From 1 March, Solid Green will have a physical presence in Cape Town, strengthening our ability to serve clients in the Western Cape. With increasing demand for in-person and local green building expertise, we are excited to have Jennifer Dean positioned in the Cape Town office. Jennifer will be managing projects, building relationships, and driving new opportunities to support the sustainable transformation of buildings across Cape Town and beyond.

Our new Existing Building Performance (EBP) team will also be based in the Cape Town office, bringing added depth to our service offering. Our new office is located in Urban Hub on Dorp Street in the city centre—a beautiful heritage building that aligns with our commitment to sustainability and adaptive reuse.

Strengthening Our Expertise in Existing Buildings

In addition to our geographic expansion, we are reinforcing our expertise in existing buildings – an essential focus area for driving sustainability and operational efficiency. Solid Green is merging with Imbue Sustainability, and we are pleased to welcome Simon Penso and his team into the Solid Green Team. Simon will be joining Solid Green as a director and leading our newly established Solid Green Performance department. This strategic move allows us to offer comprehensive sustainability solutions for existing buildings, ensuring long-term environmental and financial performance.

Solid Green Performance builds on the long-standing collaboration between Solid Green and Imbue Sustainability. This new department consolidates expertise from both teams to focus on the sustainability performance of existing buildings, net-zero strategies, and operational efficiencies across South Africa and beyond. While Imbue Sustainability continues its focus on the implementation and monitoring of renewable energy projects, Solid Green Performance will leverage our well-established market leadership alongside Imbue’s deep operational expertise to offer a holistic, performance-driven sustainability service for existing building stock.

“This is a game-changer for the industry,” says Simon.

By uniting our strengths, we are better positioned to meet the increasing market demand and regulatory requirements for sustainable solutions. Together, we will set the benchmark for excellence in the field.

Marloes Reinink, CEO of Solid Green, adds:

The collaboration between our teams has evolved over the years, with Imbue Sustainability having always been a key partner for Solid Green in the Existing Building Performance space. The formalisation of Solid Green Performance was the natural next step. By combining forces, we will lead the way in shaping a more sustainable built environment in South Africa.

With a strong Johannesburg foundation and a new presence in Cape Town, Solid Green is excited to expand its reach and continue delivering impact-driven sustainability solutions across the built environment. Whether in Johannesburg, Cape Town, or beyond, we look forward to working with industry stakeholders to create a greener, more sustainable future.

Our One-Stop Shop for Sustainability Solutions

As we continue to grow, our vision is to establish Solid Green as the ultimate One-Stop Shop for sustainability in the built environment. Through the integration of Solid Green Performance, we are now uniquely positioned to provide end-to-end sustainability solutions—from new developments to existing buildings. Our comprehensive services cover green building certifications (Green Star, EDGE, LEED, WELL, etc), Energy Modeling and Simulations ESG strategies, energy and water efficiency consulting, carbon neutrality roadmaps, and operational performance optimisation.

By bringing together industry-leading expertise under one roof, we ensure a seamless experience for our clients, enabling them to meet regulatory requirements, achieve sustainability goals, and future-proof their buildings. Whether you are looking to certify a new development, enhance the efficiency of an existing building, or embark on a net-zero journey, Solid Green is here to support you at every step.

For more information about our services or to connect with our team, feel free to reach out. Let’s build a greener tomorrow, together!

Stay tuned for details about our official opening and launch party—we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

The post We’re expanding our Footprint and Expertise! appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Growing up, I was privileged enough to travel with my dad during school holidays, as he conducted inspections and meetings at various sites around parts of the Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. On one occasion, we stopped at a store along the way and were lucky enough to purchase some old 30mm thick solid Imbuia planks, which had come from a building site in a small town (and which would otherwise have been thrown out). He would later spend hours (with me assisting) cutting, joining, planing, sanding, oiling and shaping them into furniture – a desk for me to do my school homework on, a TV cabinet and a coffee table, to name a few. Blood, sweat and wooden shavings mixed with glue went into these projects – nothing was wasted!

Years later, after completing my architectural studies and spending time in a few different practices learning about the industry, I began to wonder, “Is there something more, is there something better?²” More than just orienting the building correctly and making use of this glorious South African sun to heat our water and our homes. More than rainwater harvesting and first principles of design. As architects, we often get bogged down by the details – satisfying the client brief, staying within a budget – while still trying to make a statement about the Art of Architecture. And that art is subjective. For a change, I’d like to focus on the empirical, the measurable, the verifiable.

The afternoon sun illuminating an owner’s efforts to harvest water on a smallholding in Midrand (Jennifer Dean, 2017).

My first four months at Solid Green have afforded me the opportunity to do just that, and I have found that I love it. There is so much to learn, track and record. Methods to predict and calculate. A multitude of tools to apply in the quest to find more sustainable solutions to the issues of today, to ensure a better built environment for tomorrow. Interactions and learning from other professionals during meetings, from inception through to the close out stages of projects. It has proved to be invaluable in terms of experience.

I have found there is art in the analysis and theory, as well as plenty of opportunity. And I am excited to be a part of the dynamic Solid Green team, whose constant thirst for knowledge inspires me to grow and develop – with continuous improvement – the goal of a more sustainable future for all. Hope, that hardwired, human quality in us all, leads me to optimistically end this off by quoting the title of a song by Richard Ashcroft, “Ain’t the future so bright”³?

Rays of light – an embodiment of hope for me – streaming through the Cloud Forest Dome in Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay nature park. (Jennifer Dean, 2017)

[¹] One, Evolver. 2010. Green Song (Don’t Destroy the World). Evolver One. 2010.
[²] Ralph. 2017. Something More. Ralph. 2017.
[³] Ashcroft, Richard. 2016. Ain’t the Future so Bright. These People. 2016.

The post Green Song appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.