With funding having been secured from Nedbank Corporate Property Finance Cape for the project, the building site could be formally handed over to the construction company, Isipani Construction on 11 April, to start erecting what promises to be Paarl's first 4-star green office building. Isipani now has 13 months to finish the first building.
Construction of Building A of the office complex - which was bought outright by BKB last year, with Grainco signing up as the main tenant shortly thereafter - will start immediately. Building B, which will be owned by the developer, Lazercor Developments, will follow as soon as two more leases are in place.
The approved building plans have now also been submitted to the Green Building Council of South Africa, as part of the developer's aim to have the building internationally certified as a 4-star Green Star building. Cecilia Square's green rating will be dependent on its design - which must be in line with international guidelines around the reduction of carbon footprint and minimal environmental impact - as well as an assessment of the actual completed building.
High quality building materials will be utilised for their ability to insulate and complement the energy-saving design of the building. Fittings such as lights that automatically dim or brighten, depending on ambient light, or air-conditioners that automatically switch off when no motion is detected for a certain period, will further contribute towards keeping Cecilia Square's electricity account as low as possible.
In the meantime local firm Isipani Construction will be breaking ground to ensure that they meet the required delivery milestones to enable tenants of Building A to move into their new offices in mid-June 2013. "Meeting Lazercor's strict requirements around timelines, budget and quality standards will be no mean feat, but it's a challenge that we are happy to take on. To be involved in the construction of a green building of this calibre is very exciting," said Jandré Arangies, MD of Isipani.
Mark Teuchert, a director of Lazercor Developments, is equally satisfied with their choice of construction company. "Isipani showed in their tender that they understood what needed to be done, and could do it within budget. I have also seen the excellent workmanship in the other large projects they have taken on. And because they are a local company, they are familiar with the terrain, which is a huge plus factor," Teuchert said.
