SAPOA Awards honour excellence in Property Developments

The winners highlight excellence in Property design and innovation. They meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s needs, and reflect the cutting-edge of design in South Africa and globally, says Neil Gopal SAPOA's CEO.

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Property owners in South Africa today announced that No.1 Silo at the V&A Waterfront is the overall winner at the prestigious South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards 2014, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

In an exceptional showcase of extraordinary property development, SAPOA announced the top performers in 10 categories and four overall awards at its annual award ceremony, as well as the top overall award clinched by No. 1 Silo. It revealed the winners at the 46th annual SAPOA International Property Convention and Exhibition.
 
“The winners highlight excellence in design and innovation. They meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s needs, and reflect the cutting-edge of design in South Africa and globally,” says Neil Gopal, CEO of SAPOA.

“The awards recognised exceptional quality in buildings and reward excellence in building design. It is also a litmus test for the health of our industry and, based on the excellent entries this year, our sector is in thriving health.”

Entries have rocketed 65% in the past two years, demonstrating the esteem in which the industry holds these accolades. The award winners were decided by a multi-disciplinary expert panel of judges comprising leaders in their fields.

SAPOA Awards Committee Chairman, Pieter Engelbrecht notes: “2014 was a fantastic year in terms of recognising talented property innovators in South Africa. This year we received a very positive response, which shows the esteem in which the awards are held.”

Engelbrecht adds: “We have the privilege of showcasing world-class owners and built environment professionals’ outstanding contributions that have significantly enhanced the industry, economy and skylines of South Africa.”

Besides being the overall winner, No. 1 Silo at V&A Waterfront also won the corporate office development category and the overall green award – scooping up a total of three top awards. Developed by the V&A Waterfront, owned in equal parts by Growthpoint Properties and the Government Employees Pension Fund represented by the Public Investment Corporation (SOC) Limited, and designed by Rick Brown Architects, VDMMA, No. 1 Silo is the 18,500sqm corporate head office of blue-chip tenant Allan Gray.

No. 1 Silo is part of the first phase in the Silo Precinct of V&A Waterfront, which will soon see the redevelopment of the historical Grain Silo. The building has been awarded the region’s first GBCSA Six-Star Green Star SA rating, and is seeking “As Built” rating too. With sustainability features in abundance, No. 1 Silo is designed to reflect its tenant’s company values and encourage greater communication between its staff members. 

And, No. 2 Silo at V&A Waterfront triumphed in the residential developments group. Owned, developed and designed by the same team as No. 1 Silo, the building is the V&A Waterfront’s first residential development in more than five years and the first residential development to be assess using the GBCSA Multi-Unit Residential Design rating tool and to receive a 4-star rating. It comprises 31 one- and two-bedroomed apartments over seven stories with a solar heated rooftop pool and water-wise garden.

Taking pole position in the retail developments category is Cradlestone Mall in Krugersdorp, developed by Sasol Pension Fund and designed by Bentel Associates International. Inspired by its setting, the landmark Cradle of Humankind was the starting point for the philosophy that underpins its design concept.

Winning the commercial office developments category was Alice Lane Phase One, located at 15 Alice Lane in Sandton. Developed by Abland, it was designed by Paragon Architects. With a GBCSA Four-Star Green Star SA design rating, this 14-storey building includes six floors of parking and eight floors of office space.

Earning top spot in the industrial developments category is Grundfos South Africa in Meadowbrook, Germiston. Owned and developed by Growthpoint Properties and designed by Empowered Spaces. The innovative project meets Grundfos’ strategy to consolidate in a single high-tech industrial facility in Gauteng, to serve as its head office. It is the first integrated industrial and office facility in South Africa to be awarded a GBCSA 5-Star Green Star SA Office Design rating.

The New Engineering Building at the University of Cape Town, developed by the university and designed by SAOTA, took top honours in the other developments category. The new faculty building includes academic offices and laboratories, and formal and social learning spaces. It houses the civil engineering department as well as the overflow of the neighbouring chemical engineering department and the dean of the faculty.

University of Pretoria Mining Industry Study Centre scooped the award for refurbishments. Developed by the university and designed by ARC Architects Pretoria, it created an on-campus study and information centre in a centrally located, but defunct square, in the engineering precinct. The location required a new structure to span the existing space and the new study centre was effectively suspended from the structure.

The international development award was handed to The Oberoi Centre in Dubai. Developed by Rani International Development Co and designed by DSA Architects International, the commercial and hotel towers include a 27-story, 252-key hotel and the 33-storey commercial office tower, linked by a four-level common podium. It cohabits in the Business Bay neighbourhood with the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa.

Noswal Hall, Zenprop’s first landmark student accommodation, won the overall transformation category. Designed by Empowered Spaces, it accommodates 399 residents across 19 floors in bachelor units and two- three- and four-bed sharing units. It is directly across from the main campus of University of the Witwatersrand and its distinctive Mondrian-themed façade has become an income on Braamfontein’s skyline.

Taking the winning title in the heritage developments category is the New Military Health Base Depot for the South African Military Health Services. Developed by Department of Public Works and designed by Impendula Design Architects and Jeremie Malan Architects, the New Military Health Base Depot was developed on a 64,571sqm existing military property in Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria, and incorporates several existing buildings with significant heritage value on the site, with a campus-type development of 12 buildings of different sizes and functions.

There were three recipients of the overall innovative merit award. Winner of the best refurbishment category, University of Pretoria Mining Industry Study Centre, impressed the judges with its innovative engineering solution. UTI PHarma in Meadowview Business Estate in Linbro Park, developed by Intaprop and designed by GLH Architects, was selected for its innovative integrated racking system in this game-changing facility that is designed to be energy-saving, improve productivity and optimise space.

Tshedimosetso House, developed by Growthpoint and designed by ADO Architects, S&A Architects and Urban Design Architects, was chosen for it solar façade laboratory, with photovoltaic cells integrated in the glassing of the building’s façade, which have been linked to a research study by the University of Johannesburg to evaluate this technology in South Africa, and which hugely improve the building’s performance.