Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa November 2015 | Page 55

The City of Cape Town’s
‘Smart Building Handbook’,
quotes “green building
practices benefit not only
building professionals but also
homeowners, communities and
the environment

in the colder winter months, in fact the assessment
showed that more money will be spent on cooling the
building in winter than on heating it.”
TWELVEonV was recently assessed, a proactive
commission done by the development company, to
ascertain their status with regards to green building and
thermal design. The project was found to offer a 500%
saving, the equivalent (based on average annual energy
consumption) of a R350, 000 per annum, per resident
in the building. This saving is directly attributed to
owners and residents having to spend less on heating
and cooling of their units and water, purely based on
the building’s smart design.
The building’s cavity walls, standard in all of Blok’s
new builds, prohibit winter rainfall absorbing through
to the 2nd wall thus avoiding damp issues within
apartments and communal areas. The centralised heat
pump operates at an 80% efficiency and the heating
and cooling AC contributes to the building’s energy
saving.
“12onV is an exemplar for great South African
architecture, beautifully designed both aesthetically
and technically. We’re always excited to play a role
working alongside such forward-thinking architects
and developers who are prepared to push boundaries of
design and set such a spectacular standard. This helps
ensure the developers can deliver a beautiful structure
that is cost effective to build and also cost effective
for tenants to run in the long term,” commented Mr.
Guichard.
The City of Cape Town’s ‘Smart Building Handbook:
A Guide to Green Building in Cape Town’, quotes
“green building practices benefit not only building
professionals but also homeowners, communities and
the environment, and afford everyone the opportunity
to take the first steps towards a more sustainable
future.” This is something that all property developers
and any individuals or organisations working in any
city around the world should promote.
‘Living in the Endless City’, an Urban Age Project
researched and produced by the London School
of Economics and the Deutsche Bank’s Alfred
Herrhausen Society states that 2% of the earth
is occupied by cities, but a staggering 53% of the
world’s population lives there. The impact that these
overpopulated areas are having on the rest of the world
cannot be underestimated, and each city is growing
in size dramatically to accommodate its exploding
population, and the only way that this can be done is
responsibly. Therefore it is paramount that the time is
now to adopt responsible habits and practices regarding
planning and development.

RESOURCES
www.blok.co.za
www.reimag.co.za

NOVEMBER 2015 SA Real Estate Investor

53