COTSWOLD FENNS OFFERS NATURE INSPIRED LIFESTYLE
- ella
- August 24, 2020
- Business
- inspired lifestyle
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With its design underpinned by a strong conservation ethos, the 72-hectare Cotswold Fenns is the only residential estate in the country which encompasses 17 hectares of uninterrupted natural wetlands.
It comes as no surprise, then, that this estate introduces a new way of looking at estate life in the heart of Hillcrest.
“When this site was earmarked for Cotswold Fenns, the development team were cognisant of the fact that it encompassed an existing and thriving wetland eco-system that made it unlike any other residential estate in the area. They wanted to create a truly nature-inspired lifestyle and therefore an estate with sustainability and conservation as its pillars,” explains Jacques Van Rooyen, Sales Manager at Cotswold Fenns.
Originally mandated to preserve three hectares of the natural wetland in line with the recommendations by the project’s Environmental Officer, the developers felt that this beauty needed to be celebrated and protected. This decision led the development team to create a design that sensitively included the uninterrupted wetland.
Van Rooyen adds: “The breath-taking natural beauty aside, the design of the estate and the inclusion of the wetlands creates a large outdoor green space- your very own safe garden if you will. The estate grounds and wetland area are 100% safe. Kids can explore the estate in complete safety. You feel like you’re in the wilderness. An asset like this adds huge value, especially now that we are all looking for ways to entertain at home. Just within the estate, you can explore 10 kilometres of walking and biking trails while enjoying the beauty of nature. Our buyers are thrilled to discover that can live this truly nature-inspired lifestyle right in the heart of Hillcrest. “
The nature centred lifestyle at Cotswold Fenns is evident not only in its aesthetics and layout but also in the finer details of practical, everyday family life. With the vast natural wetland front and centre, water and water-use become key to the sustainability ethos of this estate.
“What Cotswold Fenns offers must go further than the inclusion and preservation of the green areas. It is deeper than the design. We have to be mindful of how we draw on our natural resources and how we consume energy. After all, how we live ultimately affects our larger eco-system. Our wetlands are an invaluable natural asset with over 520 species of birds which live in and around the wetlands, either as feeders or breeders in the reed beds. We will do all we can to protect this, therefore we have to have a long-term vision when it comes to how we live,” says van Rooyen.
Each unit has its own heat pump which is a huge water and cost saver. “A heat pump works in tandem with the geyser to ensure that the water that comes out of the tap is hot and there is minimal wastage that traditionally occurs when waiting for hot water to be piped from the geyser to the tap or outlet. Not only does this use far less water, it also is a huge cost saver for our residents. As much as 40% can be saved on your water bill,” he notes.
The developers have also extended their water saving efforts to the wider estate with the provision of an innovative sewage system. “From the outset, the developers spent both time and money to lay a water recycling system which enables 100% of the estate’s sewage water to be recycled. This grey water is then used to maintain the greenery and garden areas. There are very few estates which have a system like this in place. Once again, this makes huge leaps in saving water and money – the eThekwini municipality charges R450 for water and sewage but, with this system in place, those costs disappear whilst also enabling the estate to keep levies low.”
Phase 1 of Cotswold Fenns was a great success and has led to the launch of Phase 2 which sees an additional 101 units being released. These vary from two or three-bedroom apartments starting from R1,18 million. Family facilities include three catch-and-release dams, bird hides and green recreational parks. Other provisions include a heated outdoor pool (ideal in sometimes chilly Hillcrest), an outdoor gym and picnic and braai areas.
Upcoming features include a top-class crèche and a lifestyle centre which include a pay-per-use office rental platform, which is ideal given the fact that working from home is becoming more and more popular.
“Cotswold Fenns has attracted many types of buyers, both families looking for a place to call home and investor-buyers looking to earn a good rental income fuelled by the area growth and demand. We have a wonderful community here at Cotswold Fenns. People thrive in the space and the freedom. There is so much to see and explore that the need to go out becomes much less important. The often unseen but desirable value-adds like safety, security, sustainability are not obvious at first glance, but they are certainly felt by the community which lives here,” van Rooyen concludes.
