Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, South Africa, endeavours to be the first ‘Green Precinct’ in South Africa.
The Menlyn Maine precinct is the densification of an existing low-density residential suburb with an approximate size of ± 135 000m². Land usage has been divided into the following uses: 140,000m² of office space, 35,000m² of retail space, 85000m² residential and 15,000m² luxury hotel space - all of which are overlooking 5,700m² of urban green spaces that run through the centre of the entire precinct.
Menlyn Maine is situated in the heart of Pretoria’s eastern suburbs and is ideally located to make full usage of the newly upgraded Garsfontein and Atterbury highway intersections. The Menlyn Maine precinct is a brown-fields development of a previous ± 100 low-density houses. The previous residential houses were dismantled through the salvaging of all recyclable / re-usable building material while endemic trees were relocated to an on-site nursery for later replanting as the precinct develops.
The development relies on the successful integration with the existing and future urban fabric and infrastructure, providing defined areas for public transport, pedestrian movement corridors and private transport. The development promotes alternative modes of transport as opposed to relying solely on private transport, with a planned link to the Gautrain system via the Bus Rapid Transfer System with a direct link to the Hatfield Station.
The urban design is based on the town planning principles of ‘New Urbanism’ to create a vibrant urban character with sound environmental principles. Urban design consideration was given to connectivity, mixed land use, legibility, walkability, robustness, visual appropriateness, biodiversity and security.
The character of the precinct’s public domain is defined by the piazza, which visually links a series of green urban spaces housing parks, playgrounds and attenuation ponds. The attenuation ponds will recharge groundwater and decrease the potential impact on the storm water systems within the district.
Menlyn Maine is partnering with the Clinton Climate Initiative as one of the chosen 16 worldwide projects with the aim of a ‘Climate Positive Development’.
Menlyn Maine aspires to integrate and densify the relative low-density urban fabric of the Menlyn district. It forms part and parcel to the notion of reconstructing our cities to attain an integration of a sustainable urban fabric that is multi-faceted. It is the vision of Menlyn Maine to aid Pretoria on the way to becoming an African global city.
