The Quarter in Green Point, Cape Town

 

Laurence Grigorov, as director of a leading property development firm based in Johannesburg, South Africa, looks for inspiration and insight from current architectural designs and developments. Laurence Grigorov has been developing luxury residential projects for over 15 years.

A new development by Signatura, known as The Quarter, will set new benchmarks for accommodation and easy living in one of the city’s most appealing areas.

Located on the corner of Somerset and De Smit Streets, it will be a natural extension to the acclaimed Media Quarter building, home to M&C Saatchi Abel and other creative practitioners.

“We are delighted at the opportunity to bring our expertise to work on this wonderful location,” said Signatura MD David Cohen.

A total of 69 apartments are planned, starting at 39m² at a cost of R2.1 million. There are also five penthouse units (86m² to 168m²) each with lush garden roof terraces and plunge pools. Parking is available for every unit. Floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors and windows in the units will make the most of the light and views of the city, mountains and harbour. Multiple features will include airconditioning, underfloor heating, LED lighting and provision for fibre connectivity. An impressive lobby with 24-hour concierge service, top end fittings that include engineered stone tops, SMEG stainless steel ovens and Ceran hobs are all included.

To protect the existing cobblestones in the vicinity, these will be lifted and stored for safeguarding during building, then re-laid. There will be a retail outlet on the ground floor adjacent to the building entrance.

Renato Graca, EHH Architects director, said The Quarter would form a natural, flowing extension to the Media Quarter which was designed by the same firm. The Quarter will draw inspiration from its well established neighbour, speaking a language of glass, aluminium and natural stone. The external palette has been purposefully left neutral, allowing the vibrancy of the neighbourhood and existing vernacular to be left unrivalled whilst complementing its context.”

Signatura’s partners on this project are Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, Quenet Property Management company, and Folkes, which has commercial property interests in the UK and South Africa. The Quarter occupation is scheduled for mid-2020.

Laurence Grigorov enjoys keeping abreast of current development projects.



Words & image courtesy of Architect & Builder magazine – June/July 2019

The Emerald in Hyde Park

As director at a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Laurence Grigorov keeps track of new and upcoming developments in the Johannesburg area, particularly those in the residential space. Upcoming developments offer Laurence Grigorov an insight in potential residential market trends and changes.

The Emerald Hyde Park is a luxury, state-of-the-art residential development. The Emerald provides the perfect executive lifestyle, conceived with comfort, style and quality urban living in mind. No detail has been overlooked in the design of The Emerald’s 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, with features and fittings delivering an aesthetic that is both minimalistic and environmentally conscious.

Designed by award winning Italian architect, Enrico Daffonchio, The Emerald combines striking contemporary lines and a blend of urban materials. The architectural approach is strongly rooted in Daffonchio’s formative years in northern Italy, where classical architecture coexists with Italian rationalism and a chemistry of tradition and innovation shapes all aspects of design. “We are privileged and proud to shape this fantastic precinct and its extensive landscaping and connect it with the beautiful Hyde Park area.” says Mr. Daffonchio.

With The Emerald, the architects have considered ease of living, accessibility and sustainability - from the well-appointed apartments to the impressive lifestyle centre. Every aspect of the design has been carefully considered to create apartments that are generous in their use of space and feature the finest finishes. Facilities include a café, 24/7 concierge services, fibre connectivity, communal lounges and meeting rooms. Health and leisure facilities include a 25m indoor heated pool, an outdoor heated

Words and image courtesy of Architect & Builder magazine.

Foggo Associates - Can of Ham in London

Laurence Grigorov is the director and founder of a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company is constantly looking to adapt and update the architectural designs and overall product that it provides to its customers. Laurence Grigorov keeps abreast of international trends and designs in order to keep the products offered by his company up to date.

Foggo Associates has designed a curved high-rise in central London at 70 St Mary Axe, which is widely known as the Can of Ham due to its distinctive shape. The 21-storey tower stands on the same street as the Foster + Partners-designed skyscraper at 30 St Mary Axe, which is called the Gherkin, in a grouping of high-rises in the City of London.

Officially named 70 St Mary Axe, the 90-metre-tall block contains 28,000 square metres of office space on its upper 20 floors above 430 square-metres of shops on the first, ground and basement level. The building has an arched profile, with two, curved facades and flat ends creating a distinctive shape that resembles the shape of tins of ham – from which it gets its nickname.

"It could be argued that it is a mark of its iconic nature as other buildings of such recognisable form all seem to gain nicknames," said David Warrender, director at Foggo Associates. "We will take it as a compliment," he told Dezeen.



70 St Mary Axe's unusual form was the result of Foggo Associates wanting to reduce the building's footprint at street level, while creating standard-shaped floors for use as offices.

The building is entirely clad in glass with a series of light-bronze-coloured anodised aluminium fins that run up the curved facades and wrap over the top of the building. At the top of the tower the glass panels are replaced with a mesh to give the appearance of a continuing surface and hide the

"We worked very hard with our Italian cladding contractor, Focchi, to develop a perforated mesh panel which has the appearance of glass between the cladding fins which wrap over the top of the building to screen the plant and equipment which is up there by necessity."

The building is topped with two retractable doors that can open to allow the window cleaning crane to emerge when needed. On the ground floor the building has a double-height entrance atrium, which has a concrete reception-desk set at its centre. Walls in the reception area have been made from individually hand-poured, board-marked concrete panels, which are also used throughout the building's circulation spaces and toilets.

70 St Mary Axe is the latest high-rise to be built in the City of London. It stands near the site of the proposed The Tulip, a 305.3-metre-high viewing tower designed by Foster + Partners. The tower was recently rejected by London's mayor Sadiq Khan.

Words & image courtesy of https://www.dezeen.com/

Key Points for Using Supplements

Laurence Grigorov is director of a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company specialises in modern, luxury apartments, cluster units and bespoke homes.

Laurence Grigorov believes that nutrition and exercise are vitally important to lead a healthy and well-balanced life. This allows Laurence Grigorov to be fully focused when working on his current projects.

A recent article on supplements proved to be both useful and interesting:

If you are in the health and fitness industry, or just look like you're relatively healthy and fit, you've probably been asked "What supplement should I take to [fill in the goal]?"

There are just too many confused people, wanting to believe the answer lies just one pill or powder away. And there are just as many bad shepherds feeding that misbelief, too. Let's fix that!

In one way or another, I've walked countless thousands of people through what you're about to read. This is my "keep it simple and smart" approach to effective supplementation. I'll give you six steps to help you get the most out of whatever supplements you do choose to take, and then my six recommendations for a supplement starter set.



Add One Step And One Supp At A Time

You'll never know what supplements do or don't work for you if your approach is haphazard. Instead, when you decide to introduce new supplements into your regimen, do it by an addition of one.

Specifically, only add one new supplement to your diet at any one time. Take that supplement for a minimum of 6-9 weeks—and do it according to the label or an expert-driven article like this one—before you decide if it's provided the benefits you sought. If not, discontinue using it.

If it has helped, great. Keep using it until you notice your gains peaking. Then, you can add another one following the same process.

Getting healthy and building your body is a long-term project. Respect it as one, and you'll have a better chance of getting where you want to be without wasting tons of time and money along the way.



Step 1: Take Legitimate Inventory Of Your Current Diet, Training, Lifestyle, And Health

Sorry, supplements shouldn’t be your first point of action if:

You’ve been sedentary

You don’t train or haven’t mastered the basics of programming like progressive overload and undulating intensity

You have a poor diet

You have a pre-existing medical condition

Instead, it’s time to get the basics in order first. What are you doing, and how do you feel? Have you been avoiding the doctor for years or neglecting a major part of your self-care? Have you not trained in years, but are considering taking a pre-workout? You'd better believe these things can affect the effectiveness of a supplement.



Step 2: Set Realistic, But Proactive Major And Weekly Goals

Any supplement worth taking—including the basics like protein and a multivitamin—should only be an addition to realistic, progressive training and a well-planned nutrition program.

What do you want to do, and how do you want to feel? This doesn't have to mean "I want to lose this many pounds"—although I know for many it inevitably will. It can be getting stronger, improving at a sport, doing a certain number of workouts a week, or even just finishing a solid workout program. These goals should inform what you eat, how you train, and what supplements get your hard-earned dollars.

If you think any supplement will allow you to reduce effort in the gym or adhering to a solid eating plan, then you’re setting yourself up to be sorely disappointed in your supplements.



Step 3: Eat And Train Intelligently For Your Goals

You don't have to hire a world-class trainer. Just don't be a complete embarrassment! For example, if you're trying to add an inch to your biceps and chase a triple-bodyweight deadlift while eating in an 800-calorie caloric deficit and are getting black-out blitzed three days a week… no supplement will help you. Watch the Bodybuilding.com Foundations of Fitness Nutrition course. Eat lots of protein and veggies. Don't let bad habits dominate. Train consistently and progressively.



Step 4: Recharge Well And Keep Life’s Stress Under Control

No supplement out there will do as much for your performance—and health—as getting adequate rest, keeping mental stress in context, and limiting your exposure to people who are toxic to you and sabotage your ability to reach your goals. If your friend's idea of a healthy night out is downing a 12-pack and ending the evening pointing blearily at food items on a Denny's menu at 3 a.m., hey, good for them. But if you match them night after night and then try to compensate by slamming a pre and some creatine before hitting the gym the next day, you're only fooling yourself.



Step 5: Rid Your Environment Of Harmful Pollutants That You Can Control

If you think chemical pesticides and weed killers are the perfumes of healthy living; if you believe all things should be stain-resistant and a home or office space isn't hitting on all senses unless intoxicating inhabitants with plug-ins and aerosol deodorants; if you lather on sun block every day like you're putting on baby oil to wrestle Blue in Old School… sorry. Your life may smell like a scented candle, but your body is left battling off so many physiological attacks from these common and easily avoidable chemicals. Over time, this can significantly and negatively affect hormones, neurohormones, your health, and yes, the effectiveness of your supplements.



Step 6: Get Your Mind Right

Stay committed, positive, and know that getting in your best shape isn't a cakewalk. Everything worth earning is earned incrementally. Immediate results can leave you as quickly as they find you!

I know it's a lot to take in. But there's an overriding theme here, and it's this: Supplements aren't magic. They won't make an unhealthy lifestyle healthy, but they can make a healthy lifestyle healthier!



Words & image courtesy of http://www.bodybuilding.com/

Mozambique - 5 Reasons to Visit Now

   

Laurence Grigorov, who is director of a South African based residential property development firm, enjoys travelling around the world. Recently, Laurence Grigorov travelled to Mozambique, a country with amazing natural beauty, for a short stay.



1. Bewitching Beaches and Secluded Islands

If the endless wide tropical beaches of the mainland aren’t enough, head offshore. Private planes and helicopters whisk guests over glorious scenes to the glistening confetti of private islands that bejewel the aquamarine Indian Ocean. The archipelagos of the southern Bazaruto and northern Quirimbas are dazzling dots of milky swirls, where beaches spill into progressively deepening shades of emerald. Eco-luxury and boutique hotels offer stellar landscapes, while unpolluted dark skies come studded with starry constellations.



2. Marine Reserves

World-class snorkeling and diving are a given in the Quirimbas archipelago, the largest protected marine area in Africa. Mangroves, coastal forest, and thriving coral make it one large biodiversity hot spot teeming with marine- and land-based wildlife. See it up close through underwater goggles; over-water, while cruising on a dhow sailboat; or even from the skies. Cessna planes whir through eye-achingly sunny skies to expose a smattering of islets and shards of sand where photogenic models of land show off underwater coral skirts, decorated by pretty puffer fish and parrotfish.



3. True African Culture

Nowhere is the essence of unfettered African life more clearly visible than in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo. The Portuguese were lured here by rumors of pearls in the 17th century, when they founded the city, and it quickly turned trendy, cosmopolitan, and wealthy. Fast-forward several centuries to discover its faded Art Deco glory and golden era has-been charm.

A brutal 16-year civil war, though, which ended in the 1990s, claimed a million lives here, crippling the economy and destroying much architecture. Mozambique is still getting back on its feet, and Maputo is now lined by crumbling colonial antiquities. The legacy of the former shipping port lives on through ostentatious buildings with swirling balconies and outlandish statues, which now stand dilapidated.



4. Rising Star of Africa

Despite a war-ravaged past and unsettled present, Mozambique compensates travelers with their own private corner of paradise. Less developed than Indian Ocean counterparts Mauritius and Seychelles, Mozambique retains exoticism and purity that’s accessible to all. As tourism escalates, prices and development are likely to hike, so now’s the time to see Africa’s undiscovered jewel.



5. Africa’s Top Safari

The country’s flagship reserve, Gorongosa National Park, once attracted more visitors than South Africa and Zimbabwe combined. But the harshness of war left resources depleted. Animals are being restocked in a major restoration program that’s helping Mozambique regain its reputation as a game-viewing destination, with rapidly recovering numbers of hippos, lions, and elephants. It’s already an insider’s choice for off-the-beaten-track safaris.



Words & image courtesy of http://www.fodors.com/

Central Park Tower becomes world's tallest residential skyscraper

Laurence Grigorov, who is director of a Johannesburg-based property development company, often looks for inspiration from international architectural design trends. This allows Laurence Grigorov to continually keep the development projects that the company is involved in, fresh and current.

A new project which is Laurence Grigorov believes is significant is the Central Park Tower designed by architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill which has topped out at 1,550 feet in Manhattan, making it the tallest residential building ever.

The construction milestone means that the supertall skyscraper has reached its full height of around 472.4 metres, and takes the title for the world's tallest residential building from Rafael Viñoly's 432 Park Avenue, which rises 1,398 feet (426 metres).

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture's tower, which was created for developers Extell Development, rises a few blocks from Central Park at 225 West 57th Street. Condominiums will occupy the higher levels of the tower, with a hotel underneath and a flagship seven-storey Nordstrom store in the base.

It features a reflective exterior comprising a mixture of materials including glass, satin-finished stainless steel, that make it further stand out from its brickwork neighbours. From 300 feet (91 metres) upwards, a volume is cantilevered on the eastern side to offer park views for residents.

"Central Park Tower is the pinnacle of development in New York and around the world," said Extell founder Gary Barnett. "We would not be able to offer this level of design, quality and service without the contributions from the world's most talented architects, engineers and designers."

In total, the skyscraper will accommodate 179 residences that start from the 32nd floor of the building. These will range from two to eight bedrooms and 1,435 square feet (133 square metres) to over 17,500 square feet (1626 square metres).



Texas firm Rottet Studio has designed the interiors for the project. Renderings show wooden parquet flooring, marble counters and leather furnishings. One of the images also reveals a larger double-height residence.

Residents will have access to a suite of luxury amenities organised by in-house private club, Central Park Club. Among these is a large outdoor area that includes a swimming pool, sun beds, gardens and dining areas. Inside the tower is a slender swimming pool, a cigar bar, a private dining room and a grand ballroom, along with conference suites, children's play areas and a screening room.

Central Park Tower joins a series of luxury condominium buildings are lie along a stretch of West 57th Street now known as Billionaire's Row – including 432 Park Avenue and SHoP's skinny 111 West 57th Street, which is also under construction.

These structures come under the category of "supertall" – measuring between 980 feet (300 metres) and 2,000 feet (600 metres).

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture is behind a number of record-breaking structures such as its Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which is planned reach over 3,280 feet (1,000 metres) high – overtaking Dubai's Burj Khalifa as the world's tallest building.



Words & image courtesy of http://www.dezeen.com/