Smart & Sustainability Initiatives at Waterfall City

Kyra Rautenbach is Sustainability Manager at Attacq Ltd. We chat about Smart and Sustainability initiatives at Waterfall City - Africa’s first Smart City. We also discuss city challenges, inclusive cities, her biggest fear of Covid-19, and advice for students in these uncertain times.

Key Takeaways

Sustainability and Smart initiatives at Waterfall City

• Kyra touches on initiatives including:
• Energy, especially Photovoltaics.
• Water saving and optimization.
• Waste management process.
• Transport and improving traffic system operations.
• Climate change assessment.
• Installing a scientific grade weather station that will collect incredible data on the local city climate. This has many uses to assist in building and city design and measuring future impacts on it.
• The more accurate the data the better the design.
• Blockchain initiative in the future.
• Autonomous based tasks like drone mapping.
• 4D planning to optimise construction processes.

City challenges and ensuring inclusiveness

• Resilience and business continuity coming together and aligning sustainability objectives is critical.
• She explains how Waterfall City is an inclusive city.
• Her biggest fear is that we don’t response to this challenges that adequately address the problem. We need safe and flexible spaces that can accommodate a change of use.

Advice for students to stay positive

• Your hard work, determination and passion will always shine through.
• Never give up, there is a reason why you study what you study.
• Use these uncertain times to adapt your strategy and look for opportunities.
• Use your youth to your advantage.
  
  

About Kyra
Experienced Building Sciences Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the design industry on high rise buildings and precinct developments. Skilled in Feasibility Studies, Energy modelling, CFD, Quantity Surveying, Environmental Awareness, Sustainability and Construction. Strong technical background with a MSc (Distinction) Energy & Sustainable Building Design focused in Engineering from De Montfort University.

About Waterfall City
Waterfall is the latest growth node of Gauteng, the economic hub of the African continent. Poised to be the new CBD of Gauteng, the largest urban concept development – Waterfall offers the ultimate Work – Life balance. Waterfall is rapidly developing into a true lifestyle and blue-chip business destination between the metropolis of Johannesburg and Pretoria. Waterfall sprawls from Modderfontein in the east beyond Kyalami in the West on both sides of Gauteng’s pulsating N1 highway.

Waterfall City, the CBD of Waterfall is conveniently located at the Allandale Road exit. This new commercial hub of Gauteng boasts the largest single phase mall in Africa, appropriately named The Mall of Africa. Mall visitors can look forward to a retail and lifestyle experience second to none with vogue international brands and esteemed South African brands offered in an elegant mall with more than 131,000m² retail space.  Waterfall Corner and Lifestyle extends the lifestyle offering of Waterfall. Trendy restaurants, leading high street retailers and a top gym lure visitors. The vibrant piazza at Waterfall Corner offers a lively family-orientated shopping, eating and relaxation destination.

At Waterfall, state-of-the art spacial design is taken to a next level. Beautiful green surroundings, provide the ideal setting to live, work and play. Green building design and many lifestyle features including running lanes and a luscious green park, ensures the enjoyment of nature as part of this modern destination development.

About Attacq
Attacq’s vision is to be a premier South African-based REIT, delivering sustainable income and capital growth through a focused approach in real estate investments and developments.

Attacq has four key value drivers:
- A premium quality South African portfolio including retail, hotel, office and mixed-use and light industrial properties
- The development of Waterfall City and Waterfall Logistics Hub in Gauteng
- Investment in MAS Real Estate Inc. which is Attacq’s entry point into central and eastern European markets
- Retail investment in the rest of Africa (outside of South Africa)