JSE-listed real estate investment trust (Reit) Growthpoint Properties has received a net-zero carbon certification for its 36 Hans Strijdom avenue property, in Cape Town – marking the company's thirteenth net-zero carbon certified building.

The property achieved a Net Zero Carbon Level 2: Occupant Emissions Modelled certification from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), which complements the building's 5-Star Green Star SA rating from the GBCSA and marks another milestone in Growthpoint's broader strategy of repositioning existing assets for a lower-carbon future.

The Reit points out that the building, which is occupied by global investment manager Ninety One as its Cape Town headquarters, has undergone an extensive transformation that combined a full interior modernisation with significant sustainability upgrades and operational carbon reductions.

The redevelopment of 36 Hans Strijdom avenue forms part of Growthpoint’s broader environmental sustainability strategy, which includes renewable- energy investment, green building certifications, energy efficiency interventions and net-zero carbon targets across its portfolio.

Rather than demolishing the existing structure and rebuilding from scratch, working closely with Ninety One, Growthpoint retained and repositioned the asset through a major refurbishment programme, undertaken by Growthpoint’s development division.

Retaining the existing concrete structure saved three years’ worth of operational carbon.

Growthpoint office portfolio asset management head Timothy Irvine points out that demolishing the building and creating a new one would have been the easier option, but the carbon cost associated with a new build is significantly higher than redevelopment.

Together with Ninety One, Growthpoint was prepared to tackle the added complexity of working with an existing structure to harness the environmental benefits. Electing to refurbish the property significantly reduced embodied carbon associated with concrete while extending the lifespan of the building and meeting advanced modern sustainability standards.

“When we chose to refurbish rather than relocate, our net-zero ambitions were front of mind. Seeing 36 Hans Strijdom achieve Net Zero Carbon Level 2 certification confirms that decision was the right one. It shows what's possible when an existing building is given the chance to be reimagined rather than replaced.”

“Cape Town's Foreshore has been our home for more than two decades, and this certification means we can carry that history forward without compromising on our environmental commitments. We're proud of what this building represents, and grateful to Growthpoint for the partnership that got us here," comments Ninety One MD Thabo Khojane.

Irvine notes the environmentally innovative retrofit demonstrates how existing buildings can be adapted to meet increasingly ambitious environmental performance standards while continuing to deliver prime office space for tenants.

“Projects like 36 Hans Strijdom show that older buildings can be successfully repositioned for a lower-carbon future through a combination of thoughtful design, operational efficiency and renewable-energy integration, while also providing modern, efficient, premium-grade space for users” he adds.

Growthpoint notes that the refurbishment was designed to support long-term operational efficiency, resilience and reduced carbon emissions through a combination of building upgrades, renewable-energy integration and future-focused workplace design.

Sustainability interventions included high-performance glazing, displacement air-conditioning systems, smart building management technologies, energy-efficient lighting and water-saving measures, supported by extensive optimisation programmes throughout the building. The redevelopment also incorporated stairs in place of escalators in key circulation areas to support reduced energy consumption and a more efficient internal environment.

Further, in 2023, the building was one of the first in the City of Cape Town's renewable electricity bilateral wheeling pilot, launched with Growthpoint and Etana Energy, to receive green electricity generated elsewhere and wheeled through the city's grid. For this pilot, the power came from solar generation at Constantia Village shopping centre.

Building on this milestone, in April this year, the office property became one of five Growthpoint buildings in the city's pooled wheeling pilot. Pooled wheeling enables multiple buildings to receive wheeled renewable electricity through the same municipal grid.

In this instance, the electricity is supplied by the Boston Hydroelectric Plant near Clarens, in the Free State — co-owned by independent power producer Serengeti Energy and Growthpoint, and managed by Serengeti Energy, with Etana Energy as the licensed trader. The power is wheeled across the Eskom network to Cape Town's municipal grid, where it is allocated among the pool of participating Growthpoint properties.

36 Hans Strijdom will ultimately be fully powered by renewable energy, sourcing the majority of its grid electricity through pooled renewable allocation and has become a symbol of what's possible for commercial buildings in dense urban environments.

RETAINING, ADAPTING AND CERTIFYING
Growthpoint states that the redevelopment also reflects the growing importance of adaptive reuse within the property sector, where retaining and upgrading existing buildings is increasingly recognised as an important way of reducing the embodied carbon associated with large-scale demolition and new construction.

Originally developed during an earlier phase of the Foreshore precinct’s commercial evolution, the repositioned building now offers a high-performance workspace environment aligned with the sustainability objectives of both Growthpoint and Ninety One.

Growthpoint currently holds more than 120 green building certifications across its South African portfolio and has set a target of achieving net-zero certifications for 20 buildings by 2028, while supporting its ambition of carbon neutrality across its portfolio by 2050. The projects are aligned with the GBCSA's Net Zero Carbon certification framework, which recognises buildings where operational carbon emissions are measured, reduced as far as possible, and balanced through renewable energy and verified offsets.