SA Affordable Housing March / April 2018 // Issue: 69 | Page 33

PROJECTS
Comfortable living is found inside and outside the complex.
while nuclear families need an affordable and convenient
lifestyle, preferably close to schools with entertainment
areas in the estate.”
Urbika Urban Lifestyle Estate is therefore not for a
specific race or age group. “In the design of this estate
we’ve managed to address the main needs of this market,
while keeping it hugely affordable, yet providing nothing
short of a premium product.”
With a backdrop of Cinderella Dam, Similan have
elegantly woven together the splendour of the outdoors
with the energy of city life, energy efficient design and a
colourful edge that’s uniquely local. On top of this, they
have designed different types of apartments and homes to
cater for unique needs.
The estate has a dedicated retail complex, water and
play park, a Curro school, volley ball field, a children’s
mountain bike pump track, outdoor gym, as well as a
central recreational space with a clubhouse and
amphitheatre to hold community meetings or use as a
venue for gatherings. It is also fitted with a massive
24-hour manned security infrastructure with cameras all
round, biometric control gates and pin codes for visitors.
The number of units are also reduced to create a liveable
space. He asserts that you can build anything you desire;
the challenge remains commercial affordability. Funders
and council are excited about the project and its aim to
push boundaries of affordable housing.
There are seven different types of apartments ranging
from a studio to a three-bedroomed loft. The estate
provides quick and easy access to major roads (including
the N12 and N17), highways and public facilities like
hospitals, shopping malls and schools. Apartments come
with interior finishes made to make life easier such as
washing machine connection (all apartments), dishwasher
connection (some apartments), secure, designated parking
areas, PVR connection to a shared DStv dish, dedicated
washing lines, small gardens for ground floor apartments,
granite tops, under-counter oven and hob, built-in
cupboards as well as imported German kitchen cupboards.
Currently undergoing Edge Certification, Spies states
that every detail is worked out to fit Edge compliance.
“From the brick to the window and taps,” he says.
They’ve installed heat pumps systems with PV insulation
that sits on portion of the carports. Three smart meters are
installed throughout the complex, allowing tenants to
manage their utility on an app. “The app reconciles every
night showing the day’s usage. You can recharge on it as
well,” he concludes.
Every detail of the estate is managed towards a green certification.
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
MARCH - APRIL 2018
31