BASE STUDENT LIVING
BASE STUDENT LIVING: POPLAR & DENNESIG Stellenbosch
CLIENT Abacus Development Company( Poplar); Dennesig Properties( Dennesig)
DEVELOPMENT & PROJECT MANAGER Abacus Development Company
ARCHITECTS GASS Architecture Studios( Poplar); TV3 Architects and Town Planners( Dennesig)
QUANTITY SURVEYORS LDM Quantity Surveyors( Poplar); Farrow Laing Quantity Surveyors( Dennesig)
CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS Sutherland( Poplar); KLS Consulting Engineers( Dennesig)
MECHANICAL, LIFT, FIRE & WET SERVICES ENGINEERS EKCON Consulting Engineers
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER KLS Consulting Engineers
TRAFFIC ENGINEER UDS Africa
INTERIOR DESIGNER Abacus Innovation Company
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Planning Partners( Dennesig)
TOWN PLANNER Arch Town Planners
LAND SURVEYOR Friedlaender Burger & Volkmann
HEALTH & SAFETY CONSULTANT Cairnmead Industrial Consultants
GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT RA Bradshaw & Associates( Dennesig)
MAIN CONTRACTOR WBHO Construction
PHOTOGRAPHY Aleksandra Carstens Courtesy of WBHO
With the ongoing demand for student accommodation in South Africa, developers have invested in the construction of a diverse range of accommodation options in the main study centres throughout the country. As Stellenbosch continues to grapple with this increasing demand and the pressures of a growing urban population, new forms of higher-density residential development are becoming an important part of the town’ s evolving fabric.
One of the most successful of these has been the Abacus Group’ s development of the MySpace student accommodation brand in Stellenbosch. Consisting of around six hundred beds accommodated in three buildings( two new and one retrofitted) situated in different areas of the town, MySpace offered a product aimed at the upper end of the market. After a number of successful years of operation, Abacus Group has recently sold the buildings and the brand to another well known operator in the sector who was looking to diversify its portfolio. Prior to the sale, Abacus was already well advanced with the development of two new student accommodation sites. Now complete and occupied, these sites, Dennesig and Poplar House, have been rebranded from MySpace to Abacus Group’ s new student accommodation brand, Base Student Living. Abacus believes there is still a lot of untapped potential in the higher end student accommodation sector in Stellenbosch. The new Base Student Living brand has been built on the success and lessons learned from their initial foray into the market. Another site, Oaks, situated close to Dennesig is to commence construction in April. In total this will bring the Base Student Living accommodation offering to around 350 beds.
The success of MySpace, which had a 60 % lease renewal rate, has given Abacus Group a clear indication that the quality of the rooms and facilities offered were highly sought after by students able to afford the price point. The new buildings under the Base Student Living brand have aimed to incorporate the successful elements of the original developments, whilst making some small changes. Originally a shared bedroom option was offered, but this was not popular. Thus, going forward, all the spacious bedrooms are private, either as the most popular one person Solo rooms, with private cooking facilities, or rooms that share cooking and living facilities, ranging from the two bedroom Duo to the three bedroom Trio, all bedrooms are en-suite. Downstairs common areas retain a high standard, with quality finishes and a variety of entertaining and study options.
From a technical point of view, Abacus have employed a new product( 100 % recycled) in the market to improve waterproofing in the buildings. This product is Hydrostruct DBS( damp barrier system) www. hydrostruct. co. za.
Abacus Group has also invested in the upgrading of the area around Dennesig and the adjacent The One, with a new road and pavements, adding value to the surrounds. With the completion of Base Student Living Oaks, the area will become known as a hub for quality student accommodation within Stellenbosch.
86 Base Student Living