Construction World August 2019

Four MAJOR WINS Architecture and interior architecture group Paragon racked up four major wins at the SAPOA Property Development Awards for Innovative Excellence 2019. The winners were announced at the 2019 SAPOA Convention at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Left: The Retail Development category was won by the Flamingo Shopping Centre in Modderfontein, Johannesburg. Middle: Discovery Place in Sandton won the Interiors Award and Overall Award at the SAPOA Awards 2019. Right: The Mbabane Hilton Garden Inn won the International Development category at the SAPOA Awards 2019.

location. “The refurbishment of the Denver warehouse speaks to our commitment to improving the quality of our assets. This property already boasts an excellent location in an established industrial area, with easy highway access, security, and ample electrical power. Following on from the upgrades, we are now able to offer even more value with our modern approach to both their warehousing and business operation needs,” says Ulana van Biljon, Chief Operating Officer of Emira Property Fund. The new facility offers contemporary warehousing of nearly 9 800 m 2 , in which the new building includes over 1 000 M 3 of well-designed, comfortable office space with an eye-catching new entrance. The new courtyard bridges the office and warehouse space, and both have been fitted with the latest in energy-efficient lighting to lower occupancy costs at the facility. An attractive space to do business, the entire building boasts a striking new façade including unusual linear feature lighting, creating a new landmark for the Denver area. The upgraded warehouse property also offers water-wise, landscaped gardens, and a new gatehouse positioned at a reconfigured entrance point with electric gates, supporting both security and ease of access. New parking canopies have been P aragon Group’s first project for an international hotel chain, the Mbabane Hilton Garden Inn in Swaziland, won the International Development category. This 124-room, eight-storey development in the heart of the capital has been designed specifically as an iconic building for Hilton’s entry into the Swaziland market. The Retail Development category was won by the Flamingo Shopping Centre in Modderfontein, Johannesburg, with its striking concrete ribbon undulating across the façade. This was refined during the design development and construction phases, resulting in a unique and elegant design solution compared to that of conventional strip-mall architecture. Interior architecture company Paragon Interface, part of the Paragon Group, saw its work at 1 Discovery Place in Sandton receive both the Interiors Award and the Overall Award. The main feature of 1 Discovery Place is the open and welcoming main entrance, which reflects the corporate values of the client. Internally, the building is divided into three main atria, namely a central atrium, and one each on the left and right side. The central atrium allowed Paragon Interface to explore the concept of a concourse, driven by Discovery’s requirement for the

installed to cover 100 of the 114 parking bays, and new fencing surrounds the entire perimeter. “What makes this upgraded industrial facility even more attractive are the affordable rental costs and generous tenant allowances. We have identified a need for affordable, modern and convenient warehousing space and the Denver property addresses this perfectly. It goes beyond being just another industrial property in terms of appearance, as well as the latest in warehousing tech. All of this amounting to hard-to-beat value for money, which is in step with business needs in today’s economy,” Van Biljon concludes. Emira is a medium-cap diversified REIT that is invested in a quality, balanced portfolio of office, retail, industrial and residential properties. At 31 December 2018, its directly held assets comprised 104 properties valued at R12,5-billion. It invests indirectly in 22 shopping centres valued at R1,04-billion through its exposure to Enyuka Property Fund. It also has a 34,9% holding in JSE AltX-listed Transcend Residential Property Fund. Emira is internationally diversified through its investment in ASX- listed Growthpoint Properties Australia (GOZ) valued at R941-million, and its equity investments in eight grocery-anchored open-air convenience shopping centres with a combined value of USD61-million through its USA subsidiary.  building to be active. This was not only translated effectively into a dynamic design aesthetic, but also into an active public street populated with seating areas, cafés, streetlights, and tree canopies. Hosted by the South African Property Owners’ Association (SAPOA), the awards is the most prestigious programme of its kind within the South African commercial real-estate industry, aimed at defining excellence in the property sector. The awards provide public recognition, as well as setting a benchmark, for top-quality design and functionality. Outstanding contributions from world-class owners, developers, and built environment professionals are showcased at the annual event. Last year, the Paragon Group was Overall Winner in the Commercial Office Development category for 140 West Street, while Alice Lane 3 received a Commendation. Both are flagship projects in the redevelopment of the central business district in Sandton. “Our ongoing success at the SAPOA Property Development Awards for Innovative Excellence is testament to both the quality and diversity of the projects we undertake. We are very proud of all of our hard- working team members involved with these iconic developments,” Paragon Group Media Manager, Hugh Fraser concludes. 

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2019