LANDSCAPING SALI Awards 2016
Three Gold Award Winners ... and a Trophy for
Golf Data ’ s landscaping at Steyn City
Golf Data , the landscape design and construction company , also responsible for the construction of the golf course on site , won three Gold Awards for landscaping at the 2016 South African Landscapers Institute ( SALI ) Awards . These were awarded for various sections of this vast lifestyle development , north of Johannesburg : the Specialised Landscape Construction at Node 8 in Phase 1 , comprising an outdoor gym , skate park and play area ; Origin , comprising cluster housing and forest planting ; and The Views ( Riverglen
4 ), open space with a carefully positioned meandering river course , planted with marginal and aquatic species , so as to achieve an entirely natural appearance , flowing through this communal area .
The Views ( Riverglen 4 ) was designed and built by Golf Data and the National SALI Judge Morné Faulhammer considered it worthy of the Trophy for the Best Landscape Construction with In-house Design out of last year ’ s award entries , countrywide .
Text by Carol Knoll Photographs by Carol Knoll and courtesy of Steyn City
Golf Data ’ s landscape architect Albertus Viljoen commented that the soft landscaping ( planting ) component of Steyn City for Phases 1 and 2 extended over 66 ha , for each of these phases . The communal areas of Phase 1 are almost completed , while some homes are still to be landscaped . Other phases of the ‘ city ’ will be built over time .
The renowned landscape designer Patrick Watson developed the ‘ landscaping philosophy ’ for the site with the original owner , wellknown businessman Douw Steyn , over many years of discussions . Watson says that Steyn ’ s real interest is that people living at the estate should be able to walk in nature through forests and along rivers , and enjoy green spaces and exercise everywhere . The decision was that 50 % of the property should be planted up with largely locally indigenous species . Watson ’ s
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