This picturesque site on the Atlantic Seaboard boasts sea views to the north and views of Lion’s Head to the south. The steep gradient of the site allows street level access to the basement parking, with a lift taking you up directly into one of 4 duplex apartments.

 The site constraints and client’s brief to create 4 luxury apartments for a modern urban lifestyle informed the streamlined and orthogonal envelope of the structure, with clean and simple lines following through internally.

The ground and first floor house 2 duplexes, with the internal and outdoor living areas on the ground floor, and 3 bedroom suites on the first floor. The main bedrooms have sea views, while the other bedrooms enjoy mountain views.

The second and third floors are occupied by 2 penthouses. The bedrooms of the penthouses are on the second floor, with the entrance and living areas on the third floor. The living areas lead up to outdoor living areas on the roof, which feature pools, outdoor showers and covered entertainment areas.

The external finishes are limited to 3 different materials: Neolith, Aluminium and Marmoran, all in a dark monochromatic colour palette. On the street façade, aluminium shutters provide privacy whilst shading the north western sun. On the other facades, the windows are punctured in strategic positions in order to exploit views of Lion’s Head.

The interiors are a series of clean lines and planes with highlights of raw exposed concrete soffits and feature walls. The raw concrete is washed by warm indirect cove lighting.   

Project Team: Enrico Daffonchio & Leigh Maurtin

The Emerald is a 60,000 sqm luxury residential development of 292 one to three bedroom apartments and shared amenities situated in the exclusive suburb of Hyde Park.

The brief for The Emerald was to create a living environment far above anything else in that can be found in Johannesburg. By incorporating elements like sustainability, convenience, lifestyle – the project will set new and higher standards for upmarket living.

The project has undergone a long design development process which gave us the opportunity to study the details at length.

While designing the internal layouts of these apartments, the aim was to set the standard far above the norm and be generous in offering and proportion. The design allows for larger balconies and significant amounts of natural light & ventilation. Ceiling heights have been maximised throughout. We have incorporated wider and bigger bedrooms, all with space to accommodate king-size beds, a large amount of storage space within each apartment, and separate guest toilets.

The introduction of naturally ventilated lower ground parking levels minimises the on-grade parking, allowing for bigger gardens and more communal green space for the residents.

The lifestyle center will offer a 5-star experience, with a 25m indoor heated swimming pool, full Technogym, communal lounges, and another outdoor heated swimming pool with spectacular views over established trees.

The Emerald has been designed with sustainability in mind and follows the best green building practices resulting in a building that is designed, built, and operated in an environmentally sustainable way. The project aims to achieve an EDGE green star rating with photovoltaic panels on the roofs. The clubhouse has been designed to achieve a 6-star interior green rating.

2022/ 23 African Property Awards - Best Leisure Development

2020/ 21 International Property Awards - Best Residential Development

Project team: Enrico Daffonchio & Humairah Manjra

The Emerald Sky Garden Penthouses at The Emerald, developed by Legaro Property Group and designed by Daffonchio Architects, fulfil the urban lifestyle of leafy Hyde Park and Sandhurst, whilst affording the advantage of being lock-up-and-go with unrivalled facilities such as those of the Emerald Lifestyle Centre.

The open plan design and terraces on the top floor offer sweeping views towards the north and west, large outside entertainment areas with braais, and rooftop gardens. The living room, kitchen and dining room are connected by floor-to-ceiling glass walls, which bathe the living areas in natural light.

With 4 bedrooms, these spacious skyline offerings are unique in Hyde Park, and are conveniently located within walking distance of Hyde Park Corner Shopping Centre.

The modern interiors feature high-end finishes and Eurocasa Italian kitchens equipped with Gaggenau appliances.

Each apartment has lift access that takes residents directly from their 6-car private garage in the secure basement to the entrance of their penthouse.

It is the interplay of expansive skyline views and the earthiness of the unexpectedly lush green plantings that make these homes truly unique.

2022/ 23 African Property Awards - Best Leisure Development “The Emerald”

2020/ 21 International Property Awards - Best Residential Development “The Emerald”

Achieving an Edge rating on this well-positioned residential project was a priority for our client, so too was creating a secure and tranquil living environment with spacious accommodation, not the norm for a lock-up-and-go lifestyle.

Despite its prime location as a corner building in the upmarket suburb of Hyde Park on Sixth road the residence maintains privacy from the outside world, and for its tenants internally, through the clever placement of screens and green walls. This treatment of the façade works to make the passages of the apartments both private and sheltered, and is achieved through the combination of indigenous planting with the slender steel pillars of the exterior skin, the colours of which are drawn from the bark and leaves of the distinctive eucalyptus trees in the surrounds.

The elegant colour palette is continued through the use of natural stone for exterior cladding and is further enhanced by diffused, warm lighting throughout.

2021/22 International Property Awards Best Apartment/ Condominium South Africa

Team: Enrico Daffonchio and Liam Ullrich

21A Margaret Avenue was conceived as a secure development geared towards short-term accommodation that needed to be both stylish and affordable. Situated in the burgeoning Woodmead area, the energy-efficient design has been equipped with sustainable features such as solar geysers and PV arrays. The Industrial aesthetic is complimented by face brick, a low maintenance and sustainable material. The red brickwork is bordered by black pitched roofs on steel portal frames. Lush mass plantings and indigenous trees soften the effect.

The double volume Lifestyle Centre features a reception area, co-working meeting spaces and two generous boardrooms upstairs, one with a wood burning fireplace, a central lounge downstairs, a kitchen and cloakrooms. Warmth and a sense of space is created via the light that filters through the gable windows and the volume created by the Cathedral ceilings. The interior aesthetic is almost Scandinavian with white washed pine ceilings, a muted colour palette, large format floor tiles and striking minimalist lighting features.

The single-storey 1-bedroom apartments also feature Cathedral ceilings, and each have a fully-equipped kitchen, bathrooms and an open plan lounge dining area. Densely planted window boxes serve as privacy screens between the units and the Lifestyle Centre. Amenities include a sun room set off from the Lifestyle Centre, an on-site laundry and covered parking for residents. A guardhouse, guest parking and Uber Drop-off zone all contribute to the ease of this lock-up-and-go work-from-home-style development.

The Fitzgerald is a 8,000 square metre development in Melrose North, Johannesburg. These urban apartments are aimed at the young executive wanting atmosphere and access to everything.

Together with the developers, Narrative, we came up with a concept that is different to anything else in Johannesburg. We have combined our signature sleek, contemporary aesthetic with edgy, industrial elements to create something really new inspired by New York loft-style living. Our mission was to achieve a high-end residential execution, with a bit of edge, that would also be accessible price wise. Our previous experience in the inner-city Maboneng Precinct really lent itself to this specific concept – it speaks the language of urban regeneration, a kind of cool, international aesthetic.

Another important element that elevates this development in terms of the lifestyle it offers is the focus on green spaces. We wanted to one up the traditional apartment block formula by incorporating more outdoor living. This comes by way of a central and secure grassed courtyard with benches, a number of units with their own private gardens, and spacious balconies for the floors above ground.

Context was an important consideration. The design takes advantage of the proximity and convenience of Melrose Arch, acknowledging this as part of the experience. A pedestrian gate allows residents to easily cross the road to Melrose Arch, making the centre’s amenities essentially theirs as well. In addition to this, a hotel group will be occupying a second wing of the development, separate to The Fitzgerald physically, but open in terms of its facilities to residents. The aim is to create a community around the building, thereby activating it and elevating the residents’ daily living experience.

The Capital in Melrose North is a 7,000 square metre development comprising serviced apartments and a hotel with communal facilities such as a gym, bar, restaurant and conference facilities.

The Fitzgerald, an 8,000 square meter apartment development, will occupy the second wing of the development. The Fitzgerald will be physically separate to The Capital, but will share The Capital's facilities. The aim is to create a community within the development, thereby activating it and elevating the residents’ daily living experience.