Timber houses become tourist attraction
Thirty-two forestry workers’ timber houses at the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, near Heidelberg, in the Western Cape, have been transformed into “eco-unit” accommodation for tourists.
Work on this R14.5-million project, commissioned for conservation group CapeNature, started in April 2015 and reached practical completion this month. The project is situated in a World Heritage Site, featuring a 250 ha strip of pristine indigenous forest.
About 85% of the material used on the project was recycled, with 18 existing houses on the site dismantled for this purpose.
Additions to the refurbished buildings included attractive inside-outside rooms, which make visitors feel like they are in the bush. These rooms have canvas blinds that can be drawn down and locked.
Carports were added to some units and these can be used as a place for children to play when it is raining. Three of the units cater for users with special needs – in addition to universal access ramps, the counters have been built at a level that wheelchair users can reach. Staff have also been trained to work with people with hearing and visual impairments.
Each unit has photovoltaic solar panels with batteries that can store up to four hours of power for the lights. Fridges run on conventional electricity and ovens and stoves run on gas. Water comes from nearby reservoirs on the mountain through the existing water purification plant.
Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works architect Daniel Nugent said local subcontractors were used for various specialist items during construction. “The timber kitchen and bedroom fittings were made by a local joiner, and wash basins were made by a Swellendam-based potter. We aim to assist emerging contractors to benefit from government infrastructure projects in their areas,” he said.
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