Visual Planning and VIA
Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) is integral to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as practised in South Africa and is routinely required in project planning especially in the scenic and historic areas of the SW Cape. NWA has prepared many full Level 3 and Level 4 VIAs for a variety of projects including residential and industrial estates, wine estates, new towns, hotels, apartments, pipe lines, power lines and sewage farms.
NWA also produced the Strategic VIA for the Victoria Falls for an IUCN (WWF) project. This extensive study covered a 30km radius around the Victoria Falls in both Zimbabwe and Zambia at Victoria Falls and Livingstone respectively.
VIA is typically entrusted to landscape architects as our skills in designing and assessing landscapes combined with our environmental planning background enables us to prepare these unique reports. We produce reports that are detailed and comprehensive, well photographed and mapped, using the assessment criteria set out in the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC) Guideline for Visual and Aesthetic Specialists used in the province.
We also prepare, where necessary, photomontages of developments, either using elevation and plan material or 3D models provided by the developer's designers and our own photography. Photomontages are required for Level 4 VIAs where high to very high level visual impacts are anticipated on scenic and/or heritage environments. A Level 3 report is usually required for most developments for which we are well known for producing thorough reports.
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