SAPOA winners underline development excellence in SA

2014 Winners

The No. 1 silo at the V&A Waterfront.

Besides being the overall winner at SAPOA, No. 1 Silo also won the corporate office development category and the overall green award. It has been awarded the region's first GBCSA Six-Star Green Star SA rating and is seeking an 'As Built' rating too. As the sustainability and Green Star consultants on the project, the Arup team, led by Jaco Kemp, was instrumental in bringing the vision of a 6-Star rating to fruition. Arup was also the mechanical, façade and ICT consulting engineers for the job.

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 and several other buildings around the Grain Silo, projects that Arup is also working on as sustainability and engineering consultants.

Green features

As consulting engineers, the Arup team looked extensively for engineering solutions that would respond to and harness the environment of the building. Its sustainability features are designed to reflect its tenant's company values and encourage greater communication between its staff members.

Seawater from the Atlantic Ocean is one of the examples of a green solution; using seawater to reject waste heat, thereby eliminating the need for potable water in the cooling system and resulting in huge water savings. The system draws cold seawater (normally between 14-16° C) from the harbour through a titanium plate heat exchanger system in the basement.

Another key to the 6-star rating is the façade on the building. The largely glass design presents challenges, as it needs to remain as transparent as possible, whilst eliminating glare from not only the sun but the sea as well. Glass also adds to energy usage, due to the need for extra cooling in summer and heat loss in winter. To manage this, the building has a double skin façade on the northeast and northwest elevations. These have a clear glass outer layer, 700mm outside the main façade - which is double-glazed. To deal with the glare, there are automatically controlled blinds, found between the two façade skins, which track the sun as it moves across the sky.

Other innovations

Many other alternative solutions were sought, including:

• Underfloor displacement air conditioning system
  
• Solar thermal panels and heat pumps
  
• Energy and water sub metering
  
• Energy efficient lighting and lighting sensors (only using lighting when required)
  
• Sub soil drip irrigation and hardy plants used to reduce landscape water need by 50%
  
• Sustainable use of materials including a reduction of cement usage by approximately 60% and responsibly sourced timber
  
• Intelligent building management system to create operational efficiencies

Kemp hails the client team of the V&A Waterfront (developer) and Allan Gray (tenant) for their unwavering enthusiasm in reaching the elusive 6-star rating. "A client with such a clear and ambitious vision is what every consultant hopes for. The rating was the icing on a dream job. We trust that this will open the door to more property owners and tenants demanding green solutions to their new-builds or retrofitting. Good, sustainable design is more that the right thing to do, it makes business sense, as this prestigious award by SAPOA shows."

Mall reflects Cradle of Humankind

Cradlestone Mall

Sasol Pension Fund, Pivotal Property Fund and Retail Africa own and developed Cradlestone Mall, which opened its doors in November 2013 in Mogale City in Johannesburg's West Rand. Inspired by its setting, the landmark Cradle of Humankind was the starting point for the philosophy that underpins its design concept while, at the same time, adhering to proven retail flow and layout.

However, it is not only the architectural appeal that is considered in these awards. SAPOA notes recognition is based on a holistic approach, which expects developments to be economically viable, to satisfy the needs of the investor and users, to be aesthetically appealing and enhance the locality in which they are situated.

Andries Schaap, GM Investment from Sasol Pension Fund, says, "We are delighted that the mall has earned such a prestigious tribute. So much has gone into making it a success, starting with the need for quality retail and the vision to develop a world-class mall inspired by the World Heritage Site of the Cradle of Humankind. Thousands of people have played a role in conceiving, developing and building the mall. They can all be proud of their contribution to the mall and winning this sought-after award.

"Its fresh design, easy access, entertainment, leisure and total experience all come together to create a complete leading mall package."

The 76,000m² super-regional mall has a fresh retail mix and wide choice in nearly 200 shops, restaurants and services. The line up of retailers led by anchor tenants includes Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Checkers, Game with FoodCo, Dion Wired and the Edcon Group and Food Lovers Market, which will open this year.

Its positive reception has also attracted a selection of new stores which have opened in the mall since it was launched, including latest additions Lego, Baby Boom, Isabella's Food and Cake shop, John Craig and Sunglass Hut. Dis-Chem and Virgin Active are also set to open before year-end.

Cara Grobler, GM of Cradlestone Mall, adds, "This SAPOA accolade is a meaningful and respected honour for the mall. It has enjoyed a positive and exciting beginning. We look forward to what the future holds."