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ConDev’s Stone Ridge Development
ConDev’s Latest Development Nears Completion Stone Ridge 37 Ridgeway North
text by Michael Nott | photos by Fotohaus
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CONDEV PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT ARE LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY OF UPMARKET RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS ZIMBABWE. THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 2015 BY STUART CUMMINGS AND ED WHITFIELD AND HAVE A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CREATION OF COMPACT BUT LUXURIOUS LIVING SPACES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATIVE DESIGN. OVER THE YEARS STRUCTURE AND DESIGN HAS FEATURED A NUMBER OF THEIR PROJECTS INCLUDING THE REMARKABLE ARKENSTONE DEVELOPMENT IN THE BROOKE, THE WELL WOMAN CLINIC IN HIGHLANDS AND 100 MONTGOMERY ALSO IN HIGHLANDS.
Their latest development, completed at the end of August this year, is a cluster of 10 high end town houses situated at 37 Ridgeway North called Stone Ridge. The houses each have three bedrooms, three bathrooms, an open plan kitchen, dining room and lounge and outdoor living spaces. They are bright, airy spaces with loads of windows and doors that can open the interiors out to the gardens. In addition, the open plan space has a vaulted ceiling with a glass gable end to let in more natural light and make the space feel more expansive.
While the garden space is modest – the stands are around 700 square metres – the outdoor area is more than adequate and doesn’t feel crowded. In fact, 8 of the 10 units have included swimming pools. The units were sold off-plan so buyers could select minor variations in the design but most selected to include the pool in the outdoor entertainment area. The outdoor space also includes a secluded courtyard for breakfast or morning coffee, private gardens leading off the bedrooms, a drying yard, and space for water tanks and services. There’s a large verandah in front of the lounge for outdoor entertaining – an interesting feature of the verandah is the use of XPS Isoboard thermal insulation just below the roof which looks almost identical to traditional tongue and groove but is easier to install and offers better insulation. There is covered parking space for two vehicles near to the entrance of each unit as well as an overflow parking area for guests within the complex. The driveways have been paved with waterwise planting along the edges. The design also preserved as many of the older more established trees as possible in line with ConDev’s sustainable, environmentally friendly philosophy.
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The units were designed by renowned local architect Sarah Morgan and include a number of green credentials. The units are all either north or east facing to take maximum advantage of natural sunlight. Each unit has a solar/inverter 5Kva system to reduce their reliance on the electricity from the grid and emphasis has been placed on alternative or more efficient energy supplies. There are state of the art gas water heaters and a gas stove. The units have 2000 litre water tanks powered by Esybox energy efficient pumps. Water is supplied by council although there’s a borehole on site to supplement water supplies when needed. This means the houses can operate off grid with their own power and water supplies.
Another green innovation is the sewerage reticulation system – something fairly revolutionary in Zimbabwe. The main sewer line connection is very far away and rather than include several septic tanks and soakaways (the soil is particularly rocky) ConDev and Morgan have opted for an on-site recycling system. The sewerage treatment set up was manufactured by the South African company Calcimite and supplied locally by Mazano Agencies. The system cleans and purifies the sewerage separating the solids and the liquid and the resulting grey water is used on the garden.
The houses have a small screening wall at the front entrance for privacy and security. The front door opens to a small vestibule with a desk/office area to one side. Some owners have elected to create a guest toilet in this area instead of an office. The vestibule leads to the open plan kitchen which has loads of convenient storage space and a central island. Beyond the kitchen is a small scullery with space for utilities like a washer and drier and a dish washer. The open plan lounge has folding glass doors across the corner opening onto the verandah. Most of the floors are vinyl wood look for easy maintenance, except for the bedrooms which have fitted carpets and the bathrooms obviously have porcelain tiled floors.
Just past the lounge area, leading to bedroom wing, is a small room which could be used an office, a more intimate family TV lounge or even potentially a fourth bedroom. Along the passage to the right is the first bedroom with a small en suite shower room. To the left is a family bathroom with a shower and the second bedroom with doors opening out to garden. At the end of the short passageway is the master suite which has a large dressing room, a luxurious en suite bathroom with a very generous frameless shower cubicle, a tub and a modern suspended vanity cabinet. The master bedroom also has a vaulted ceiling echoing the open plan lounge and it has double glass doors out to the garden.
37 RIDGEWAY CONDEV PROJECT TEAM
Innotech Steel Warehouse PPC Homestyle Bricks Scribante Bsi Steel Halsteds Electrosales Union Kitchens 4 Africa Artisans Flint Electrical Delports Gutters Driptech Shades Ahead Liquid Telecoms The Gate Man Bathroom Boutique Earthen Fire Tile and Carpet
The ten units are laid out roughly in circle around the central green space which also incorporates the bio-digester and the overflow parking. At the entrance is a guard house which is manned 24 hours a day. There’s a GSM intercom system which connects to residents’ cellphones to advise them of visitors and allow access. Behind the guardhouse there are two bedrooms and bathrooms and a kitchen for the resident caretaker and groundsman. (The units don’t include individual staff quarters.) There’s also service space for the water tanks (30,000 litres), pumps and a generator for the complex’s main water supply. Work on the project started in August 2021 and was completed in August 2022, on time and on budget. ConDev are driven by a commitment to quality, attention to detail, sustainability and reduced environmental impact as well as the use of new eco-friendly technologies.
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