+IMPACT MAGAZINE ISSUE 24

PROJECT
The four-storey Nexus 1 is located on
Magwa Crescent in Waterfall City, and
forms a part of the Nexus precinct.
MAINTAINING A LEGACY
“For the As-Built submission, we need to ensure that future
tenants adhere to the Green Star requirements relevant to
the project,” says Syfert. “Solid Green has prepared a Green
Guide, outlining these requirements, which must be given
to future tenants and future fit-out teams to implement
from the concept design phase.”
Most exciting, perhaps, is the fact that a building
like Nexus 1 represents what is fast moving towards
the acceptable ‘green standard’ – a far cry from where
the industry stood a decade ago. Syfert comments on
the exponential growth in the sector: “Where building
green was a ‘nice-to-have’, it is becoming a ‘must-have’.
In order to obtain international funding, ESG reporting
is required, and that has had a huge impact, with thirdparty
verification from an organisation like the GBCSA
contributing significantly to a company’s ESG. Alongside
South Africa’s commitment to the Paris Agreement,
developers with large portfolios are also under pressure
to design and build in a way that reduces carbon footprint.”
Nexus 1 represents what is
fast moving towards the acceptable
‘green standard’.
Along with growth in the industry, the costs of going
green have been reduced, and the long-term benefits usually
outweigh any price premium. This relates to both financial
and environmental benefits. Syfert says that the Nexus 1
developers were able to reduce their carbon footprint along
with the occupancy costs. And, as Lourens du Toit, Head of
Sustainability, Infrastructure and Land at Attacq, explains:
“We pursued a net-zero carbon level 1 certification to
demonstrate our commitment to developing environmentally
friendly and sustainable spaces for our clients, as well as
a broader commitment to a sustainable built environment
in general.”
There is little doubt that Gauteng’s Midrand is richer
for the ethos that Waterfall City has brought in creating
a green environment that benefits residents and businesses
operating within the precinct. Nexus 1 paves a new way
forward, with its enhanced approach to sustainable planning
and development.
As Waterfall Management Company CEO Willie Vos says,
“Winning the Best Mixed-use Development in South Africa
award again reaffirms Waterfall City’s world-class status.
Such recognition is an ongoing achievement that we and
all our partners are very proud of. It has been an honour
to watch this development evolve, and we have entered
a new and exciting phase of our evolution as a world-class
smart city. We will continue to showcase the excellence of
Waterfall City and look forward to what the future holds.”
Nexus 1 represents the start of this exciting future ahead.
36 POSITIVE IMPACT ISSUE 24