Pam Golding Properties Area Principal, Michael Wilmot, says homebuyers

a spacious two-bedroom beachfront ﬂat with

are drawn to the tranquil coastal lifestyle and unspoilt environment, which is ideal

garage costs around R650 000. Further down the

for young children. ‘We are seeing leisure buyers returning to the market, including

coast, there’s strong demand for retirement homes.

middle-income small families and young buyers and a younger generation of retirees,

An estimated 400 000 retirees reside between

mostly from Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Bloemfontein, and they are generally seeking

Umkomaas and Port Edward. Homes in this area are

properties in the range of R1 million to R2,5 million,’ says Michael. The growing number

popular for purchase, either as an investment or to

of young buyers includes parents who intend sending their children to private schools

accommodate new retirees.

in Grahamstown as well as parents whose children attend Rhodes University. Michael

+27 (0)31 916 4215, aida.co.za

says Kenton-on-Sea is a popular holiday destination with relatively crime-free streets and a Blue Flag beach. +27 (0)46 648 1203, pamgolding.co.za

Mall in the middle Middelburg Mall has reopened after a R500 million refurbishment. Moolman Group and Flanagan & Gerard Property Development & Investment say the facelift came about because of increased retail demand. Middelburg Mall is situated just off the N4 in Mpumalanga. The made-over interiors now have modern ﬁnishes, higher ceilings, new tiling, a fresh coat of paint and improved bathrooms. The mall has been extended by 10 000m2 to 43 000m2, and there is still room for further expansion. ‘It could eventually exceed 55 000m2,’ says Patrick Flanagan. The mall includes 94 shops, and most of them are let. Tenants include major banks and cellular companies. The anchor tenants are Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Game, Checkers and Edgars. Included in the retail mix are Clicks, Musica, Mr Price and Truworths. Among the mall’s chain restaurants are the household names Spur, Mugg & Bean, Wimpy, McDonald’s and Debonairs. +27 (0)13 244 1404, middelburgmall.co.za

thepropertymag.co.za | 51

Men Centleyn r

Pretoria Country Club

Waterkloof Heights Shopping Center

R12,985M BROOKLYN: STATELY, ZONED CORPORATE HEAD QUARTERS!

Prime Address: 109 Brooks Street, Brooklyn Buildings: ±1 100m² Stand: 5 104m² Price: R12,985m Sole Mandate: Heiberg Estates Web reference: Off018 Private Property: M38832 One of Pretoria's most characterful and historic Corporate Head Quarters, located in the sought-after suburb Brooklyn, is up for sale! Being one of the very first residences in Brooklyn and built in the late 1890's, this immaculately and authentically restored “Brooks House”, has the perfect address in tranquil and treed Brooks Street, less than 2km to the University of Pretoria and Brooklyn Mall, and within 8 minutes drive to the N1 Highway and Pretoria CBD. The eye catching Oregin Pine, Satin Wood and Burmese Teak wood panels, broad staircases, built-in desks, shelving and display cabinets and gleaming wooden floors eminent throughout the main building with extra high ceilings, has been restored with loving care and restoration was done to perfection, keeping the original character and Victorian flair. Surrounded by the most beautiful trees, some over 200 years old, a wonderful Victorian landscaped garden with Simon van der Stel benches and built on a stand of 5 104m², this almost 1 100m² immaculate property entertains all that a Corporate HQ requires. The double storey main building with a majestic entrance and waiting hall, has three enormous conference / training halls – all with the most beautiful original fireplaces and built-in wooden shelving/display cabinets. The layout is perfect also for conferences where the conference and board room flow unto a wrap around under roof veranda – ideal for banquets / refreshments and functions. A well equipped kitchen with lots of storage space, makes effortless in-house entertaining possible. A wide and artistically designed staircase leads to the upper level with four extra spacious Directors offices on each corner, supplemented by several staff offices and a practical tea/coffee kitchenette for the upper level with bathroom facilities. Almost all the offices have the most beautiful original fireplaces as well as air conditioning units. There are two annexes supporting the main building – an archive with two offices and enormous walk-in safe or re-enforced strong room (±180m²) with air conditioning as well as a separate administration block with 2 spacious open plan offices, accommodating 6 – 8 people each plus private office. Both these building have their own private bathroom and kitchen facilities. The Caretakers residence with private street entrance is a huge bonus, consisting of two living areas, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and kitchen. There is ample and safe open as well as shaded parking space on the premises for up to 50 vehicles and the existing buildings can be expanded as there is bulk available on the premises. There is a controlled entrance to the full enwalled premises and each building is serviced by its own alarm system. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity – make an appointment NOW to view, before it is too late! Viewing please call: Bambie 083 654 3773

HEIBERG ESTATES: CALL US FOR ALL YOUR RENTAL, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENTS!

WATERKLOOF

RESIDENTIAL

WEB REF: Wat209 PRIVATE PROPERTY: M27453

ALL YOUR HEART COULD EVER DESIRE, WITH TOTAL PRIVACY AND TRANQUILLITY ON FULL STAND (2 552M²)!

R8,95m A versatile and perfectly designed, ultra spacious family home with tennis court, dream garden and swimming pool. This south entry, north facing property has double volume and extra spacious living areas flowing unto the entertainment areas, luscious garden with running lawns and exquisite landscaped garden.

The open plan gourmet kitchen with separate laundry and wash-up area, forms the heart of the informal section of the property, there is a living room with fireplace that leads to an enormous under roof entertainment veranda with built-in entertainment facilities, a poolroom with bathroom (can also double up as an additional spacious guest suite), formal lounge with fire place and dining room. All bedrooms are clustered together in a lock-up security zone with queen suite and own private kitchenette, private breakfast/sun downer balcony with lovely views over the city, additional four bedrooms and three bathrooms, two studies (potential for separate office wing with private street entrances), five garages, double servant's quarters, borehole/sprinkling system and all your heart possibly can desire! Viewing please call: Bambie 083 654 3773.

WATERKLOOF

WEB REF: Wat207 PRIVATE PROPERTY: M50848

TO LET

WATERKLOOF WEB REF: Wat073

A CLASSIC BEAUTY IN THE HEART OF OLD WATERKLOOF, MODERNISED WITH FINE STYLE AND TASTE!

R3,75m This property has a perfect location Close to major routes and shopping mall’s and schools! Experience peace for your soul the moment you enter this immaculately and lovingly tended to property, surrounded by the most beautiful landscaped garden and huge trees! With three extra spacious entertainment areas, an entrance hall, family room with gleaming wooden floors and cosy fireplace. The practical layout of the living areas, all clustered around the modernized kitchen, offer superb views on the pool and entertainment area with under roof veranda. The detailed and easy manageable landscaped garden with borehole and irrigation system is a children's paradise! The dining room with private outdoor garden and peaceful fountain area, is semi-open plan with a well equipped kitchen with gas appliances and separate laundry/wash-up area, ideal for every day usage but also for doing in-house entertaining for private functions. There are 4 double sized bedrooms and 3 modernised bathrooms (2 bedrooms with own private bathrooms) and lots of built-in cupboards. The ultra luxury master bedroom with private balcony, has an enormous walk-in wardrobe, and a magnificent, state of the art full bathroom. The value of this superb investment is enhanced as it a perfect investment opportunity and rentable to diplomats! There are two garages with direct access into the house and double servant's quarters. Top of the range security. Viewing please call: Bambie 083 654 3773.

EYECATHING DESIGN IN POPULAR VICTORIA STREET, WATERKLOOF ACROSS THE ROAD FROM PRETORIA COUNTRY CLUB!

R22 000.00pm Double storey delight, modern family home which offers huge open plan living areas / bar area and study overlooking open and covered entertainment areas with built-in barbeque for entertaining about 25 + people per function, sparkling pool and landscaped garden. Semi open plan and modernized kitchen with lots of cupboards. Separate wash up area, pantry as well as laundry. Upstairs: four spacious bedrooms, three bathrooms plus communal TV room or small office. Master bedroom with sliding doors leading onto sunny veranda for early morning breakfasts or early evening sundowners. Double servant quarters with own facilities + storeroom. Double garage + one Carport. Good security. Occupation: 1 May 2012. Lauriann 082 858 7256.

Bambie 083 654 3773 / www.heibergestates.com

PRETORIA OFFICE 012 365 9000 FAX 012 365 2887 EMAIL pretoriaeast@pamgolding.co.za

WATERKLOOF

R16.5million

An imposing and inviting entrance hall, numerous formal and informal receptions and 2 kitchens create a milieu for lavish entertaining. 4 En suite bedrooms on the upper level, 3 studies as well as a self- contained 2 bedroom flatlet with a private patio. An ideal home for the larger family with teenagers and regular guests. Parking for 7 vehicles and double staff accommodation. On a full stand of 2 552mÂ˛- already subdivided. Web Access PT1079686 Stienie van den Berg 082 870 7214, Ria de Clercq 082 557 5161

MORELETA PARK

R3.39 million

On a clear day you can see forever! An exquisite family home with 4 bedrooms, 2 en suite main with a walk-in closet. Lovely modern open plan kitchen and dining area for warm and cozy winter nights. Spacious living leading onto a patio and pool area. Staff acommodation. Double garage with walk-in safe. Web Access PT1082571 Anita du Toit 082 825 0166, Madaleine van der Nest 082 375 7045

WATERKLOOF RIDGE

R14 million

Opulence plus plus. 5 Expansive bedrooms with balconies and wooden flooring as well as 4 luxurious bathrooms. A magical stairway connects the open living, dining and kitchen areas which feature cleverly utilized stonewalling and alcoves to create a secluded feel while remaining spectacularly uncluttered by way of large windows opening onto views of the garden greens and a self contained luxurious roofed patio, which offers even more room to enjoy the peaceful country ambiance. Web Access PT1062161 Maryna van den Bergh 082 448 2755

LYNNWOOD

R4.3 Million

This elegant home offers a secure and tranquil lifestyle with elegant reception areas overlooking the irrigated garden and Magaliesberg mountains in the distance. Located in sought-after Strubenkop Security Village. it comes with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, (mes), a lovely north-facing kitchen, a patio, double garage and staff accommodation. Web Access PT1083109 Delyse Burger 082 601 3350, Danie Theron 072 600 6986

www.pamgolding.co.za

Prop Mag F-P May 4/23/12 1:30 PM Page 1 C

CY CMY

TREND WATCH

For a cool and technologically trendy addition to your office space, look no further than these accessories ZOOM IN

GETTING IT RIGHT The Livescribe Echo Smart Pen is a must-have for the ofﬁce stationery box. This multipurpose pen records everything that its writer hears and writes. For quick and accurate access to all recorded information, simply tap on your written notes. It has a built-in

From the Lighting Warehouse comes a new

micro USB connector (useful for transferring notes to

range of desk and ﬂoor lamps, including this

your computer) as well as a jack for headphones and

Magniﬁer Clamp Light in white. The lamp

a speaker for playback. With two memory options

effortlessly clips onto your desk and has the

available, 4GB (400 hours) or 8GB (800 hours),

bonus of a built-in magnifying glass. Available

the Echo Smart Pen never misses a beat. Available

from Lighting Warehouse outlets nationwide.

nationwide from The Gadget Shop. +27 (0)11 792 4912,

0861 5444 8464, lightingwarehouse.co.za

thegadgetshop.co.za

COFFEE WHEN YOU CAN These Coffee Joulies, available from Mantality, are the ultimate boardroom weapon, helping to keep your cuppa joe warm throughout long meetings. Should you need a jump-start sip immediately, these smart beans help with that, too! Sealed within each stainless steel bean is a phase change material (PCM) that melts at around 60°C and draws the heat out of boiling hot coffee, changing it to a more drinkable temperature. The PCM also slowly releases the heat its absorbed, keeping your coffee warm for longer. Mantality delivers to all major cities in South Africa. Bottoms up! +27 (0)11 462 5482, mantality.co.za

CALCULATING IN COLOUR Brighten up doing your calculations with this range of cute Casio calculators from Ofﬁce National. Choose from a variety of cool colours. Available from Ofﬁce National outlets nationwide. +27 (0)11 704 0056, on24.co.za

BOOGIE ON DOWN The Boogie Board Rip, available from Mantality, is both

with the peace of mind that you can save your scribbles and revert to them later. The Boogie Board Rip allows you to save up to 100 pages and even lets you transfer your drawings, lists and ideas to your Mac or PC. Nationwide delivery. +27 (0)11 462 5482, mantality.co.za

56 | May/June 2012

Words Catherine Riley

environmentally friendly and seriously cool. Write down or doodle down your ideas on this touch-sensitive tablet,

R605 000

*1,2 & 3 bedroom houses also available

Built-in sound control

With Gyproc’s new high performance SoundBloc, you can create a world where patients heal and doctors can hear themselves think. A world where kids can learn and teachers can teach. A world where business travellers are guaranteed a good night’s sleep and holiday goers can go on partying till dawn. Sounds good, doesn’t it.

1905 It’s a Go | SoundBloc

0860 27 28 29 www.gyproc.co.za

1905_Gyproc_SoundBloc_Ad_FA.indd 1

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