Estate Living Magazine Estate Living Issue 29 May | Page 6

Editor’s Letter ESTATE LIVING Founder/CEO Jaimé-Lee Gardner COO/Editor in Chief Louise Martin Smart cities are all the talk in the property sector. Mixed-use developments that are human-centred and that encourage sustainable practices are paving the way forward. There is a tremendous amount of development underway in cities across the world, especially in Europe. In Santander, Spain, for example, special sensors measure soil moisture and turn on sprinklers when it gets too dry. Street lamps only light up when there is a person nearby to conserve energy and even the trash cans automatically inform the sanitation department when they need to be emptied. We might not be as advanced in our smart city endeavours back home, but we are not doing nothing either. Developments like Umhlanga Arch in Durban, Harbour Arch in Cape Town and Melrose Arch in Johannesburg are just a few that are smart in their thinking and design. Creative Kate Hilson Contributors John Cockayne Zeenat Moosa Hassan Possibly the most successful mixed-use development to date and the blueprint for developers across the world is Canary Wharf in London, and what better place to start than with a review of the people and brains behind the development? Helen Grange Iwan Pienaar Jennifer Stern Ambassadors Jenelle Oosthuizen Jodi Gardener Enquiries: [email protected] [email protected] Front Cover: There are many contributing factors that make this development so successful. I am personally amazed at their investment in environmental sustainability, which helps drive the productivity and wellbeing of those that live and work on the development. Location, location, location has always been the main deciding factor behind a successful property investment, but smart developments like Canary Wharf have shown that this is slowly evolving. Perhaps location, biophilic design and community will be the deciding factors of the future? Definitely not as catchy, but very relevant in today’s landscape. We explore the smart city concept futher in our June edition, and see what’s on the market both locally and abroad. So, watch this space. Mixing smart living with a country feel, Somerset Lakes Estate in the Western Cape is a fresh and welcoming estate that has all the ingredients of a successful lifestyle community - and you feel right at home from the moment you enter the very attractive main gates. Again, you can see how location, biophilic design and community are so important in the make up of this estate. The phase-by-phase approach of the developers makes the current construction feel inobstrusive. A super cool mix of property options, nearby schools and wide ranging facilities promoting an outdoor lifestyle shows why this estate has naturally become multi-generational. Water management and on trend green building options encourage homeowners to make sustainable choices, and there’s also ample walkways, a chic lifestyle centre that is central to life on the estate, as