Construction World November 2018

COMMENT

The judging for the 17 th Best Projects Awards was done on 3 October. Best Projects is the only award that recognises excellence across the entire construction industry. Projects are independently judged – by submission only. This year the competition attracted 53 entries – a fewmore than last year. The winners will be announced at the awards function in Johannesburg on 31 October.

The judges – Trueman Goba, Rob Newberry and Nico Maas – have, over the many decades they have been in the industry, seen the construction industry peak and dip. In what is a difficult time for the construction industry, they commented how encouraging it was to see the quality and diversity of construction projects in the country. Some categories needed robust discussion as the score between the Winner and Highly Commended was often slight. In the end, the choice of winners was unanimous. Hope for the future “I enjoy being part of such an important event. This year’s entries really gave me hope for the future of South Africa,” said Nico Maas, who is a past President of the MBSA. Rob Newberry, who has been a Best Projects judge since its beginning in 2002 and who is a past President of the CIOB, refers to Best Projects as the ‘gold standard’ in the industry. Trueman Goba, Hatch Africa’s Chairman, who has also been a Best Projects judge from the start, was highly impressed by the standard of the submissions. The ‘AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction’ was one of the most tightly contested categories. This award was the first in the country to recognise how construction can benefit

people, the planet and profit: civil engineers, builders, architects and consulting engineers all compete for this Award. The competition in the Building Contractors and Consulting Engineers categories was equally tough with various iconic structures entered. In stark contrast to the healthy number of projects in these categories, only four projects competed in the Civil Engineering category – a barometer of the tough time the civil engineering industry is going through. Hopefully the government’s stimulus package and increased activity in the run-up to next year’s election will change this. The value of Best Projects The Best Projects Awards ensures that entrants receive wider recognition – not just from their own professional organisations. The continued good number of entries is proof that the construction industry regards this initiative as having value. At the height of the construction boom, Best Projects had 72 entries. For the past five years, the Awards have consistently attract between 50 and 60 entries. This is proof that excellence continues, despite challenges.

Trueman Goba (far end) and Rob Newberry reviewing the entries for Best Projects.

Our third judge, Nico Maas. He says this year’s crop of entries gave him renewed hope for the future of South Africa.

Wilhelm du Plessis Editor

@ConstWorldSA

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EDITOR & DEPUTY PUBLISHER Wilhelm du Plessis constr@crown.co.za ADVERTISING MANAGER Erna Oosthuizen ernao@crown.co.za LAYOUT & DESIGN Adèl JvR Bothma CIRCULATION Karen Smith

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD NOVEMBER 2018