Erasmus family whose house on the property was known as the Castle and the Gate refers to the site ’ s centrally connected location . The overall aesthetic theme of the lifestyle retail centre references the historical origins of the original Waterkloof farm with traditional brick and stone work combined with wood beams and detailing , while exposed steel structures and steel create a contemporary industrial feeling .
The two styles merge in a spacious open plan retail layout that is warm and inviting and evokes a large farmyard that is modern and durable with facilities that invite users to spend more time in the space . The site is located on a dolomite zone which presents challenges for the design and construction in that broader structural spans are
required . This challenge has been optimised as a design opportunity to create broader spaces with fewer column structures that allow for ease of pedestrian movement and increased visibility within the centre . The centre is eco-friendly with recycled grey water being used for the landscaping plus a solar farm with the capacity to generate about 1MW of power . All the gabions on site were constructed using rock excavated and sorted from the site during the earthworks phase .
Evolving Retail The layout and tenant mix of the Castle Gate Lifestyle Centre is a departure from the traditional design approach for convenience retail centres and can be seen as a shift towards accommodating
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