Architect and Builder August/September 2019 | Page 20

PROJECTWATCH
PROPOSED, CURRENT AND FUTURE PROJECTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND ABROAD
PROJECTVIEW
BLACKBRICK, SANDTON
A revolution in service led urban
living, BlackBrick has launched an
entirely new residential concept
in Sandton. Conversion of the
building at 25 Fredman Drive,
formerly home to the offices of
SAB / ABInBev, is underway and
will be home to 208 apartments
including
a
hotel
component,
with a world first residential club
membership offering.
Buyers
into
BlackBrick
auto-
matically become club members,
as will the tenants. Membership
will allow use of the property’s
extensive work and recreation
facilities.
“The
vision
is
to
eventually offer BlackBrick mem-
bers
access
residential
to
a
clubs,
network
which
of
allow
for fluid, facilitated movement
between BlackBrick properties in
different cities,” says BlackBrick’s
Moritz
Wellensiek.
“The
way
people live and work is changing.
The rise of flexi-hour workdays,
hot desking and mobility means
that
people
requirements
have
when
different
it
comes
to their homes, too. We see
BlackBrick as the future of flexible
living, where members will be able
to move freely between cities on
both a short and long-term basis”
WEX2, WOODSTOCK, CAPE TOWN
Following the sellout success two years ago of WEX1 – a 10-storey, mixed-use building
opposite the Woodstock Exchange in Cape Town – boutique property developer Signatura
is launching WEX2, which will offer an additional 45 units.
Designed by BB Architects, WEX2 occupants will enjoy access to the nearby WEX1
facilities that made the original development so popular. It is also on the doorstep of the
Woodstock Exchange, home to creative industries as well as shops, offices and cafes.
WEX2 taps into a growing trend of property owners and tenants who prefer good
location to ample private space. WEX2 is about three kilometres from the city centre,
with easy access to the Woodstock railway station, MyCiti bus routes and cycle lanes
“In the world’s most popular cities there is a shift towards well-designed, compact
studios,” said Signatura MD David Cohen. “These have the benefit of being more
affordable, opening up the possibility of living reasonably close to the city centre. Some
buyers also enjoy having a small unit close to work, and a larger property further out of
the city for weekends,”
While compact, the units have been designed to offer all the essentials for efficiency
and comfort. Each unit will have Smeg appliances, vinyl timber floors, a smart utility
meter, access to fast fibre internet and even an electric bike. “Providing a useful mobility
solution with the apartment is a great way of getting people to think not just about
where they live, but how they live,” said Cohen. “There is a long-term plan to make
Cape Town a truly bike-friendly city and there are already cycleways, painted cycle lanes,
cycleable footpaths, city bike racks and recommended commuter routes in place. We
had an enthusiastic response at WEX1, where we gave buyers the option of removing
the parking bay from the price of their unit and in return they got a single-speed bicycle.
The inclusion of an electric bike at WEX2 is an evolution of that idea and we hope to
introduce more people to the benefits of cycling. www.signatura.biz
The Sandton BlackBrick building is
being developed with investment
from Empowered Property Fund,
Setso, and in partnership with
HB Realty. www.blackbrick.club
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Project Watch