COMPANYWATCH
PROFILE OF A LEADING SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Sutherland
Engineers who really ‘get’ buildings
E
ver wished you knew an engineer
who grasped the wonder of birthing
a building that truly works? Who, like
you, believes that purpose and whole, are
as important to a development as the finer
details? With the capacity to tackle the
most complex structures, and the passion
to optimise all aspects of their design and
execution? If so, you are not alone.
Listed funds, private developers, architects and corporates across Sub-Saharan
Africa are turning to Sutherland in droves
for this very reason. Perhaps that is why
the company’s distinctive black and gold
logo is appearing more and more often on
construction sites across the region’s cities.
24 Years of Success
Management likes to think of the phenomenon as a twenty year overnight success.
Starting out as a structural consultancy in
1991, the firm has grown over the past
24 years into a fully multidisciplinary, and
increasingly international group with a staff
of over a hundred. Headquartered in the
Nautica Building in Granger Bay, Sutherland
now has thriving offices in Tygervalley,
Johannesburg, Durban and Nairobi.
Despite all this growth, the company is
determined to preserve its ethos of handson, personal service from the ranks of junior
engineers to the most senior directors.
So what, in a practical sense, do
they offer that others don’t?
A commercially-minded approach, for one
thing. From many years of working with
leading property developers, Sutherland
directors have learned how to help make
developments profitable. Being proactive
throughout the feasibility, planning,
procurement and construction stages, they
help to ensure a well thought-through, costefficient and effectively-managed project.
Then there is the complete package
of engineering services - Civil, Structural,
Mechanical (HVAC, Fire, Wet Services,
Vertical transportation), Electrical, Electronic
and Façades – coordinated internally by
experienced professionals, including
in-house architects.
The firm’s roots are in Structural and Civil
design - appropriate given the foundation and
backbone upon which a building is formed.
Experience covers almost the entire range
of building types, often on steep sites and
challenging geotechnical conditions, as well
as deep basements with extensive lateral
support and piling, aided by Prokon, Tekla
and Revit software.
On the Civil Engineering front, Sutherland
handles bulk services and earthworks
relating to buildings, as well as the
immediately surrounding roads and
infrastructural services - optimising
CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE (CTICC) EAST
10
Company Watch