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The site analysis forms the basis of the conceptual design for the new layout and it is based on the information available from the town planner consultants, specific reports provided by the project manager and the site visits.
Landscape and surroundings
The triangular form of the site is surrounded by a mountain to the west, a stream “river†to the east and a storm water servitude to the south. These landscape features represent an opportunity to incorporate them to the general environment. They form the very first conceptual border of the site. The proposal intends to transform these features into assets to the township, incorporating a series of infrastructure strategies to the grid layout.
Servitudes and restriction lines
The most important restrictions are the flood lines on the river and the 5º slope restriction towards the mountain slope. It is not allowed to build permanent edifications in those areas. There are also a number of restriction lines related to the town planning exercise.
The surrounding urbanized land, to the east and south of the site, is mainly conformed by low densit
y developments. The Extensions 6 and 7 have been rezoned to commercial use and a shopping mall is under construction. To the north of the shopping center there is another social housing development announced.
Connections
There are no existing connections to the site. The proposal develops as series of connections to the surroundings based on the current developments in the area and the previous proposed layout.
The individual house represents the basic building block. The manner in which the subsidized house is conceived, varied and arranged will contribute greatly towards an environment’s quality, sense of dignity and place .We propose that the mix of units is developed- ranging from free-standing, semi detached and row-housing to walk-ups conceived as special live-work units along busy pedestrian activity streets.
We understand our input as an informed adjustment to the existing layout plan. The proposal (including indicative housing types) can then be tested in a business plan.
The concepts supporting the design proposal can be grouped in four areas:
A.   Urban zoning
B.   Residential proposal
C.   Public space development
D.   Grid structure
E.   Surrounding landscape opportunities
Urban Zoning
 The zoning concept is approached from an interactive point of view that contradicts the segregative meaning of the word. However, it serves as an instrument of analysis and helps to organize the space in the urban grid.
The proposed zoning involves:
A)   Residential independent erves of 180 to 250m² each
B)Â Â Â Special residential medium/high density
C)Â Â Â Commercial, business, others
D)Â Â Â Community facilities
E)Â Â Â Undetermined, buffer areas
F)Â Â Â Education
G)Â Â Â Park and public recreational spaces
The criterion used for the distribution of zones is to strengthen the Hans Strijdom axis by locating higher density and most public services and commercial. To give some visual organization, we opened a square in the center where we locate community facilities both as a symbolic and functional community square.
Educational zones are related with a secondary axis, but more into the residential low density tissue, due to the low interaction with external public space and the green area that normally surrounds schools.
The commercial zone is located to serve not only this 15th extension, but also the existing town to the east side.
Residential proposal
It also opens the possibility for bonded or partially subsidized type of developments to be included in the economic (feasibility) study. This type of strategy has a direct influence in the social environment that is generated, allowing different levels of family group income to populate the urban space.
The proposal includes three different residential tissues:
a) Independent erves, to install 40 to 80 isolated houses
b) Medium density row houses, and
c) Higher density housing blocks
Public space
Public space is the shape of the city that we can see, so is through its perception that we “read†the town.
The proposal makes a point in the organization of public space in a clear cut pattern that connects the nature of the mountain and riverside parks with the more urban central square.
One of the most important issues in this proposal is the solution for the interaction areas between the residential tissue and the public parks. We tried to avoid a long and dangerous back barbed wire fence between a house and the piece of bush. Instead, we located a perimeter road and access points that gives a façade both to town and to park,. People can enjoy beautiful natural spaces through the promenade and from the houses, and the bush becomes park, making security issues easier.
The K69 route generates a challenge from the landscape design because It divides the site into two sections. The landscape design approach intends again to transform the disadvantage of the restriction into an advantage creating a lineal park that connects to the central square. A pedestrian bridge is proposed to physically connect the two sections.
Grid structure
The grid that connects different zones has three levels of connection roads: main axis Hans Strijdom, secondary main roads, and internal streets to serve residential tissue. Main and secondary include pedestrian and bike circuits as shown in this scheme.
The grid is the foundation of the urban development, and directly relates to feasibility of the proposal. Most of the cost of the city development lies underground in the form of service infrastructure.
To complete the connection to the existing urban grid on the west side, two bridges need to be created to go through the river flooding area. Also, to complete the circulation system, a prevision was made for the location of a taxi rank area.
