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Cape Town – You might live in Gauteng, but new technology will now allow property developers to emulate coastal living in 2017.
Christobal Baixas, global director of Crystal Lagoons, has partnered the global company with property developers in South Africa to bring the refreshing evolution to estate living.
The company has developed technology to allow for large bodies of water to be established and maintained using methods that result in low energy and water consumption.
It allows residents access to water sports like swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding and windsurfing.
Patented in 160 countries with a presence in all five continents, the company has turned its attention to water-mad South Africa.
Baixas told Fin24 that the company turned its attention to South Africa because he believes it has a housing shortage and also has “very good weather”.
“Developers need to set themselves apart and gated communities in South Africa are all very similar,” he said. “New amenities set themselves apart.
“We realised there was a very important interest from developers,” he said, adding that there is a “very interesting pipeline of projects that could materialise in coming months”.
“The idea of having a beach life environment will create enormous value for property developers,” he said.
The company is focusing in Gauteng (Johannesburg and Pretoria), KwaZulu-Natal (Durban) and the North Coast (Ballito and Umhlanga).
“We are looking to develop a project by the end of 2017,” he said.
Mexico's Diamante Cabo San Lucas has a Crystal Lagoon and a golf course. (Photo: Supplied)
Will golf courses drown with fresh water parks?
Currently, developers introduce golf courses to make it more competitive, something Baixas believes could change.
He said the obsession with golf course residential estates will start easing with the introduction of the fresh lagoons.
“Crystal lagoons are replacing lots of golf courses around the world,” he said. “It’s more sustainable and more user friendly.
“I do like golf, but the golf estate experience has exploded,” he said. “There is a high density of golf courses and people are not using them.”
Crystal Lagoons license developers to use their technology and once constructed provide a service that monitors and maintains the chemical and water levels in the lagoons remotely from a global tech hub.
Crystal Lagoons consume up to half the water of a park of the same size, and a typical three hectare lagoon uses up to 30 times less water than a standard golf course, the company explained.
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