The South African property boom, which shows no sign of abating, is likely to result in a record entry of exciting project submissions to the prestigious SAPOA Awards, for which the entry deadline is November 25. ‘Signs are that the numbers and standards will be even higher this year,’ says John Truter, Chairman of the Awards Committee.

The awards, sponsored by Nedbank Corporate Property Finance, acknowledge excellence in property development. SAPOA positions the awards as being ‘In recognition of the importance of property development to the South African economy and the community which it serves, and to honour those property innovators, developers, owners and built environment professionals who, through the quality of their products, have contributed significantly to the enhancement of the industry.’

Truter said that by the nature of award submissions, the committee expected a final rush of entries just before the deadline. In recognition of the pressure on property professionals under current demanding conditions, the submission process had been simplified this year.  Entries could consist of a completed form, pictures, simple plans and a motivation.

The awards will be made on the basis of the overall excellence of the development having regard to the criteria or property solutions listed in the entry conditions published on the SAPOA website www.sapoa.org.za, said Truter.

SAPOA has emphasised that recognition is not based solely on architectural appeal, but on a holistic approach.  Developments need to be economically viable, satisfy the needs of both the investor and user, be aesthetically appealing and enhance the locality in which they are situated.

The winning finalist in each category will receive a bronze plaque and a citation, and the overall winner will be presented with the winner’s floating trophy and a miniature trophy.

The judges, nominated by SAPOA, are experts selected from among property developers, owners, investors and the built environment professions.  The panel for the current awards under the chairmanship of John Truter, are Hashim Bham, Corné de Leeuw, Barend de Loor,  Chris Lawrence, Pierre Lombart,  Alex Phakathi, Khotso Moleko, Jim McLean and SAPOA CEO Neil Gopal.

The project categories are: Offices, Retail developments, Industrial projects, Refurbishments, Hotel, Leisure and Residential developments, International developments (projects outside of Southern Africa) and Social or environmental impact developments. There is also a category for Innovative Solutions to a property challenge.
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