Water-Saving Project in South Africa Led by Liberty wins the 2018 H. Bruce Russell Global Innovator's Award From CoreNet Global

Water-Saving Project in South Africa Led by Liberty wins the 2018 H. Bruce Russell Global Innovator's Award From CoreNet Global

ATLANTA (OCTOBER 16, 2018) — Pan-African firm Liberty’s water-saving project in South Africa has received the 2018 H. Bruce Russell Global Innovator’s Award (GIA), sponsored by Gensler and presented by CoreNet Global, the premier global association for corporate real estate. The award was presented to Rosalind Dos Santos, head of sustainability in Real Estate at Liberty at the CoreNet Global Summit being held this week in Boston, MA.

The Group Real Estate Services sustainability team at Liberty led the way on the project at Liberty Centre, Braamfontein (a building with 3,500 occupants) to save water, use water more efficiently, and collect and store water.

The project has three main elements: water storage, rainwater collection and use, and grey water collection and use. With the increase in water storage, the facility can operate for three days if municipal water supply is cut off. The building was retrofitted to collect rainwater from 70 percent of the roof area. That water is treated onsite and used in the air-conditioning systems and in flushing toilets. This part of the project will reduce water consumption by approximately 20 percent – up to 40,000 liters (10,567 gallons) per day.

The project has been operating successfully since July 2017 and is on track to financial payback within five years, as planned. It was completed ahead of a wider focus on water in South Africa.

CoreNet Global presents the awards each year to leading organizations that demonstrate best-in-class practices in advancing thought leadership in corporate real estate.

Earlier this year, judges drawn from senior leaders in the association selected these finalists:

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE:

  • Cushman & Wakefield - Experience per SF™ a workplace experience diagnostic tool
  • Microsoft - Microsoft Supported Employment– Leveraging CRE to Hire Individuals with Disabilities
  • Newmark Knight Frank - NKF Mines Social Solving Who, When, Where for Tech Talent
  • Unilever - Curating Employee Experience through development of Global Workplace Design Standards
  • Verizon - Verizon Reimagines Corporate Real Estate with Flexible, Global Office Network

SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP:

  • Liberty - Liberty Braamfontein Water Project
  • NRDC - Natural Resources Defense Council Headquarters in San Francisco, California, USA
  • ZGF Architects - Stanford University Central Energy Facility

About CoreNet Global

CoreNet Global is the world’s leading professional association for corporate real estate (CRE) and workplace executives, service providers and economic developers. CoreNet Global’s more than 11,000 members, who include 70% of the top 100 U.S. companies and nearly half of the Global 2000, meet locally, globally and virtually to develop networks, share knowledge, learn and thrive professionally. For more information, please visit www.corenetglobal.org.