UCT triumphs in 2021 Greenovate Awards

L-R: Mario Schehle, RMS (Remote Metering Solutions); first prize winner in Property, Tristan Fernandes – University of Cape Town; Lisa Reynolds, CEO of the Green Building Council in South Africa (GBCSA); Grahame Cruickshanks, Growthpoint’s head of sustainability and utilities

“This year’s forward-thinking projects really impressed the judges,” says Grahame Cruickshanks, Growthpoint’s head of sustainability and utilities.

“Big ideas come out of our tertiary education institutions that deserve private sector support. Growthpoint has already implemented one Greenovate solution commercially, and we are hungry to put more into practice. Growthpoint has undertaken to have all if its 400-plus buildings in South Africa operating at carbon net-zero by 2050 - and action and innovation is needed now if we are to get there. We are proud to be drivers of the Greenovate Awards, and if the quality and creativity of this year’s entries are anything to go by, there is a promising future for green building that is in very capable hands indeed.”

L-R: Mario Schehle, RMS (Remote Metering Solutions); first prize winner in Engineering, Karabo Makole – University of Cape Town; Lisa Reynolds, CEO of the Green Building Council in South Africa (GBCSA); Grahame Cruickshanks, Growthpoint’s head of sustainability and utilities

The winners of the 2021 Greenovate Student Awards are:

Property

First: Tristan Fernandes – University of Cape Town: “A life cycle cost analysis of developing high-rise sustainable, innovative, affordable housing in South Africa”

Second: Aasif Mohamed, Asemahle Mngxuma and Sacha Harper – University of the Witwatersrand: “Experimental process of introducing chicken manure as an additive in Portland cement to decrease pollution and increase thermal insulation as well as other properties of a concrete mix"

Third: Barret de Willers – University of Cape Town: “Investigating the adoption of green building features, initiatives, and technology in commercial buildings”

Adopting nature-based approaches in tailings dam design

26 Nov 2021

Engineering

First: Karabo Makole – University of Cape Town: “Manufacturing tiles from copper mine tailings using geopolymerisation”

Second: Andrea Fiorita – North West University: “Industrial LED fixture”

Third: Nina Sirba – Stellenbosch University: “Mechanical and durability properties of concrete containing recycled plastic waste (resin8 and pet) as a sand replacement”