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PROJECT
PROJECT
Just three kilometres from the heart of Stellenbosch
in the Western Cape, Newinbosch is a sustainably
designed neighbourhood estate offering exceptional
amenities and diverse, affordable opportunities for
those looking to embrace secure community living and
a wholesome lifestyle. Owned and developed by local
property developer Similan and JSE-listed construction
firm Raubex, the 48ha mixed-use development will be
rolled out over the next four to six years, with the firstphase
occupation taking place in the first quarter of 2024.
The Newinbosch precinct aims to incorporate
internationally benchmarked and acknowledged sustainable
design and green building practices. It is currently registered
with the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) for
a Green Star Sustainable Precincts rating and aiming for
a 5-Star Green Star rating, and is registered for and targeting
an EDGE Residential certification.
STARTING WITH THE END IN MIND
Green building and sustainability consultant André Harms,
Founder and Director of Ecolution, says that it has been
an incredibly interesting and inspiring project to work on,
given that Similan set out to develop a sustainable residential
precinct, and put into practice what needed to happen in
order to achieve that vision – only seeking a green building
Newinbosch was meticulously crafted
to introduce a live-work-play ethos
that enriches residents’ quality of life.
Newinbosch is an inclusive
development providing safe and
secure living for middle-income
families and young professionals.
certification along the way, to confirm, expand on and enhance
the interventions incorporated. “They had a good intuition as
to what sustainability means on this neighbourhood precinct
scale, and had researched and applied various initiatives
because of their passion and convictions,” Harms says. “When
Ecolution came on board, it was a case of taking stock of
what had been done, and then applying it to the Sustainable
Precincts benchmark. They had already included so many
things organically, and we were able to advise on some further
additions in order to push the boat out further. We submitted
the Round 1 submission for a 5-Star Green Star Sustainable
Precincts rating, which we will hopefully achieve to make it
the first in South Africa for this type of development.”
Similan
Families will be able to obtain fruit and
vegetables from the neighbourhood’s
not-for-profit urban farm.
The architectural style draws inspiration
from the area’s Old Cape Dutch roots, while
incorporating simple rectangular lines.
All the amenities have been planned
around community connection, health,
accessibility and the needs of residents.
The Sustainable Precincts tool evaluates large-scale
development projects at a precincts/neighbourhood scale,
based on a “Plan for Development”, and applies to new
rather than existing precincts. The categories considered
in this tool are governance, livability, economic prosperity
and environment. Dr Peta Brom, Senior Sustainability
Consultant and Certification Operations Manager at
Ecolution, says that the Newinbosch precinct has a good
spread across each of the categories. “From an economic
prosperity perspective, the different housing typologies
and erf sizes reach diverse target groups. There are
a number of start-up projects in various phases of ideation
to drive empowerment and economic development, which
really fall at the crossover between economic prosperity
and livability. For example, the neighbourhood will boast
a not-for-profit urban farm, where the restaurant and
residents can obtain healthy produce, with proceeds going
to those working at the farm.”
In addition to encouraging and recognising projects that
engage in and facilitate the development of the project’s
community, livability points are awarded for projects
that promote healthy and active living. Newinbosch
was meticulously crafted to introduce a Live-Work-Play
ethos that enriches residents’ quality of life. The sports
and training facilities are vast and varied, from a 25m
swimming pool and kids’ pool, gym facilities and cycling
and running routes, to pickleball and multipurpose courts,
boules, a farm and recreational dam, and a dog park. Other
amenities include an outdoor amphitheatre with picnic
lawns, an eatery, coffee shop and wine bar, shared office
space, the Grappa Shed events venue, and the on-site
Newinbosch Square shopping centre.
Newinbosch is the only development in Stellenbosch
with specifically allocated zoned land for a school. The
pre-school facility, in collaboration with Pret op die Plaas,
a well-known local preschool, opens in January 2024, and
a private primary and high school are planned to launch
in the future. The whole neighbourhood is designed to
help children flourish in an environment where they can
learn, grow and have fun. Amenities like jungle gyms,
trampolines, a skate park, a bouldering wall, smooth
paths for little wheels, and cricket nets all prioritise safe
and holistic development, within the realms of a natural,
outdoor world.
CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE,
CONNECTING WITH NATURE
All of the amenities have been planned around community
connection, health, accessibility and the needs of residents,
as well as the wider community. “It’s about being able to
greet neighbours walking past the work-from-home office
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