Property costs have escalated dramatically to the point that people who are active in the economy, find it very difficult to afford accommodation. Gentrification, although not unique to Cape Town, continues to have a snowball effect in terms of price escalation and exclusivity, resulting in a growing limitation on access to opportunity for the working class and young people setting out on their career paths. This impacts on the City’s ability to correct historical apartheid city planning structures. In reaction to these forces, a scheme was developed to provide a dense development on an abandoned site in Woodstock, facilitated by both public and private sector. The development focused on residential opportunities and related commercial support uses. This was done within the framework of treating the site and surrounding community with respect and creating value for existing surrounding development through the quality of urban and architectural design and management system. The proposed design philosophy highlights the importance of the public interface on streets and that buildings are to be used to frame public roads and urban streets within the development. Roads surrounding the development, and which link the development to a main road to the north of the site becomes part of the urban design framework. Detailing includes tree planting, sidewalk treatment and the treatment of road intersections to become pedestrian meeting places. Building form is predominantly four-storey walk-ups with roofscapes stepping according to the topography. Terracing of the site creates height differentiation between buildings whilst courtyard creates a semi private spaces for use by clusters of building occupants. Courtyard parking is detailed to become multi-use spaces. Simple massing leads to subtle background buildings and on elevation window details are used to create complexity. Façade detailing varies from the use of shutters along western facades, to window setbacks, reveals and sun-shading along other facades. Face brick plinths accentuates unique elements within the design. The use of colour around vertical circulation assists in creating unique identities within the greater site. Block orientations are positioned to optimise orientation and avoid long monotonous forms. Unit layouts are placed to provide optimum privacy yet providing active interfaces to all street edges as well as internal courtyards. The design typologies envisaged varies between new build units and historical buildings. The structural grids within historic buildings are retained and unit allocations are fitted within. New buildings comprise of a 7.6m grid which can be divided into 2 x 21m2 studio units or alternatively a 2 bedroom 43.8m2 unit.
