Inspired by a childhood spent in the great outdoors, Murray Collins, Director of Collins Residential, has a vision of developing wild open spaces that permeates through the company’s ethos and value systems. For Murray -conservation is most definitely at the forefront in all his business dealings, which apart from property development also includes tourism ventures. With considerable involvement in projects outside of South Africa including Zimbabwe, Seychelles and Botswana,all their projects look to reduce carbon footprints in the local communities they operate in through sustainable business models. In Zambia alone, they have played a pivotal role in the protection of 2 million hectares of hardwood forest.Guided by this greater purpose and what you may call the company’s North Star, is the desire to enhance biodiversity for a greener future by prioritising the environment as part of their development mandate.

This stance,in most instances,is of stark contrast to the traditional driving force behind residential property developments. Yet, it’s this drive and passion for the environment that seems to be Collins Residential’s silver bullet and the key to their success.”I grew up in a family that loved nature. We spent most of our holidays in game reserves or camping on the beach. This instilled in me an undying love for all things natural and is the reason why we as a company strive to put the environment first,” says Murray.

Development and nature are often seen to be sitting at opposite ends of the spectrum, where trees and other natural elements are removed and replaced with bricks and mortar. Murray explains, “We do things differently. We develop on land that has been previously degraded or disturbed, overused or over-farmed. If we cannot enhance or improve the land, we won’t build on it. That’s always been our mantra. Seaton Estate is a great example of this, where we first spent many years rehabilitating the land by planting trees, removing invasive species, and allowing the grass to grow naturally before we introduced Seaton to the market.This Rehabilitation process started with insects, owls and other mammals returning to the area with the objective of returning the land to its former glory before it was sugar cane farms.”

Landscape architects and horticulturists have initiated conservation efforts for Seaton’s 500-hectare expanse with the intention of creating a pristine environment with natural grassland valleys, forests, dunes and wetlands. By allowing the environment to lead, the architectural and structural design follows nature which dictates where roads, homes, and all infrastructure are positioned and orientated. Winds, topography, and the KZN North Coast weather were also carefully considered in the design review process. While these factors may seem trivial, their impact on homes and the environment is immeasurable.

“Development is not about buildings.It is an active word, which is about continually growing and improving the environment. This is why we focus on developing entire ecosystems and environments rather than just buildings. We are creating biodiversity where both fauna and flora abound within a residential setting,”adds Murray.

The implementation of Seaton Estate’s Rehabilitation programme has commenced and will see over 10,000 trees planted. This reduces the carbon footprint of the development and when combined with the environmentally-friendly building materials, the inclusion of low voltage appliances and solar geysers in the architectural guidelines-the Estate is well on its way to becoming carbon-neutral. It has also taken major steps to reduce its reliance on the national electricity grid with sustainable options for both power and water being offered to residents.

While Murray confesses that there have been times when the complexities of building under this seemingly altruistic vision has had an impact on the bottom line,this alone has never deterred the developers from upholding their commitment to buyers to provide them with a quality home or investment they can be proud of;which includes the on-time delivery and completion of road construction, clubhouses, and other facilities before first occupation.Intrinsic to Seaton’s unique value proposition is the comfort that comes with knowing that the challenges that come with construction will never be a burden to residents when they move in.