Salt air, sea mist, wind that arrives sideways, and some of the most valuable outdoor square metres in the country — the Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl are beautiful, brutal territory for paving and gardens. Materials that thrive in Durbanville corrode, fade or blow over here. Choosing for the coast is a different discipline, and it’s one we know well.
What we do from Green Point to Camps Bay
Terraces and patios
On the Seaboard, the terrace is the property. We build outdoor living areas in travertine, porcelain and sealed natural stone — materials that shrug off salt spray and look right against sea views. Falls and drainage get engineered, not assumed: water off a Bantry Bay terrace has to go somewhere deliberate.
Pool surrounds
Pool paving here has to be non-slip in sea mist, cool underfoot in February, and salt-tolerant year-round. Travertine and textured porcelain lead; we’ll show you samples wet, because that’s how they’ll live.
Compact landscaping
City Bowl and Seaboard gardens are small and steep — which makes design matter more, not less. Our landscaping team works in levels, retaining, wind-tough coastal planting and artificial lawn for courtyards where real grass has no chance between the shade and the salt.
Driveways and entrances
Steep driveways in Higgovale and Fresnaye need cobbles or small-format pavers for grip and load, laid to handle both the gradient and the winter runoff coming down the mountain behind them.
Areas we cover
Sea Point, Green Point, Mouille Point, Three Anchor Bay, Bantry Bay, Fresnaye, Clifton, Camps Bay, Bakoven — and the City Bowl: Gardens, Tamboerskloof, Oranjezicht, Higgovale, Vredehoek and Devil’s Peak Estate.
Coastal conditions, engineered for
Salt: cheap concrete pavers spall here; metals corrode. We spec salt-tolerant stone, marine-grade fixings and sealers as standard — the material guidance in our paving materials guide gets applied at its strictest.
Wind: the south-easter dictates layout. Screens, planted windbreaks and furniture-safe zones are designed in from the first sketch, or the terrace never gets used.
Slopes and access: half our Seaboard jobs involve carrying materials down (or up) staircases a wheelbarrow can’t see. We price access honestly upfront — no surprise variations halfway through.
Frequently asked
Which paving handles salt air best?
Travertine, quality porcelain and dense natural stone. Sealed clay performs well too. Budget concrete pavers are the one to avoid within a few hundred metres of the water.
Can you work in apartment complexes and on body-corporate property?
Yes — common-property terraces, pool decks and courtyards, with the compliance paperwork body corporates need.
Do small City Bowl courtyards justify professional landscaping?
Small spaces show every decision, good and bad — they’re arguably where design earns its fee fastest. Some of the best gardens we’ve built are under 40m².
Get a free quote anywhere on the Seaboard or City Bowl. Also serving the Southern Suburbs over the mountain.