SOCIAL
The Hilltop Estate is a large scale mixed-used development located in a quiet
suburb of Kleinne Kuppe in the capital city of Namibia, Windhoek.
W
ith a population
of about 322 500
people, Windhoek
is fast growing at a
rate of an estimated
0.67% in the last
year.
The setting for
the development
was positioned in the fastest growing
suburb of Windhoek, an ideal location for
such a development. The main aim of this
development is to bring the local people
of Windhoek together, meeting the needs
and desires of both young and old. The
project developers, Demushuwa and Safcoll
Property Holdings are the brains behind
the idea and brought Frank Böhm Studio
on to the project to design the entire site
layout and the buildings themselves.
The Windhoek Hilltop Estate development
construction began about 5 years ago with
Frank Böhm Studio having to produce the
concept for the entire site. This 180 000m2
site was subdivided into specific erf’s
which were then allocated to house various
commodities, including The Grove Mall
of Namibia, The Lady Pohamba Hospital,
The Medical Doctor’s rooms, The High
Performance Centre, The Mega Centre,
The Future Design Square, the new dam
and a mixed use development known as
The Steps, which consists of five separate
buildings that will have a Virgin Active gym,
restaurants, offices and other recreational
facilities that the studio is also working on.
When asked about the significance of the
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development, Frank Böhm said, “Windhoek
has interactive social hubs for family
members, and due to the hotter weather
conditions of the Namibian landscape,
people seek recreation activities in the
shade or indoor. Despite this, there are
no proper venues to accommodate these
activities and provide the local people with a
beautiful space to socialize as inside outside
responding spaces.”
This is the precedence for the entire design
of the site and the individual building
structures. Each building individually
designed according to its specified
description and function.
The concepts were inspired by simplicity
and practicality in providing a unique space
for entertainment, recreation and living. The
architectural abstractions are well thought
out and will accommodate various businesses
and individuals. Through the site plan, people
are encouraged to interact between buildings
to build a sense of community. Cycle paths,
wider well developed pedestrian pathways
and the greening of spaces between buildings
were considered in the early conceptual
ideas of the estate. On the estate is the main
attraction, the newly opened Grove Mall
which has become known as The Mall of
Namibia.
This development is still under construction
creating much excitement amongst all the
locals. The development is to have a positive
impact on the people of Windhoek as it
captures the hearts of those that may enjoy
a grand unique structure, the first of its kind
in Namibia. AD