SAPOA honours excellence in SA Property Development

One & Only The Palm, Dubai, clinched the overall award at the SAPOA Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards 2012

Showcasing the SA property industry’s impact on the world stage, One & Only The Palm, Dubai, clinched top honours at SAPOA’s (South African Property Owners Association) Awards for Innovative Excellence in Property Development, sponsored by Nedbank Corporate Property Finance.

This year, SAPOA presented a dozen awards to outstanding property developments. It announced the award winners at the 44th annual SAPOA International Property Convention & Exhibition at the Durban International Convention Centre.

“The winners showcase excellence in design and innovation. They reflect the constant revolution needed to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s needs, in SA and globally,” says Neil Gopal, CEO of SAPOA.

The ultra-luxury One & Only The Palm boutique resort development, owned by Kerzner International, is a collaboration of South African consultants working in the international arena. DSA Architects International and Mirage Mille led the design and construction as principal architects and development/project managers respectively. WSP and CKR were the consulting engineers and MLC Quantity Surveyors were the cost consultants. The design package was produced and co-ordinated in Joburg.

Winning the retail development category is the 75,000sqm Mall of the North, jointly owned and developed by Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment, Moolman Group and Resilient Property Income Fund. This super-regional shopping centre, which opened in April 2012, was designed by MDS Architecture with strong reference to its context in Polokwane, Limpopo.

Earning top spot in the industrial development category is Ellerines Cape Town, owned and developed by Growthpoint Properties Limited and designed by Loudon Perry Anderson Architects. The innovative project created Ellerines’ new high-tech facility for distribution in the greater Western Cape region.

Taking winning position in the office development category is SANRAL’s new 4 Star Green Star design rated (Office-v1), AAA-grade corporate head office in Pretoria. Owned and developed by SANRAL, this energy-efficient building is designed by Activate Architecture.

Sandton City Shopping Centre, owned by Liberty Properties, clinched top honours in the retail refurbishment category with MDS Architecture, MMA Architects, RTKL appointed for the centre’s phase-one positioning project. The development comprises refurbishing the existing mall and an addition of 30,000sqm of retail space. 

25 Wellington Road in Parktown, Johannesburg, scooped the award for office refurbishment. Designed by Paragon Architects, and developed by Alchemy Property Investment Trust, the project transformed an inefficiently designed 1980s office block into a modern call centre for tenant Cell C.

Taking the winning title in the mixed-use developments category is The Pivot at Montecasino, owned and developed by Abland and designed by Nsika. The Pivot introduces a 200-room, 4-star Southern Sun Hotel, a 1,200sqm conference facility, 15,000sqm offices, parking and some retail.

Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary triumphed in the ‘other’ development group. The training centre for Methodist ministers in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal is owned by Methodist Church of Southern Africa and developed by RPP Developments and Bridgeport Properties. Boogertman + Partners Architects designed the seminary.

The social impact development category winner is The Soweto Theatre, the first professional performing arts venue developed in a former township. Owned and developed by the City of Joburg Property Company, Afritects designed this arts and culture landmark in the Jubulani CBD precinct.

Earning top spot in the Innovative Property Solutions Category is the Vodafone Site Solution Innovation Centre, which makes its own electricity and supplies excess electricity to its neighbour. The building is the international hub for developing innovation, monitoring, and experimentation within the Vodafone Group worldwide. It’s the first 6-Star Green Star SA accredited building in SA. Owned and developed by Vodacom & Vodafone Group, it is designed by GLH Architects

Aurecon Century City took the crown for the top overall green development. It is the first building in South Africa to earn a 5-Star Green Star SA – Office Design v1 rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). It’s developed by Rabie Property Group and designed by MaC Architects

This year’s Transformation Award goes to Khayelitsha Hospital. Part of the Presidential Urban Renewal Programme, the hospital will serve the community of Khayelitsha - the largest township in Cape Town and the third largest in South Africa. 

Owned by the Provisional Department of Public Works (PDPW) & Transport and built by Group Five Coastal, the hospital is designed by ACG Architects & Development Planners and Ngonyama Okpanum & Associate.

Frank Berkeley, managing executive of Nedbank Corporate Property Finance, is passionate about furthering excellence in property development. 

“The awards highlight the world-class innovation and local relevance of property development. It is especially encouraging to note the geographical spread of winners which is a reflection of local activity of the commercial property market,” says Berkeley.

SAPOA Awards Committee Chairman John Truter notes: “The awards encourage a built environment that works on all levels. We’re delighted at the continued enthusiastic response from the property sector. It displays the esteem in which they hold the awards”.

The award winners were decided by a multi-disciplinary expert panel of 16 independent judges comprising leaders in their fields. The 2012 judges panel includes Hashim Bham – BTKM QS;  Barend de Loor  -  Eris Property Group; Corne de Leeuw  - Del QS;  John Truter  - WSP Group;  Pieter Engelbrecht – Growthpoint Properties; Chris Lawrence - Chris Lawrence; Ken Reynolds-  Nedbank; Wessel van Dyk – Boogertman & Partners; Rudolf Nieman - JHI; Anthony Orelowitz - Paragon Architects; Sam Silwamba – Old Mutual Properties; Richard Cottrill – Abland; John Williamson - MDS Architects; Beata Kaleta – DSA Architects; Zinon Marinakos - DSA Architects and Craig Sutherland – Sutherland Engineers.