NEWSWORTHY
BUILDING OWNERS IN A RACE AGAINST TIME TO CLOCK IN ON ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES
Owners of buildings in South Africa have less than one year left to obtain and prominently display an Energy Performance Certificate ( EPC ) or risk a fine of R5 million , five years imprisonment or both . The regulations , under the National Energy Act , were gazetted over a year ago , on 8 December 2020 , and apply until 7 December 2022 , meaning that building owners who have not acted have less than a year left in which to comply . The regulations require that owners of four categories of buildings must obtain an EPC , which in general terms , gives a building a rating based on the amount of energy consumed per square metre . The South African National Energy Development Institute ( SANEDI ), which maintains an EPC register on behalf of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ( DMRE ), has urged building owners to take all necessary steps to comply with EPC regulations , emphasising that compliance affords them , and the country a range of benefits . The categories that currently need to comply are offices , entertainment facilities , educational institution buildings , and places of public assembly such as sporting facilities and community centres . The regulations apply to government buildings of more than 1,000m 2 and privately-owned buildings of more than 2,000m 2 . An accurate figure of the number of buildings covered by the regulations is not available but estimates vary between 150,000 and 250,000 buildings that need to comply with the regulations . www . sanedi . org . za
BUSHBUCKRIDGE SHOPPING CENTRE OPENS
Located in the vibrant town of Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga on the corner of the R40 and R533 the refurbishment of the Bushbuckridge Shopping Centre commenced early in August 2020 and had its opening on 18 November 2021 .
Prior to the revamp , the shopping centre had aestheticically poor canopies , paving , planting , shopfronts , columns and balustrades . The shopfronts looked worn out and old-fashioned , signage was ineffective and outdated and the majority of the plants and planter boxes acted as barriers for pedestrian flow and visibility .
Due to the centre being located centrally within the town , the road network to the centre includes construction of a ring road which allows for ease of access for both public and private traffic . Previously , the access to the centre off of Main Street was on a very steep gradient which was quite congested . External works also include a new taxi rank and kiosks which allow traders to operate in a more orderly fashion . The intention of the work is to strengthen the centre ’ s position as a central node that supports retail activity , business operations on both private and public platforms as well as transport connectivity .
The previous centre was approximately 18,800m 2 and has undergone a complete revitalisation with the addition of an additional 5,000m 2 of GLA , providing a much improved environment for both the tenants to trade and shoppers to enjoy a pleasurable retail experience that services their needs . Included is also a children ’ s play ground with a huge mural with a kiddie sized racing track and a colouful jungle gym .
All public ablutions and interior mall facades have been uplifted . The mall areas have received new shopfronts with intricate cladding details above as well as new tenant signage . External façades also include far improved opportunity for tenant signage providing them with greater exposure . There are two new entrance tower features where seating has been integrated into planters .
Architect : Bentel Associates International Developer : Nthoese Property Developments
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