CONSERVATION GUIDELINES:
1. City Scale and Public Realm
1.1 THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
- The unique geological aspect of the quartzite ridge is of cultural significance and
should be protected and left undeveloped. Wherever the rock outcrops of the ridge
are exposed these areas need to be recognised and protected.
- Trees and avenues of trees are part of the character of the area and are a heritage
resource.
- Important avenues of trees should be retained, such as the jacaranda avenue along
Jubilee and Anerley Roads.
- Important trees on private property are also of cultural significance and should be
retained.
- New planting should enhance the existing character of the natural environment
- The context of the garden settings and garden vistas need to be respected. These
enhance the heritage value of the buildings located within them.
- Old gardens, water features, green spaces, indigenous natural growth are an integral
part of green architectural and environmentally sustainable planning.
1.2 VIEWSCAPES
- The view of the ridge from others vantages of the city is one of the most important
aspects of the conservancy.
- Areas identified as viewscapes in the precinct plan are valuable as part of the
heritage assets of the individual properties and streets.
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Any new structure located within the viewscapes need to comply with all of the
conservation guidelines. In addition to this the following guidelines apply:
o The structure should limit the impact on the view and area as a whole.
o The structure should be considered as part of the viewscape and fully
integrated into it. Conceptually ideas such as transparency, camouflage etc.
should apply
o Visual impact will need to be demonstrated through models, photomontages
or any other appropriate means
o The scale of the structure should be smaller than that of the other structure on
the site. Modulation and careful articulation of facades, carefully considered
design and detailing etc may be required to reduce the apparent scale and
impact of the structure
1.3 CONSERVATION of IDENTIFIED HERITAGE RESOURCES
- All identified heritage resources should be retained and preserved using
internationally accepted standards of conservation best practice
- Where identified heritage resources are of a great enough significance full restoration
may be required.
- Adaptive re-use is accepted in principle for the sustainable reuse of the buildings.
The new use must however be compatible with the nature of the heritage resource.
- Adaptive reuse should incorporate aspects of restoration and with new functions in
keeping with older. Stoeps and varandah’s should not be enclosed to create
additional interior space.
INVENTORY of HERITAGE SITES
- A list of sites of heritage importance within the precinct has been compiled. The list
identifies heritage sites that are of national, provincial, and local significance.
- The conservation guidelines noted apply specifically to these sites as well as to the
precinct in general.
- This list will be periodically reviewed and updated by the elected precinct committee.
2. Neighbourhood Scale
2.1 STREETSCAPE
- Streetscapes are a major contributor to the cultural significance of the precinct and
are important public spaces.
- The quality of important streetscapes needs to be preserved.
- The relationship between the identified heritage resources and the public realm of the
street needs to be preserved.
- New structures need to take into account the qualities of the street including scale,
materiality, heights, setbacks and proportion of the existing street.
2.2 VISUAL ACCESS and CHARACTER
- Visual penetration and access of the heritage resources from the street is important.
- New development should not obscure or prevent this access and can be used as a
framing device to enhance important views
- High walls are undesirable and obscure vistas. Retention of low visually permeable
walls is important to the character of the area. Glass screens should be considered
where high walls may be needed for example against motorway noise.
- All important views of heritage resources, views from heritage resources, views up
important streets etc. must be protected.
- Walls, gates, pillars, pavements, grass verges, entrances etc. are all framing devices
for heritage resources and need equal attention.
- Public spaces in avenues should not be built upon and signage should not disturb
vistas.
- A principle of good neighbourliness should apply with new development being
respectful of not only the heritage resources within its own property but also of
resources located on adjacent properties.
- Dark (black, charcoal, natural slate, shingle) roofs are encouraged where the roof of
a building can be easily seen from above from adjacent buildings or from the ridge
above.
2.3 SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS
- It is important to retain significant spatial relationships between identified heritage
resources.
- This includes but is not limited to:
o The relationship between the building and the street
o The relationship between separate buildings on different erven
o The relationships between buildings and significant out buildings
o The relationship between gardens, significant planting/tree and heritage
resources
o
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The spatial relationship and subdivision of original site boundaries is of
significance and should be considered in new development, consolidation and
subdivision
Retention of supporting outbuildings is important. The function of outbuildings, coach
houses, stables, cowshed, laundry and staff quarters are also an integral part of the
whole of a heritage property and should be preserved within new compatible usage
New buildings should be located within a respectful distance from heritage structures
2.4 COHERENCE of an ARCHITECTURAL LEGACY
- Individual houses and heritage resources should not be viewed as single units and in
isolation, but should rather be seen as a coherent body of architectural work and
representative of a formative period of Johannesburg architectural and social
history.
- Significant South African architects' legacies are present in Parktown East (Baker,
Leith , Solomon, Cope - Christie, Hoogterp , Leck and Emley).
- The loss of some early homes emphasizes the importance of preserving the
remaining distinguished examples as a core of local domestic architecture.
2.5 RUINS
- The ruins of the lost heritage, such as those of Marienhof and Onder Koppies in
Oxford Park need to be supported as heritage relics which provide additional value to
public open space.
2.6 NEW DEVELOPMENT
- As new developments happen, these new architectural intrusions should be
harmonious in relation to their older neighbours, be sensitive to the history and
evolution of the Johannesburg style.
- The architectural language of all new buildings should be:
o contemporary, a new historical layer. No pastiches of historical styles should
be allowed.
o Recessive and neutral in character, allowing the older buildings and heritage
resources to stand out.
o respectively positioned so as not to block any important views of the heritage
resources.
- New structures should have a human scale and positive interaction with the street,
pedestrians and users.
3. Conservancy Details
3.1 CARS and PARKING
- New parking areas should wherever possible be placed underground and the future
long term needs for the planning of parking bays should be part of the plan.
- Where heritage clusters feature along a street, there should be no street parking.
- Old re-developed heritage buildings should not be crowded by parking.
- No cars to be parked in tight close proximity to the heritage buildings.
3.2 ACOUSTICS
- Acoustics and noise from traffic needs to be moderated and given consideration in
designing street edges.
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It should be managed using low level planting to break noise from tyres bouncing off
hard edges. For example spekboom is a recognised “green device” for absorbing
carbon dioxide.
3.3 BLUE PLAQUES
- Blue Plaques and the celebration of heritage is integral to the planning and
revitalization of Parktown East.
- All new development and restoration must allow for the installation of appropriate
heritage signage such as a blue plaque.
3.4 PLACE NAMES
- Existing historical place and building names can be of cultural significance and have
historical relevance.
- These should be retained and celebrated.