Construction World January 2019

PROJECTS & CONTRACTS

Workers pass bricks in labour-intensive fashion, optimising job opportunities on site.

New retail hub FOR EASTERN FREE STATE The town of Phuthaditjhaba in Free State

A part from serving its own busy town and surrounding rural consumer base, Maluti Crescent’s size and range of national brands is expected to draw shoppers from as far afield as Kestel, Clarens and even Harrismith. This type of regional facility has become a hallmark focus of leading shopping centre developers Flanagan & Gerard, who are managing the project for the Vukile Property Fund. The attraction of the centre for consumers includes anchor tenants like Pick n Pay, Spar and Woolworths Fashion, as well as a large number of national brands. Architectural features in the new building will include shaped and sandstone-coloured bulkheads to reflect the mountain theme presented by the grand Maluti range rising above the town. Clear-storey windows will allow natural light into the structure, while shoppers will be able to enjoy wide views of the mountainous skyline. “This development promises to be an important hub for the area and a catalyst for future growth,” says Pierre Lahaye, partner at MDS Architecture, the mall’s designers. Phase 1 of the development began with Concor Buildings starting work in January 2018, targeting an official opening of the mall in March 2019. Director of development at Flanagan & Gerard, Elsje Bodenstein emphasises the priority her company places on delivering projects on time, while ensuring they are fully let from the start. “We have been pleased with the progress, as it has gone well province, about 50 km south-west of Harrismith, is set to become the region’s retail hub as Concor Buildings transforms the old Setsing Crescent strip mall into a city-style, enclosed shopping centre: Maluti Crescent.

The Maluti mountains create a spectacular backdrop to the new mall as builders complete brickwork on the upper retail level.

from a construction and coordination point of view,” says Bodenstein. “The professionals are good, and they are getting the job done.” According to Concor Buildings’ contracts manager, Martin Muller, the mall will be a concrete structure with post-tensioned slabs for two parking levels – ground floor and mezzanine level – and coffer slabs on the retail levels to allow more loading capacity. The roof will comprise structural steel covered with sheeting. By adding 20 000 m 2 of gross leasable area (GLA) plus another 34 000 m 2 of parking to the existing strip mall, the new centre will offer some 40 000 m 2 of retail GLA when complete. In a fast-paced construction programme, 22 000 m 2 of decking was completed by mid-September 2018 and will be followed by 12 000 m 2 of roof sheeting. The whole structure will consume 1,8 million concrete and clay bricks from several suppliers, and 9 000 m 3 of readymix concrete. With about 580 people working on site by September, this figure should rise to about 1 000 when shopfitting begins, says Muller, who emphasises Concor Buildings’ prioritisation of local economic impact in its operations, and also the transfer of skills during construction. “We have done exceptionally well ensuring as much local content as possible in the project. This includes procurement of materials, employment and the engagement of targeted enterprises,” he says. “We have achieved 65% local content; fortunately, there is a wide variety of skills available in the area, including painting, bricklaying, plastering, sheeting and waterproofing.” He says the success of the project to date has reflected the

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JANUARY 2019