SA Affordable Housing July / August 2017 // Issue: 65 | Page 38

PROJECTS
The play area within the estate.
Finding the right balance between costs (affecting
our investor) and the utility savings (affecting our
residents) was one of the challenges. “Price has
always been important, but more important was
after sales service and existing supplier
relationships, to ensure timely service,” he says.
They apply the 80/20 rule in searching for
technologies with the lowest cost, yielding the
greatest savings. “We've also seen a significant
reduction in cost of certain green technologies over
the course of the phase one development period.”
Du Toit describes winning the award as rewarding.
“To create value for our clients, efficient design is
not negotiable in the affordable market, and the
EDGE certification is a welcome acknowledgement
of that effort. EDGE certification is not just a nice-to-
have, but a valuable tool to guide us in the right
direction,” he says.
The EDGE certificate fueled their sustainable
development philosophy, giving status to what they
were already focusing on. Similan is one of a few
development groups in South Africa that currently
looks at the entire property lifecycle for the
affordable housing market, and is involved from
development phase to tenant and
property management.
The development company has other estates
planned. “We will strive to have all our future
estates EDGE certified. The next one is already in
progress,” he says.
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JULY - AUGUST 2017
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
"To create value for our clients, efficient
design is not negotiable." – Pieter du
Toit, Similan development manager.
A bedroom of one of the units on the estate.