SAPOA awards acknowledge SA’s top buildings

The bar has been raised in South African corporate design with the completion of 15 Alice Lane Towers located on a high-profile site in Sandton Central.

15 Alice Lane Towers in Sandton Central was the overall winner and best in the office development category at the Sapoa innovative excellence in property development awards 2011.

The stylishly distinctive abstract ‘chequered’ 15 Alice Lane Towers in Sandton Central scooped top honours at the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) innovative excellence in property development awards 2011, sponsored by Nedbank Corporate Property Finance.

This year five of the nine award-winning property developments are located in Sandton, proving it to be the centre of innovative property development and design in South Africa.

Pick n Pay Nicol won the retail development category, Legacy Corner took the mixed-used development category, The Park Inn Sandton scooped the ‘other developments: hotels’ category and Nedbank Phase II won the overall green development category.

“The awards acknowledge quality, excellence in design and innovation – all essential to the ever-evolving art of property development,” says Neil Gopal, Sapoa chief executive. “They epitomise the ability of South Africa’s property developers to find exciting solutions for clients’ requirements and stay at the forefront of global trends.”

Overall winner and best in the office development category, 15 Alice Lane Towers is above a six-storey basement, with two towers that rise 17 floors into the Sandton sky. Co-developers Zenprop Property Holdings and Tiber Projects commissioned the exceptional addition to the Sandton skyline, designed by Paragon Architects. The 24 000 m2 development is the new address for well-known legal firm Deneys Reitz.

At the western edge of Sandton Central, next to Sandton City Shopping Centre, the twin towers constructed of concrete, glass and aluminium rise as statuesque architectural markers on the skyline. Viewed from all angles, the building presents a highly patterned abstract surface of architectural elements that alter constantly with the shifting time of day and changing atmosphere.

The striking new Pick ‘n Pay Nicol developed by Abland, is owned by Pick ‘n Pay and was designed by Bentel Associates International with an innovative extroverted design approach.

Castle Walk Shopping Centre, owned by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) took top honours in the refurbishment category with Boogertman + Partners appointed to design the external revamp to give the building a fresh and modern facelift.

The winner in the mixed-use developments category was Legacy Corner, developed by Legacy Development and Management, owned by Sandton Square Portion 7 (Pty) Ltd and also designed by Bentel Associates International.

The three-star Park Inn Sandton, winner in the other development: hotels category, was developed by New City Group, is owned by Crystal Lagoon Investments 53 and was designed by GLH Architects.

The other developments category was won by the University of the Western Cape Life Sciences, developed by UWC and designed by dhk Architects.

“The Life Sciences building at UWC is a modern, sophisticated institutional research laboratory which has fused six departments that were formerly located in a number of old buildings into a single multi-functional academic development,” says dhk chairman Derick Henstra.

“Our focus is to design fit-for-purpose developments on time and within budget, while creating spaces that reflect contemporary as well as functional design. We aim to promote sustainable projects that contribute to the natural as well as the built environment. The UWC Life Sciences building is just one such development. It reflects urban re-invention and rejuvenation and combines various elements to create an imposing and lasting landmark.

The winner of the social development and the new transformation categories this year is the Lebone II College of the Royal Bafokeng in Phokeng, in North West, developed and owned by Royal Bafokeng Administration and designed by Activate Architecture and Afritects.

Lebone II provides world-class education and is a resource centre for education in 45 other schools in the region. Lebone II has capacity for 800 learners in an environment that supports and stimulates learning with extensive facilities over a gross floor area of some 25 000 m2.

The award for overall green development went to Nedbank Phase II, which is owned and developed by Nedbank Limited, and was designed by Grosskopff Lombart Huyberechts & Associates Architects. Nedbank Phase II was submitted at two stages and achieved a certified four star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa on both submissions – ‘design’ and ‘as built’ – becoming the first Green Star certified building in South Africa.

Frank Berkeley, managing executive of Nedbank Corporate Property Finance says the bank is pleased to contribute to furthering the highest standards of property development in South Africa.

SAPOA Awards Committee Chairman John Truter says the recognition that these awards provide locally and internationally has led to an exceptional quality and scope of entries received.

“We’re delighted at the continued enthusiastic response from the property sector and the esteem which they have bestowed on the awards,” says Truter.