Instead of moving the tenants out of the Smitshof block of flats, on the corner of Smit and Hospital streets, the company adopted a European model and completed the refurbishments while residents remained on the premises.

Dombolo Masilela, marketing and communications manager, says the 25 tenants remained in the block while the company renovated the building floor by floor, starting at the top. "We moved them from where they were to the finished floors from bottom to top."

Masilela says the company chose this approach so as not to displace people and avoid the destabilisation of families. She says this is the first time it has approached a renovation in this way.

The institution bought the building last year and started the refurbishments in January, she says. The refurbishment programme was completed in June, amounting to a total capital expenditure of R5,9m.

Masilela says visits to Europe revealed that doing refurbishment in this manner was the best way.

The work done on the building included repairing the plumbing and the electrical system.

"We also upgraded the lifts and replaced the lift motors that were out of order," says Masilela.

Smitshof's coal boiler was replaced with a gas boiler which is cleaner and more efficient. The company has also set up a solar panel system for the building a first for the inner city. The building was painted and the fire safety equipment was checked.

A security system with access control systems has been installed.

Masilela says the same approach will be used in other ventures in the inner city.