CONTEMPORARY & COMPACT LIVING
DESIGN BRIEF
Maker D+A was approached by Stuart Whittaker, Developer of The Edge, with a unique brief that challenged them to conceptualize the design of an apartment block in a new and exciting way. The North Coast property market has been booming over recent years and prospective property buyers have often found that price points are beyond their means. Stuart wanted them to address this issue – the need for affordable homes that didn’t compromise on functionality or high end finishes. The idea was to create something remarkable that would take full advantage of the beautiful surrounds and prime location, which is close to the beach, school, airport and now bustling town of Ballito. The fruit of this process is The EDGE Lifestyle Estate.
THE APPROACH – COMPACT LIVING
“Early in the design process, we realised that it was necessary to approach the building from a compact, efficient and space saving point of view. In our rapidly expanding urban landscapes, there’s a movement that’s becoming increasingly popular – it’s known as ‘compact or micro living’. Compact living is a way of living that is centered on a functional, yet refined lifestyle. It discards the fluff that bogs people down and focuses on simplicity and quality. There’s precedent for this type of living style internationally and Durban CBD has seen its own version of such developments in the form of inner city apartments. This compact living thinking is at the heart of the design of the EDGE, but with a twist. This building doesn’t sit in a dense urban landscape, but embraces the outdoor opportunities afforded by the site.”
– Roger Kerr
DESIGN CONFIGURATION
The building is arranged in a manner that takes advantage views outwards on all edges. A central courtyard allows for vertical circulation and light to the rear zones of the apartments. This courtyard will be modulated with hanging gardens and a water feature will become an exciting in-between space. Due to the fact that the footprint of the building was limited, we looked at utilizing vertical height, and so the individual apartments have been designed with grand proportions, high ceilings and tall entrance doors. In additional to the typical spaces one would expect to find in an apartment, these units have the benefit of upper level loft living spaces which can double up as storage zones depending how the owner desires to use them.
