24 JULIE
Gates open to massive development
An artist’s impression of the grand entrance to Sitari Fields. The huge new rural suburb coming to the Helderberg area – the R4 billion Sitari Country Estate set between the N2 and R102, neighbouring Croydon Olive and Vineyard Estates, will include many features of a size, scale and degree of sophistication not previously seen on any previous development, says John Coetzee, one of the executive directors of Uvest. Such features extend from the first impression of Sitari Country Estate – its main gatehouse complex – to its high-tech, comprehensive security solutions. Uvest Property Group are the property developers of Sitari Country Estate, and Coetzee has been meticulously planning and designing aspects of this unique development
for over three years. He describes the main gatehouse complex: “The building will house the security control room as well as the sales, maintenance and management teams of Sitari Country Estate and will also have office space available to rent. The enormous main gatehouse will be 9 450 m² in extent – which is bigger than an average rugby field. “The on-site security centre will provide manned access control to the estate plus a control room with high-tech monitors providing 24/7 surveillance of the perimeters and key corridors. The entrance space for cars will allow for three cars entering and two cars exiting simultaneously, while allowing the guards to have clear vision of who is entering and exiting the estate. There will be two gatehouses to the estate, with the smaller one being near the Cur-
ro Castle and Curro School that are scheduled to open in January 2016. Each entrance will have biometric readers and number plate recognition as well as 24/7 guard monitoring.” Says Duncan Warburg of Orbic Architects, who designed the gatehouse complex: “We drew inspiration for the main gatehouse from the stereotypical house end form which has been embellished so beautifully for the last 500 years in the Western Cape through Cape Dutch Architecture with use of the gable end. The gatehouse at Sitari Country Estate will have six monolithic gable ends framing huge glazed facades, which is a fresh take on the Cape Dutch vernacular. Each side of the gatehouse is essentially a colossal, modernistic Cape Dutch manor house.” Security at Sitari Country Estate
will be of the highest standard in South Africa. The 5 km stretch that runs along the N2 will be fenced off with a visually appealing form of fencing of 3 m in height. The boundary along the R102 will consist of a 2.4 to 3 m high wall interspersed with fencing. These fences will include under-digging, serrated strips, anti-cutting, and anti-climbing with electrics on top, plus Future Fibre Technology with heatsensitive triggers which, when disturbed, activate cameras around that area to focus on the disturbance. The cameras include thermal technology with full night vision. Each and every incident will be alerted back to the gatehouse, and a security roaming vehicle will be dispatched to the disturbed point. Internally, at each junction there will be a 4-way camera, able to view
down each lane, which is connected back to the control room. Adds Coetzee: “The communications within Sitari Country Estate will also be of the highest standard, thanks to Amobia Communications, who specialise in innovative connectivity solutions. Residents will enjoy a cost-effective, fast broadband service plus be able to make unlimited calls for free within the estate. Each property will also be linked to the control room via a telephonic intercom system, allowing residents to be informed as to who is entering the estate and wanting to visit.” Sitari Country Estate is unprecedented in terms of its scope, and will include 3 150 residential properties once complete. Full details are being kept under wraps until the official VIP launch event on 31 July 2014.