Business Report writes that in a first for South Africa, a urine-recovery urinal system developed in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has been incorporated into the design of Growthpoint Properties’ new corporate headquarters for Exxaro in Centurion. Built to accommodate 1 100 people, the ninestorey, R600 million building opposite the Centurion Gautrain Station has also won an innovation star from the Green Building Council of South Africa. The onsite fertiliser recovery urinal developed by UCT civil engineering graduate Craig Flanagan earned him a Greenovate Award in 2017. The work, led by senior lecturer Dr Dyllon Randall, resulted in the world’s first bio-brick grown from human urine and more than R5.56m in funding from the Royal Society as part of the Future Leaders – African Independent Research fellowship. Rudolf Pienaar, chief development and investment officer at Growthpoint Properties, said: “Green innovation at university level is changing our built environment. By incorporating the fertiliser-producing urinal concept into a major commercial office, it has changed Growthpoint’s thinking on how it develops new buildings.”
- The original of the above report appeared on page 13 of Business Report of 9 July 2019
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