The 2024 Green Building Leadership Awards were presented to a deserving group of winners at the Green Building Council of South Africa’s (GBCSA’s) 17th Green Building Convention. 

Held at Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town, the event gathered the top role players in sustainability in the built environment. The awards were presented under the convention’s theme, “Zero+: Net-zero today, climate-positive tomorrow”. 

The awards were adjudicated based on the period from the previous Green Building Convention in October last year to 30 September 2024. Lisa Reynolds, chief executive officer of the GBCSA, said the awardees demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the goal of a climate-positive future. 

From the first one in 2009, the certifications have grown, with the number now at 1 260 and still rising. Graphic supplied by GBCSA

Sponsors 

Lead sponsors Rand Water, Similan Properties and Raubex Building provided thought-provoking commentary on their sustainability journeys. Boitumelo Sethlatswe from Standard Bank discussed the banking sector’s role in the just transition and a net-zero future.  

Matthew Whalley from Balwin Properties shared the property sector’s perspective on the financing of sustainability. 

Adoption of green building practices 

Presenting at the opening plenary, the GBCSA’s technical head, Georgina Smit, illustrated the exponential growth in the adoption of green building practices in the last ten years. “There is a clear and increasing demand for green building certification across Green Star, EDGE and Net Zero, with close to 1 300 certifications to date and counting.” 

Since 2009, when the first certification was awarded, 1 260 certifications have been awarded and the number is still rising. 

The green premium 

Commenting on the perception that sustainability is expensive, Smit says: “Going green shouldn’t be a guessing game, and the research shows that the green premium is not only less than expected, but it continues to fall – making sustainable choices more accessible and achievable for all.” 

Reynolds concluded: “We all need to work at creating a built environment that goes beyond simply meeting targets, aiming to foster a positive, regenerative impact. So much has been achieved on this journey over nearly 20 years, and we need to shout from the rooftops about the good work being done, in order for wider adoption to follow.” 

GBCSA Leadership Awards 2024 winners 

Established Green Star 

This award recognises people who have continually contributed to the green building economy and in particular through Green Star buildings. They are actively changing the way the world is being built and display leadership and passion in their contribution to the green building movement. 

• Winner: Sally Misplon, Misplon Green Building Consulting. 
• Runner-up: Annelide Sherratt, Solid Green Consulting. 

Rising Green Star 

Winner: Rising Green Star. Georgina Smit and the winner, Mellissa Titus from Independent Quality Assurers (Pty.) Ltd. Photo credit: Anthea Davison/idna/GBCSA

This award recognises people who are rising green stars and are making a significant contribution to the green building industry. The future is indeed bright with professionals like those working together for a better built environment. 

• Winner: Mellissa Titus, Independent Quality Assurers (Pty.) Ltd. 
• Runner-up: Mary-Anne Fetcher, Zutari. 

Transforming Tomorrow: Moving the industry forward in asset design projects 

Winner: Transforming Tomorrow: Moving the industry forward in asset design projects, Newinbosch Neighbourhood Estate, Similan Properties. Andre Harms from Ecolution Consulting, the accredited professional company supporting, Georgina Smit and Harold Spies. Photo credit: Anthea Davison/idna/GBCSA

This award recognises leaders who have contributed towards market transformation in the new building and construction space, through innovative design and construction initiatives that demonstrate leadership. This particularly speaks to the asset rating-based tools of Green Star New Build, Interiors and Sustainable Precincts. 

• Winner: Newinbosch Neighbourhood Estate, Similan Properties. Accredited professional company supporting: Ecolution Consulting. 
• Runner-up: Various Intaprop projects, including the projects certified this past year: 7 Parks Boulevard (As Built) and 5 Parks Boulevard (Design). Accredited professional company supporting: Solid Green Consulting. 

Transforming Tomorrow: Moving the industry forward in existing operational performance projects 

Transforming Tomorrow: Moving the industry forward in existing operational performance projects. Winner: Redefine. Left: Sally Misplon from Misplon Green Building Consulting. Right: Redefine Properties. Photo credit: Anthea Davison/idna/GBCSA

This award recognises leaders who have contributed towards market transformation in the existing building space through sustainable management and operations of their buildings’ performance via initiatives that are innovative and demonstrate leadership. This relates especially to the existing building rating-based tools of Green Star EBP and the Energy Water Performance benchmarking tool for offices. 

• Winner: Redefine Properties. Accredited professional company supporting: Misplon Green Building Consulting. 
• Joint runners-up:  Western Cape Provincial Government, Department of Infrastructure. Accredited professionals: Internal Accredited Professionals. 
• Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development. Accredited professional company supporting: Imbue Sustainability. 

Net-Zero Submission 

This award recognises a project that has achieved a significant milestone in demonstrating its commitment to realising the net-zero goals set, and has shown sustainability leadership within this sector in South Africa and Africa. 

• Winner:  Liberty Two Degrees Net-Zero Waste Retail Portfolio, Liberty Two Degrees. Accredited professional company supporting: Solid Green Consulting. 
• Runner-up: Discovery Net-Zero Waste Offices, Discovery. Accredited professional company supporting: Marcelle van Tonder, Zero Waste Technologies. 

EDGE Residential Leader 

The EDGE Residential Leader award recognises a project, developer, EDGE expert or EDGE auditor that has achieved a significant milestone in demonstrating sustainability leadership within the residential sector in South Africa and Africa. The criteria are based on an annual review of highlights that include, but are not limited to: 

• Post-construction awarded projects. 
• EDGE advanced certified – innovative initiatives associated with energy, water or embodied carbon. 
• Delivering on affordable and sustainable housing mandates. 
• Sustainable solutions at scale, including bulk registrations and certifications. 
• Excellent EDGE auditor or EDGE expert quality. 

Joint winners: 

• Balwin Properties. 
• Cosmopolitan Projects. 
• Century City Property Developments. 
• International Housing Solutions. 

Highest Rated Building: For an asset rating design project (Green Star New Build, Interiors or Sustainable Precincts) 

This award is given to the project that attains the highest number of points in the final Green Star rating. 

Winner:

• Anglo-American Fitout at 144 Oxford for Interiors v1 certification by Anglo Corporate Services South Africa, with Zutari as supporting accredited professional company. 

Joint runners-up:  

• Anglo-American for an Interiors v1 certification by Intaprop Property Development, with Solid Green Consulting as supporting accredited professional company. 
• Newinbosch Neighbourhood Estate, for Sustainable Precinct certification by Similan Properties, with Ecolution as supporting accredited professional company.  

Highest Rated Building: For an existing operational performance project (Green Star EBP)  

This award is given to the project that attains the highest number of points in the final Green Star rating.  

• Winner: Serra Services, Meadowbrook Estate, by Growthpoint Properties, with Imbue Sustainability as supporting accredited professional company. 
• Runner-up: No. 5 Silo by V&A Waterfront with Sow & Reap, Mareli Cloete as supporting accredited professional company.  

Best Quality Submission: For an asset rating design project (Green Star New Build, Interiors or Sustainable Precincts) 

This award is given to the project whose submission attains the highest percentage of points targeted in the round 1 submission before round 1 clarifications, which serves as a primary indicator of the quality of the submission. 

Winner:

• Anglo-American Fitout at 144 Oxford for Interiors v1 certification, by supporting accredited professional company Zutari, for Anglo Corporate Services South Africa. 

Runner-up:

• Anglo-American for Interiors v1 certification, by supporting accredited professional company Solid Green Consulting, for Intaprop Property Development and Investment.  

Best Quality Submission: For an existing building performance project (Green Star EBP)  

This award is given to the project whose submission attains the highest percentage out of points targeted in the round 1 submission before clarifications, which serves as a primary indicator of the quality of the submission. 

Joint winners:  

• Woodmead Estate certification by Zutari for Growthpoint Properties. 
• Absa Zeerust and Absa Cathederal Square certification by Absa (owner), with Bidvest FM supporting as accredited professional company. 

Joint runners-up:  

• N1 Motor City certification by Imbue Sustainability for Growthpoint Properties. 
• Accord House certification by Misplon Green Building Consulting for Redefine Properties. 

The demand for green building certification continues, with the GBCSA Leadership Awards 2024 highlighting the growth and commitment to a sustainable built environment. 

Full acknowledgement and thanks go to www.gbcsaconvention.org.za for the information in this article. For more information, visit www.gbcsa.org.za.