The final slab of the roof has been laid on the sixth floor of the No. 1 Silo building, officially topping out the building. The topping out signifies that the highest point of the structure has been achieved. This milestone recognises the project team behind the multi-million rand project, which comes 11 months after the Groundbreaking event.

"We have done Cape Town and South Africa proud in the construction of this world class sustainable building. The No. 1 Silo building attests to South Africa's skills in constructing the best on the African continent, and in the world," said V&A Waterfront CEO David Green.

The No. 1 Silo will comprise over 18 000m² triple A-grade office space and will form part of the Silo District. This area is named for the original grain silo building, a Heritage landmark at the V&A. According to Green, the No. 1 Silo development will embrace the historic landmarks of the former grain elevator and silo buildings. These buildings will be the centrepiece of a public plaza that will incorporate a combination of public civic space and commercial development. The construction of this building is the first stage in the development of the Silo District. Cape Town has long been at the forefront of design trends while the V&A Waterfront is considered one of the most sought after addresses in South Africa. The development of the No. 1 Silo building follows the principles of international trends in urban space design.

"Managing a complex engineering project of this size has been a phenomenal achievement for the development team. This is a living, working, residential area that includes vast public spaces, heritage sites and a working harbour. It is currently the largest multi-use development in South Africa," said Green.

One of the significant engineering feats include suspending the original dust house in the air while constructing the basement parking to incorporate the old dust house building in the newly built fabric.

The No. 1 Silo building is expected to be one of, if not, the most advanced sustainable buildings in Africa. It will provide its tenants with a healthier working environment and save up to 50% in operating costs in the long term.

Environmental sustainable features of this building include the use of seawater from the cold Atlantic Ocean, which will be used to cool the building, while heat generated from the IT server room will warm the reception area.

A key feature of No. 1 Silo building is its high performance, fully glazed, double skin glass facade that will not only maximise views towards Table Mountain as well as the ocean, but ensure optimal use of natural light. Displacement ventilation will ensure that much larger quantities of fresh air are pushed through the building, and for an extended period of the year, the air can be drawn directly from the outside. The superior contaminant removal and fresh air delivery will eliminate sick building syndrome and other such issues that afflict normal conditioned buildings.

Ease of accessibility, given its proximity to the Cape Town city centre and freeway system, the Silo District is geared to become one of the most desirable commercial, retail and residential addresses in Cape Town. The Waterfront is also fast becoming an integral part of City of Cape Town's expanding MyCiti bus service, creating improved transport options for people working, living or simply visiting. Public access to the district will be further enhanced with the roll-out of Phase 2 of the City of Cape Town's IRT (Integrated Rapid Transit) system. By the end of the year, the IRT will be operating directly from the V&A Waterfront to Cape Town International Airport. Two IRT trunk stations will soon be located at The Wharf and Silo District within the Waterfront and routes from Blouberg and Camps Bay will also be scheduled directly into the Waterfront.

"Good availability of public transport, a clean, safe and beautiful environment, generous public spaces, historical monuments, restaurants, premier shops and office space, keeps the Silo District on track in our bid to remain a world-class mixed use destination."

The V&A Waterfront's development team works with clients from design concept to completion of development to deliver bespoke client requirements. Development is fast-tracked by unique planning processes and development rights already in place.

Construction of the No. 1 Silo building is on-track for occupation in the third quarter of 2013.