Construction World December 2023

ARCHITECTS

CAVGOLD

anticipated use level of the building. In order to achieve a proper investment return from the achievable rentals in the area, finance costs needed to be maintained at the lowest possible level and project timelines and cash flows properly maintained to achieve this in an extremely cost sensitive market. In spite of the risks associated with building in a high crime area, the project has a two-year accident free record from inception to completion. Several incidents of plant and material theft did however occur during construction. The preconstruction environment in which the building was to be erected was one of poverty, neglect, and ill hygiene. The introduction of this building has resulted in a visible upliftment of the area as a whole. The design and construction of the building makes use of high-speed water heating technology, a state of the art bore hole filtration system, and LED lighting throughout. As a result, the building is able to operate completely off the JHB municipal water system and draws only in the order of 120 KVa at peak demand, equating to approximately 1,5 kW per apartment. The installation of a solar system to reduce the building's environmental impact even further is currently in progress. 

C AVGOLD is the name given by Boost Property Management to the building that was entered. They are committed to uplift the poorer suburbs of old Johannesburg like Hillbrow, Berea, Bellevue and parts of the CBD itself. CAVGOLD is the third new build apartment building for the client. Situated just off the corner of Goldreich and Edith Cavell Streets (hence the name), it now forms a formidable backdrop to a little cluster of heritage houses, bought and lovingly restored by Boost Properties. The building comprises 130 low-cost apartments over nine floors with retail at street level. The complex’s location on the edge of Hillbrow was originally three adjoining sites. The existing garage/ workshop on the one site was retained and now forms part of the apartment building. The balance of the building was built on adjacent vacant land and the cluster of heritage houses facing Edith Cavell Street and Clarendon Place was retained and restored. The project value was in the order of R50m. The building’s location is in an extremely poor area with a high crime rate. During construction this posed considerable risk from a material, plant, and equipment perspective as well as the health and safety of the contractors themselves. High levels of physical security have had to be maintained during and after construction to ensure a safe environment. As is the case with urban renewal projects of this nature, once the building is complete the environment immediately surrounding the building is automatically enhanced by the building itself. There is almost no financial risk associated with the project, as demand way exceeds supply of new build flats in the area. Considerable innovation was required to achieve a build cost sustainable in the low-cost market, without compromising the quality, while achieving a sufficiently robust product to withstand the

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: Messaris Wapenaar Cole Architects • Client: Boost Properties • Main Contractor: Lemay Construction • Architect: Messaris Wapenaar Cole Architects • Principal Agent: Messaris Wapenaar Cole Architects

• Quantity Surveyor: Profection QS • Consulting Engineer: PBA Africa

74 22 nd Best Projects Awards 2023