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The condensed suburb Melrose LOW RISE, a residential development in the leafy Johannesburg suburb of Melrose, designed by W Design Architecture Studio, reimagines the residential development as a condensed suburb. PHOTOGRAPHY REINIER HARMSE
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rior to the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886, the Johannesburg suburb of Melrose was part of one of the original farms that made up the city. The suburb had its beginning when one of the original randlords bought land in the north of Johannesburg in 1893. He built his home there and planted trees on the land. The suburb was laid out in 1902. Today, Melrose is known as one of the city’s ‘leafy suburbs’ – with large freehold properties, low-density luxury homes with expansive gardens and tree-lined streets. While this traditional view of the suburb still holds true to a great extent today, the area has also undergone rapid development over the last 20 years and various new buildings have taken shape and influenced the area both in function and density. In order to successfully redesign and develop suburbs (or a suburban property such as this) in a sustainable way, we need to maintain the good qualities but eliminate the trappings. Continued next page
16 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN JUNE/JULY 2020
