The Balwin “Green“ portfolio brand developed with Boogertman + Partners is developed on sustainable technology principals and based on environmentally friendly construction methods aiming to achieve a Net-Zero rating with the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). Each unit of the Green Portfolio developments is EDGE certified in that it uses 20% less water and energy than the average household consumption as per standards measured and set by the GBCSA.
Every development includes a Lifestyle Centre that provides leisure facilities for the community it serves. The first of these completed lifestyle centres at GreenPark, Boksburg is aiming for a GBCSA 6 Star Green Star Design rating.
Future lifestyle centres have expanend the concept of a destination lifestyle offering and are called GreenBarn centres which include a restaurant with a convenience retail offering and co-working facilities. These are all designed to achieve GBCSA 6 Star Green Star ratings and also a Net Zero rating whereby the centre produces more energy than it consumes. The success of the first 3 Green brand developments ie GreenPark (approx 1200 units ), GreenLee (approx 1762 ), GreenBay (approx 1 692 units) earned two of Balwin’s upcoming projects located in Tshwane, GreenCreek ( 3 762 units ) and Mooikloof Mega City (16 000 units) the Presidential project status as part of the Government’s SIDS ( Strategic Infrastructure Development ) initiative which was Government Gazetted on 24 July 2020.
The aim is to maintain and improve on the high green standard on every Balwin development by involving the estate community in the sustainable and conservation aspects in these estates.
In 2019 Balwin commissioned Boogertman and Partners to develop a new “Red“ portfolio brand based on the same principals as the Balwin “Green“ portfolio brand but with a different architectural theme to reflect the locality and the culture of its surroundings in the South of Johannesburg. The concept derived from the old red brick typology of the area and is nestled at the edge of the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve. Thaba Eco-Village will commence construction on its first phase of 1692 units in October 2020. The final estate will include approx 9000 new housing units around a Crystal Lagoon.