The Developer Journal Issue 1 | Page 28

INDUSTRY FOCUS design for

INDUSTRY FOCUS design for

FUTURE cities

Founded in 1996 , with offices in
Durban and Johannesburg , Iyer has been involved in numerous largescale projects such as Sibaya Coastal Precinct , Moses Mabhida
Stadium Precinct and Cornubia , to name just a few .
With a diverse range of interdisciplinary specialisations , lyer Urban Designs dynamic approach weaves together planning , urban design and architecture . At the heart of everything Iyer sets out to achieve is connecting people with their environments and maximising quality of life for users .
Alongside Nathan Iyer , the founder and chief creative director , is Kamalen Gounden , director of planning , and Glanville Jacques , architecture director . The trio is complemented by a 25-strong studio of planners , urban designers , architects and other professionals .
Iyer is fully committed to promoting environmentally sustainable development practices and carrying these forward through each and every stage of the urban design and planning process .
HOLISTIC PLANNING
For holistic , people-centred urban design , Nathan stresses that “ responsible planning means looking not only at benefits on a localised level , but also at how each development uplifts the broader city and environment . We achieve this through careful consideration of where people are employed , their socio-economic context , and how connected they are in terms of transport .”
Iyer begins the planning process with an analysis of the site in an effort to understand the space from a contextual perspective . The next step is chiefly concerned with concept development .
“ From one stage to the next , the planners , urban designers , architects and landscape architects are in continuous consultation until all issues around the project have been examined from every possible angle .”
The required consultants , including civil and traffic engineers , electrical engineers and environmentalists , are brought into the planning and design process . “ Once we have established the framework plan for the site , networks and nodes are assigned , and development rights are secured . The order in which we develop nodes is dependent on their location and factors such as whether the current market demands residential , retail or commercial land use and the right fit with context ”
So what about Iyer ’ s approach sets it apart from its competitors ? Their mandate fundamentally recognises their role as being a proactive movement for social upliftment as much as agents in the creation of positive built environments . “ We endeavour to create buildings that respond to their environment , bring dignity to people and serve today ’ s users as well as those of the future .”