10/2012 – CMA Award for “most sustainable installation”
Terraforce wins CMA Award – Once again!
Installers: Dassenberg Retaining & Decorton Retaining Systems
Cape Town based precast block manufacturer, TERRAFORCE, managed to take home a prestigious Trophy at the CMA AWARDS and 40Th anniversary celebrations staged in Johannesburg. The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) has held the first Awards for Excellence presentation based on its new awards category format.
The black-tie gala event included the CMA’s 40th anniversary celebrations and was staged at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg on November 3rd. The judging of this year’s Awards competition took place in August when 77 entries were critically assessed by five judges at the CMA’s Midrand premises. Out of six Trophy winners Terraforce was awarded the ‘Sustainability’ trophy for the installation of retaining walls and Terracrete hard lawn pavers at Cavalli Stud Farm in the Western Cape.
Jeremy Leighton, SP van Blerk and Holger Rust receiving the Award
Cavalli Wine and Stud Farm was inspired by a family’s love of saddle horses, but also a passion for providing fresh energy, work opportunities and inspiration to current and future staff, as well the neighbouring communities.
Alongside this passion runs a remarkable commitment to sustainability. All architecture and design is driven by a dedicated initiative to be sustainable and to establish a benchmark for environmental and energy efficiency. Cavalli, while retaining an agricultural component, still endeavours to rehabilitate the ecology of the land to promote bio-diversity in the Stellenbosch region.
The first impression on entering Cavalli Wine and Stud Farm is an incredible sense of space, with views of Cape Town to the West and the Helderberg mountains to the East. This is partly facilitated by the estate gardens that echo the strong geometric lines of the access roads, paddocks and buildings (which include a barn housing stables and indoor arena, a manager’s house and pavilions on either side of an outdoor arena with bleachers). Their statement is functional and their relationship to the landscape is enhanced by the natural plantings of fynbos and the mountain range.
Low maintenance and long term solution to prevent soil erosion
Indigenous plants run alongside and are planted inside the blocks
The buildings on the farm required the construction of a level platform, as well as road access to this area and the rest of the farm. The resulting cut slopes and roads needed to be retained. Hannes Bouwer of Bouwer Architects specified Terraforce retaining walls as a stable, low maintenance and long term solution to prevent soil erosion: “The rock face blocks, supplied by Cape Retaining Systems, blend with the natural environment, their sandstone colour matching the surrounding soil.
Gardening shed built with Terraforce blocks and and added lights
Terracrete hardlawn pavers were installed to handle storm water runoff