Page 60 - Designing Ways 302

ON THE
TERRACE

International Jury Puts Zululami Estate at the Top Nationally

residential estate on KwaZulu- of Excellence, hosted by Scape Magazine for the scale of investment and level of
Natal’s North Coast is drawing in partnership with Infinity Surfaces and coordination now shaping development
A ernational attention, not for Oggie Hardwood Flooring, positioning it along the North Coast, where
int
how quickly it was built, but for how among a new generation of developments environmental restoration, infrastructure
deliberately it was shaped. Zululami redefining the relationship between land, delivery and long-term planning are
Luxury Coastal Estate has been design and long-term value. increasingly central to how projects are
recognised as Landscape Architecture For Collins Residential, the accolade brought to life. Judged by an international
Project of the Year 2025 at the marks more than a project milestone. panel of 60 design specialists, the Scape
internationally recognised Scape Awards It signals growing global recognition Awards celebrate projects that balance
ecological integrity, design excellence and
community impact. Zululami stood out
for its large-scale landscape regeneration,
transforming a 140-hectare monocropped
sugarcane farm into a functioning
ecological and residential environment.
Central to this outcome was a deeply
collaborative process between Collins
Residential and Land Art Studio, led
by landscape architect Bernice Rumble.
Rather than applying a conventional
development framework, the team
adopted a landscape-led approach,
allowing the site’s natural systems
to inform the structure and pace of
development. “We were given the
opportunity to respond to the land in an
honest and meaningful way,” says Rumble.
“That meant prioritising restoration from
the outset and allowing natural systems
the time they needed to recover. The result
is a landscape that is not only functional

60 Issue 302 • dw