Liberty Life takes up space in Pretoria’s chic Menlyn

Wealth Management Group, Liberty Life has taken a space at Menlyn Corner, a prime ‘green’ location in Pretoria’s trendy Menlyn which has established and joins a number of other green buildings in the area.

The on-going development of shopping centres and property developments continues to attract business interest in the city of Pretoria. Menlyn, located in the east of Pretoria and an established commercial node, seems set to continue on this growth path, with the new Menlyn Corner now home to wealth management group, Liberty Life. 

With its close proximity to the N1, on the corner of Atterbury Road and Lois Avenue, the Menlyn Corner office precinct offers convenient access off the Atterbury and Garsfontein Road interchanges. Also, good public transport links, including Gautrain buses linking to the Hatfield Gautrain station, and plenty of nearby amenities such as upmarket restaurants, banks, hotels and gyms, make Menlyn Corner a compelling proposition for corporates.

Developed by Growthpoint, Menlyn Corner joins a number of other green buildings in the area. According to John Jack, Director for Galetti, the energy efficiency of the building was one of the key deciding factors for Liberty Life, when considering the 3,600sqm they will occupy within the 10,000sqm AAA-grade building. 

“Liberty Life decided to consolidate their numerous offices so as to reduce overheads and from the outset, they stipulated the need to find a building that operates in an environmentally sustainable way,” says Jack.

According to Growthpoint’s Debbie Theron, Menlyn Corner was specifically designed to provide appropriate responses to commercial green objectives. She comments, “A heat pump incorporated into the construction of the building uses between 30% and 50% of the electrical energy that electric heating of the same capacity would require.”

Other energy efficient features include the façade that’s designed according to the requirements of new energy standards, the building design that complies with new fresh air regulation and the air conditioning system that allows for separate zones to be activated, resulting in substantial energy saving.

The Menlyn area has proven to be a popular commercial node for a while now, but says Galetti’s Hugo Moller, the new developments have all stemmed from the iconic Menlyn Maine development.

He explains, “Some notable properties have been built in the last 6 years and Menlyn Main, home to Nedbank and Sage, both 4-star green buildings of around 10,000sqm – undoubtedly spurred this growth.” Other developments include Menlyn Corporate Park, the 25,000sqm, fully let green development and Podium House, the 10,000sqm complex that’s secured 95% tenancy in just over 10 months. Summit Place is another, which is currently under development, and has already completed Powertech's head office, in addition to signing Protea Hotel Fire & Ice and numerous other tenants.

Menlyn’s proximity to sought after suburbs such as Faerie Glen, Lynnwood, Moreleta Park, Waterkloof Glen and Woodhill contributes further to the high demand the area is experiencing as more and more corporates opt to call Menlyn home.