Estate Living Magazine #liveyourbestlife - Issue 46 December 2019 | Page 15

P R O P E R T Y
Thesen Islands – image: Gustav Du Toit
&
I N V E S T M E N T
and contributions have had a unique and lasting impact on the welfare
of society and the environment.
Now in its 10th year, this is the first time that someone from South Africa,
and more importantly, Africa, has been nominated as one of the final
three nominees.
An achievement that should not be taken lightly, the honour is also well
deserved, taking into account Dr Mulder's considerable achievements,
and the impact of his ongoing work in the South African landscape over
almost four decades.
Among them are the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden master
plan, the master plan designs of Pezula Golf Estate and Belvidere
Estate in Knysna, and Banyan Tree Hotel in the Seychelles, as well as
a myriad sustainable rural agri-residential property developments all
across South Africa – all based around his unique design philosophy of
creating enduring value in property developments.
Perhaps the most notable of these is the team’s involvement as principal
designers and co-developer in Thesen Islands – a contemporary multi-
award-winning marina set in the ecologically sensitive Knysna River
Estuary. With eight years of research, planning and design going into
the project before any building took place, Thesen Islands is today a
shining example of new urbanist neighbourhood design.
Banyan Tree Seychelles
Dr Mulder is hugely passionate about the preservation, rehabilitation
and enhancement of biodiversity through sustainable planning and
practices, and he continues to advocate the need to reconcile people
to the countryside. He calls this concept contemporary rural hamlets
and villages, or rural new towns to accommodate the more than 50% of
South Africans living beyond the so-called urban edges.
Banyan Tree Seychelles
For more about Dr Mulder and his lifetime of achievements, projects
and ongoing opportunities, please visit www.cmai.co.za. For more on
Student Life residence
the Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award, please visit www.iflaworld.com.
P R
Of course, the nomination is not just for vision and design aesthetics,
but also recognises Dr Mulder’s continuous involvement in job creation,
training and skills development as well as poverty alleviation – all on
display at Crossways Farm Village.
A sustainable alternative for people to live, work and play, Dr Mulder’s
latest venture is the groundbreaking Crossways Farm Village near Port
Elizabeth. Consisting of 700 residential, commercial and industrial
opportunities, as well as 120 hectares of irrigated land, Crossways
Farm Village is the first rural new town in South Africa to achieve
independence from the nearby municipality to provide sewerage,
water and electricity through green-design features like rainwater
harvesting and solar heating.