Growthpoint wins SAPOA Excellence Award for Industrial Property Development
Growthpoint Properties Ellerines warehouse in Epping, Cape Town
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Growthpoint Properties Limited has been awarded the SAPOA’s (SA Property Owners Association) Innovative Excellence Award in Industrial Property Development for the new tailor-made Ellerines warehouse it developed in Epping, Cape Town.
The award was announced the 44th annual SAPOA International Property Convention & Exhibition.
Growthpoint’s custom designed building, comprising some 5,200m² of warehousing and 1,000m² of offices, for top logistics company Fast and Furious at Growthpoint Industrial Estate in Meadowdale Gauteng, was also a finalist in this category.
“We are pleased to receive this prestigious award. It is an important recognition of the exceptional results we’re able to achieve by working with our clients to understand their businesses and their property needs,” says Growthpoint Properties Industrial Division Director Engelbert Binedell. “We strive to apply our understanding with innovation to create industrial buildings that are assets to our clients’ businesses.”
For its award-winning development, Growthpoint applied the latest green building technologies to convert a contaminated old foundry into a state-of-the-art warehouse in Epping, Cape Town.
This custom developed 16,500sqm facility is the new regional distribution centre for Ellerine Holdings Limited. It will serve all Ellerines brands in the Western Cape and will be operated by Barloworld Logistics.
Growthpoint tailored the facility to client needs with 2,000sqm of offices and a 14,500sqm warehouse, applying environmentally sound practices at every stage - from design and demolition through to materials and energy efficiency.
Besides creating a green development, Growthpoint developed a high-spec, high-tech warehouse of international standards, adapted to SA conditions, with the global supply chain expertise of Barloworld Logistics. It’s designed to profit Ellerines by shifting its distribution model from parochial to regional, achieving greater operational and economic efficiency.
Binedell says that while there is no Green Star rating for industrial buildings in South Africa yet, this is no reason to delay green developments for the sector.
Growthpoint Properties is the largest South African listed property company with an owner, manager developer focus and property assets exceeding R50,0 billion.
Pioneering green building in the SA industrial sector, Growthpoint applied its experience from other property sectors, specifically offices where local green building is most established. It has already started construction on various green industrial developments in Gauteng.
It is this innovative outlook that contributed to Growthpoint being awarded the 10-year lease for the Ellerines distribution centre.
Location is key to the project’s sustainability, explains Binedell. Epping is an older industrial area in Cape Town. “Over the years it fell out of favour as industry moved to glossy new nodes. “However, like all traditional industrial areas, Epping still offers all the key ingredients needed for logistics, specifically good location, ease of access and electricity supply.”
Binedell says Epping, and other older industrial areas, are full of redevelopment potential. Besides creating renewal, redevelopment also provides big financial benefits for owners and tenants.
“Redevelopments cost less than new developments, but offer the same standards. This means lower rentals without sacrificing quality,” says Leon Labuschagne, Development Manager for Growthpoint’s Industrial Division. He notes the redevelopment of properties in older industrial areas is a trend throughout South Africa as a direct result of these benefits.
“This movement is excellent for the environment. Properties are reused rather than left derelict. Unnecessary urban sprawl is avoided. Old materials are recycled and new buildings are more energy efficient and environmentally sound,” explains Labuschagne.
“Redevelopments can also be tailored to client criteria and increase property value,” say Labuschagne. The new Ellerines regional warehouse meets top international standards.
Growthpoint green redevelopment of the new Ellerines facility began with demolishing the fouled foundry, which had been vacant for three years. With guidance from an environmental consultant, it responsibly disposed of all contaminated material, including old asbestos roofing and spoilt soil. It also recycled steel and electrical cables.
Labuschagne explains that extensive recycling of concrete, by crushing concrete on site, was key in establishing the green base for the project.
Moving up from this green foundation, the bricks contain 70% recycled material. “In fact, the recycled material in the bricks is from the old Athlone Towers power station,” reports Labuschagne.
Energy-efficient lighting includes dimmable fluorescent lights installed in the warehouse, external LED floodlights and motion-sensor LED lights feature in the offices. Eco-glass windows and an efficient air conditioning system aid with energy-saving temperature management. The heat pumps for hot water also boost cost-cutting.
The development proves that green building and the latest high-tech specifications are compatible. The world-class warehouse features super-flat floors, an eaves height of 16 metres, high-lift roller shutter doors and a backup electricity generator.
