5 June 2012 - Every year during its annual South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) International Property Convention & Exhibition, SAPOA honours property innovators, developers, owners, and built environment professionals who have made a significant contribution to the enhancement of the property industry.

This year the winners were announced during the course of the 44th annual exhibition, and Aurecon is proud to have been involved in three of the award-winning projects.

Aurecon’s office building in Century City, Cape Town, was the first building in South Africa to be awarded a 5 Star Green Star SA – Office Design v1 rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). The project walked away with top honours in the ‘Overall Green Development’ category. Aurecon, who is well versed in supplying integrated, multidisciplinary engineering designs, provided civil, structural and mechanical services for the new building.

Increasingly, it has become important to Aurecon to demonstrate that their own buildings and facilities have been built in a sustainable manner. In this regard, Albert Geldenhuys, Aurecon’s Managing Director: South Africa, said that: “Achieving accolades such as top honours in the SAPOA awards is a tangible reward for the group’s commitment to ensuring that we design and execute sustainable and environmentally responsible infrastructure projects.”

Aurecon was also involved in two other winning projects:

• The Sandton City Shopping Centre owned by Liberty Properties triumphed in the ‘Retail Refurbishment’ category, doing justice to the intent of the project to internationalise and reposition Sandton City as the leading retail development on the continent. Aurecon provided civil and structural engineering services for the refurbishment of the existing mall, including an addition of 30 000 m² of retail space and 1 000 new parking bays.
• Growthpoint Properties Limited’s Ellerines in Cape Town won the ‘Industrial Development’ category. Aurecon served as principle agent on the project, encompassing civil and structural engineering for the development of this high-tech distribution facility in Cape Town, proving to the client that a competent professional team can deliver cutting edge facilities with competitive rentals, without compromising on quality.

Neil Gopal, CEO of SAPOA, commented that “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.”

“Partnering with visionary developers and project teams is a great honour for Aurecon and we congratulate them on these stellar SAPOA achievements,” concludes Aurecon’s Industry Leader, Property, Ermis Marques.