4 AX listed Heartwood Properties is spearheading in Somerset West new hybrid office development with innovative future-focused features. It’s no secret that Somerset West has fast become one of the Western Cape’s leading semigration destinations. The little town has a lot going for it which makes it incredibly desirable for people who are looking to move away from the city in search of a better quality of life.
The pandemic, lockdown and remote working has only amplified the semigration trend, but now as many companies contemplate bringing employees back to the office, the big debate is about how.
The new office block will be situated in the Paardevlei precinct of Somerset West, just outside Cape Town, close to the Strand Beach and the Paardevlei Nature Reserve. This area has already seen several exclusive residential estates and top schools being built over the last few years. The area also offers plenty of outdoor living space, proximity to world-class wine estates and is just a 30-minute drive into the city of Cape Town.
Sunvlei is a 2 000 square meter, R57 million office development offering tenants access to innovative future-focused features such as electric vehicle charging bays, 100 solar panels, Tesla UPS battery system, ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi, a backup power generator, and backup water tanks.
The modern architecture, designed by locally based architect Bruce Wilson who is also responsible for the Sanctuary and Waterstone shopping malls in Somerset West, and exclusive designer interiors, headed up by Source IBA, will be modelled against some of the world’s best-looking airport lounges whose clean, contemporary designs rival some of the chicest of hotel lobbies. Source IBA have extensive experience designing.
“Professionals realise they can have a work-life balance. With the airport, sea, and mountains virtually on their doorstep, Somerset West is without a doubt a very attractive location to set up the office of the future. One that is high-tech, safe, spacious, as comfortable as any home office, just better.,” says Andrew Utterson, Director at Heartwood Properties.
And so, despite having faced major challenges in 2020, Heartwood has managed to grow its property portfolio since first listing on the stock exchange in March 2018 from R121 million to R248 million in the past three years to February 2021. They plan to grow their portfolio to R1 billion in the next five years.
As zoom towns continue to grow in popularity, Heartwood plans to roll out their hybrid model in other popular de-centralized nodes, with Sunvlei set for completion near the end of 2022.
