The ASLA Group’s involvement with the Longlands private residential infrastructure development contract near Stellenbosch was unique, in that it also saw ASLA DEVCO implementing a subsidised housing development solution – on a portion of the development land that was donated by private developer Longlands Village (Pty) Ltd to the Stellenbosch Municipality.
An informal settlement was located on the Longlands farm that Longlands Village (Pty) Ltd had purchased and earmarked for various phases of a high-end private residential development. The illegal occupants were thwarting development plans, and to be able to proceed with construction, Longlands Village (Pty) Ltd donated a portion of the farm to the municipality, on the premise that it would be used to provide a housing solution to this community. ASLA DEVCO, acting as turnkey implementation agent for the Stellenbosch Municipality managed the process – from planning and subsidy application, through to design engineering, construction, home handover and deed registration in the names of the beneficiaries that were approved by the municipality.
ASLA Construction undertook the bulk infrastructure construction for the Longlands Housing, Longlands Manor, and Longlands Village phases, as well as building 98 subsidised houses that were handed over to approved beneficiaries in December 2022.
“Longlands was a unique development and an interesting project to work on as we were constructing both for our private client, and for ASLA DEVCO at the same time,” says Francois Siebrits, contract manager for ASLA Construction’s Civil Division. “Sticking to our programme was critical, as we had to complete the subsidised housing development in order to have access to Longlands Village, where our client is of course eager to make serviced erven available for potential buyers.”
Over a four-year period ASLA Construction undertook several infrastructure development phases for Longlands Village (Pty) Ltd, as outlined below.
Longlands Housing (subsidised housing development)
Longlands Phase 1 – for the stormwater and sewer link – entailed the installation of 255m of 200mm diameter sewer lines and related structures, as well as 172m of 1 200mm diameter stormwater lines. This phase also encompassed the Internal Services for the 82 erven including:
- Clearing the site (removal of alien vegetation)
- Laying sewer mainlines and house connections
- Laying water mainlines and house connections
- Installation of stormwater
- Paving of roads and sidewalks
- Installation of electrical sleeves
Longlands Phase 2 encompassed the internal services of a further 63 erven, as well as the construction of premix roads. The link services included the construction of the retention pond, a culvert bridge and the Vlottenburg Road Intersection that leads into the development. ASLA also constructed the external sewer line connecting the development to an existing pump station in Vlottenburg Road.
“Longlands Phase 3 entailed the housing earthworks and the construction of 46 precast toilet structures for residents who did not qualify for a house,” explains Francois. “Our client erected wooden structures for these residents and after the completion of the housing earthworks, our Housing Division constructed 98 houses in total.”
Longlands Manor
For Longlands Manor Phase 1, ASLA Construction completed the earthworks platform for the gatehouse building to enable the appointed builder to commence work on the gatehouse. “We constructed the access road (including all underground services in and along it), that runs between the gatehouse building and the location of the Longlands Village,” says Francois “In addition to the construction of two retention ponds along this road and the remainder of the services, as well as berms and gabions for the gatehouse, our scope also included roadworks and road widening for the intersection on Polkadraai Road.”
Longlands Village
After constructing concrete walkways (landscaping) and a berm between the municipal housing development and the Village, the second phase of Longlands Village included the site clearing after the informal residents had moved to their houses and the internal servicing of 73 erven.
“The different phases of the Longlands development had to be planned and executed to fit together like puzzle pieces,” says Alida Bruwer, ASLA Construction’s quantity surveyor. “The project required a more creative approach than traditional ‘copy and paste’ infrastructure construction, and we worked closely together with the architects and landscapers to achieve their vision of a development that flows seamlessly across its various phases.”
The six appointments for the Longlands development were all completed at the end of May 2023 and most of this team moved onto ASLA’s next luxury residential infrastructure construction project at Botmaskop Estate, for private developer STAYTUS Collection.
