The Neighbourhood Square is a village-style retail centre designed to become an energised hub of The Neighbourhood, a residential lifestyle estate located on a portion of the old Huddle Park Golf Course in Linksfield, Johannesburg. Many large existing trees, which lined the greens on the old golf course, were positioned on the new site for the Neighbourhood Square. Respecting and accommodating these trees as a response to the natural heritage of the site-become a key design driver.

Early on the design team identified suitable trees to preserve, and the design was manipulated to create a shopping centre that felt like you were ‘meandering through the trees’. The simple linear architecture of the building was intended to allow the building to become the backdrop for the landscape. Seamless transition from the densely forested landscape to shopfront was emphasised by a column-free canopy to allow maximum exposure for the tenants’ shopfronts and to create a more engaging shopping environment.