First Green Star rating for a healthcare property

The specialised surgical hospital development by Growthpoint Properties and Cintocare, the first facility of its kind in South Africa, has also become the first healthcare property on the African continent to be awarded a Green Star rating.

In a milestone achievement for green building and healthcare in South Africa, Cintocare Hospital in Pretoria, Gauteng, has received a 5 Green Star Custom Healthcare design certification from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA).

Working closely together to develop this specialist surgical hospital, Growthpoint and Cintocare are creating a tailor-made, high-performance space, which includes positive social and environmental impacts – a clinical centre of excellence.

Lisa Reynolds, CEO of the GBCSA, says, “Earning SA’s first Custom Healthcare Green Star rating for Cintocare Hospital continues Growthpoint’s track record of exceptional green building leadership and displays Cintocare’s innovation. Together, they are creating a sustainable healthcare facility designed around the well-being of patients and hospital staff that supports the environment and its communities, which is changing the future of healthcare properties in SA.”

Rudolf Pienaar, Growthpoint’s Chief Development and Investment Officer, comments: “We are delighted that our collaboration with Cintocare has led to this state-of-the-art hospital becoming the country’s very first certified green hospital property. Growthpoint is very proud to be part of creating a greener, healthier, more sustainable built environment and healthcare sector.”

Andre Brink of Cintocare says, “We appreciate the excellent working relationships that have achieved this, and congratulate everyone who has contributed to the design.”

The benefits of this particular project go well beyond a single hospital. The collaboration between Growthpoint, Cintocare, GBCSA, and the professional team, including Aurecon, has resulted in a new green building certification tool for the healthcare and property sectors, to which Solid Green also contributed its expertise. This green certification tool is a road map to drive the development of more green healthcare buildings in South Africa in future, and it is available to everyone.

Construction of the R470m specialist hospital began in July 2018 and, despite the COVID-19 lockdown, the project is well on track for completion in the final quarter of 2020. The year-long planning for the project included the comprehensive collaboration of its operators, doctors, promoters, developers, owners, green partners and other stakeholders.