Architect and Builder November/December 2015 | Page 10

NEWSWORTHY

SAINT-GOBAIN DEVELOPS
ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO
ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
IN EDUCATION
INFRASTRUCTURE
Saint-Gobain affirms their commitment and support to uplifting
education infrastructure in South
Africa, through the compilation
of an essential guide, which will
serve as an indispensable tool
for the industry, on how to build
learning spaces that are not only
sustainable but are able to achieve
optimal academic outcomes.
The Department of Education has
tabled a plan, namely Schooling
2025, to improve the state of
education in South Africa. One of
the goals of Schooling 2025 is for
school buildings and facilities to
be spacious, functional, safe and
well maintained.
Tasked with wanting to uplift the
lives of South Africans, SaintGobain set about addressing and
establishing long-term solutions
to assist government in their goal

BENTEL ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL WINS PRESTIGIOUS
AWARD FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Following the recent 19th Annual conference of the South African Council of Shopping
Centres (SACSC) conference that took place in October 2015, Waterfall Corner Shopping
Centre was named the winner of the Spectrum Award for the Retail Design and Development
Awards (RDDA). The SACSC RDDA awards seeks to annually celebrate exceptional shopping
centre designs and their economic success within the South African property industry.
Waterfall Corner, owned by Attacq Limited, developed by Atterbury Property Development
and designed by Architects Bentel Associates International, was the category winner for
best new shopping centre below 20,000m2 in size, before going on to take top honours as
South Africa’s best retail development for 2015.
Waterfall Corner is a 10,000m2 neighbourhood convenience centre and is situated on
a prime site at the gateway to Waterfall City. The centre contains two main anchors in
Woolworths and Checkers and a sub-anchor in Clicks, with a central piazza theme that has
been created as a vibrant public space. This in turn gives importance to an activity-filled
outside space which contains numerous restaurant and cafes, and edged with line shops.
Tim Harlech-Jones from Bentel Associates International had this to say: “We are extremely
proud to be associated with the SACSC and to receive the Spectrum Award this year for
Waterfall Corner. We pride ourselves in delivering exceptional assets for our clients, but
also contributing to the built environment and designing buildings that function well and
respond well to its use, intended purpose and the context.”
“We have received numerous awards over the years, however the SACSC Spectrum
Award is also very special for us this year as we have achieved it for the second year
running, after receiving the same award for the 76,000m2 Cradlestone Mall in 2014. The
retail environment is a very fluid, competitive and fast moving sector and we are constantly
looking at global and local trends in pushing the boundaries of retail design in all aspects.”
Harlech-Jones concludes that “With Bentel being one of the leading pioneers in the retail
sector in South Africa over a number of decades, these awards definitely strengthen and
showcase our ability, expertise and