Updated 2005.09.23
Edited 2006.01.30 to reflect changes in product names.
This interview was, ummm... different. For about half of the time, the interviewee was interviewing the interviewer, and I also learned (without any probing, I might add) that David had a crush on my brother's best friend's sister while we were at school.
For the other half of the time we acted very grown up and talked about the civils aspects of Lake Michelle.
David Stonestreet is the engineer from de Villiers Sheard who was to be responsible for dealing with the water issues (e.g. pumps, sewers and water features) on the the project, while Peter Wium was to handle the roads. However, with the high water table at Lake Michelle, plenty of pumping was required, so David's involvement has remained extensive, and he has also undertaken some of the structural aspects of the project. Ironically, the wet winter has meant that it is a struggle to finish many of the water features on schedule, because in order to work on them it needs to be dry!
The ground has also presented challenges in the delivery of materials. Pavatile's specialised forklift is capable of delivering heavy palletloads of concrete products to the point of installation, and often facilitated the moving of other construction materials over the rough terrain.
De Villiers Sheard has worked in close synergy with the landscape architects (CNdV Africa) on this project, as the landscaping required unusual attention to engineering considerations. Most of the Pavatile products used in the project, including the Granito PlazaBlok, were developed specially for Lake Michelle.
David speaks highly of Ross Cameron of AvDS Environmental Consultants, who has had the unenviable task of policing the environmental impact of the project and of gracefully dealing with the requirements of a great diversity of stakeholders, including the homeowners association (itself contributing a variety of opinions), the engineers, the province, the municipality, the contractor and of course the project owners — and has managed to do all this without compromising the underlying environmental ethos.
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At a Lake Michelle site meeting.
After completing his studies, David Stonestreet spent many years in the Eastern Cape, during which he worked mainly on RDP water projects. The position at de Villiers Sheard presented him with the opportunity of fulfilling his desire to return to the Western Cape.
David is the father of two children, Adam and Robyn. As a microbiologist with an HDE, his wife, Cindy, provides training on water and sanitation.
| De Villiers Sheard is a firm of consulting structural and civil engineers, project managers and project co-ordinators. Empowerment is practised through employment and training. The practice has been in operation for more than ten years, and has provided services as far afield as Vredendal, Tulbagh, Worcester, Hermanus, Stanford and Knysna. Contact de Villiers Sheard at (021) 689 2377. |
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