About
Lifestyle changes from a societal perspective became imminent with the improvements in global aviation, and surge in digital technology. Super-commuting soon created an increased demand for work-family balance. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought an unprecedented disruption to our lives on a global scale. The new work-from-home lifestyle, as a direct result of the impact of social distancing, caused a re-evaluation of a quality homelife.
Since the 19th century, the built environment occupied a decisive role in mitigating pandemics, and it will play a decisive role in the international strategies against future pandemics. The shift towards a healthier family environment, takes its clues from the largely forgotten “Spanish” flue pandemic: “It is worthy and deserving to mention that during the severe influenza epidemic, which worked such havoc throughout the country in 1918, the Mossel Bay death rate was one of the lowest in South Africa, notwithstanding the increased strain of carrying a large number of visitors who flocked there to escape attack, and scores more who sought to effect recovery from the dread disease, contracted elsewhere. And it is splendid to be able to report that the “invalids” were not disappointed. They were on their feet again, and able to return to normal life, in an inconceivable short space of time, thanks to the wonderful recuperative properties of the popular health resort.” Mossel Bay Publicity Association 1923.
The newfound importance of home, and how we live in our spaces, promoted a semigration of professionals and businesspeople. Together with international buyers and those on holiday (who grow to think of it as the ideal place for retirement and to settle there), resulted in the Garden Route becoming one of the destinations of choice in South Africa.
Due to its very nature coastal property has and always will enjoy a strong demand. The Garden Route which includes a significant part of the South African coastline experience good local governance and remains in the fortunate position not to be affected by the increased global geopolitical instability.
The Garden Route with its sandy beaches and magical rocky shores, where the relative warm water of the Indian ocean meets land, ideal for swimming, and the dry Katbos en Kambro air, cooled down by the unpolluted ozone-laden sea breezes, ensuring a year-round exhilarating climate, has few rivals. After a career in corporate property development, childhood memories of family holidays in Mossel Bay, contributed to my decision to relocate to the karoo-by-the-sea. For the past twenty years, I have dealt with estate management and the design review process of residential estates in the Garden Route.
My passion is the liveability and spatial quality of our homes, an important factor in this new work-from-home era. “And there were houses, he knew it, that breathed. They carried in their wood and stone, their brick and mortar a kind of ego that was nearly, very nearly, human.” Nora Roberts, Key of Knowledge. Please join me in this adventure to the remarkable lifestyle estates and coastal homes from Still Bay to Mossel Bay, George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, where nature becomes the environment, and the focus is on design and space.
