Architect and Builder November/December 2018 | Page 6

NEWSWATCH THE LATEST NEWS AND PRODUCTS FROM THE BUILDING INDUSTRY NEWSWORTHY UMHLANGA ARCH PRESENTS KZN’S FIRST EUROPEAN-INSPIRED HIGH STREET Umhlanga Arch set out to change the landscape and lifestyle of KwaZulu-Natal and that is exactly what it is doing through its part- nerships, architectural design and use of state-of-the-art technology. Recently Umhlanga Arch, along with the Rembrothers Group, announced plans for KZN’s first European-inspired high street. “This is a first for KZN, and although it stemmed from an international concept, the Umhlanga Arch High Street will fully support locally- based businesses. Every element of the High Street will not only be unique to the area but will also be on trend and of a superior quality. We have been consulting with original home-grown brands and to start we have already confirmed Mark Gold, a leading South African jewellery brand,” shares Renzo Scribante, Founder of the Rembrothers Group. The partnership between Umhla- nga Arch and Rembrothers was announced towards the end of 2017. This collaboration intends to create a retail experience that brings the best of global trends and fuses them into one bespoke development offering. The vision behind KwaZulu-Natal’s first-ever European high street is to create convenience, explore creativity and celebrate uniqueness. 6 SUSTAINABLE RHINO WOOD SETS STANDARD FOR ECO-LODGES Eco-savvy lodge owners, more conscious of the need to incorporate sustainable building materials, are working closely with green minded architects. Together they create lodges that balance luxurious comfort with minimal damage to the environment, wildlife and surrounding communities. A great example of such a sustainable, eco-friendly ethos is the Mombo lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Responsible luxury is managed and monitored against very strict in-house environmental standards; so only approved eco-friendly materials are used to keep their footprint very light. As natural timber is a preferred building material for most lodges, it’s a great way to introduce clients to Rhino Wood: The sustainable, naturally modified and chemical free timber that’s the perfect solid timber alternative to use where endangered hardwood timbers were traditionally used. For Mombo, Rhino Wood was the natural timber choice for outdoor decks around the pool, in lounging and dining areas and for their walkways. There was no thought of using indefensibly sourced hardwoods which have a significant negative impact on the planet as a whole. Raw material for Rhino Wood comes from sustainably managed South African pine plantations. The pine is transformed into Rhino Wood using a unique and patented, 2-phase process which includes both thermal modification and impregnation with a unique wax blend. The result is a high performance, low maintenance timber with outstanding dimensional stability and a resistance to rot, insects and decay. Stringent, independent international and local testing has proven that Rhino Wood can withstand the harshest conditions and that, in some instances, it outperforms some of the most desirable tropical hardwoods. [email protected] www.rhinowood.co.za News Watch