“I’ve recognised over the years that one’s passion can be applied in fields one may not have considered originally,” Hlologelo (Hlolo) says. “I come from a Bachelor of Arts background – where I studied organisational psychology – and I’m working in STEM.”
But Hlolo’s educational background has served her extremely well as a sustainability consultant, working with design teams and clients who have more technical backgrounds to find the meeting point between sustainable design and the needs of building occupants. She was recognised as a runner-up Rising Green Star in the Green Building Council of South Africa’s (GBCSA) Awards in 2019/2020 and was awarded the Leadership Award as Rising Green Star Winner 2020-2021. The award recognises individuals who are rising Green Stars and are making a significant contribution to the green building industry in South Africa. Beyond this accolade, Hlolo continues to be recognised professionally as a trainer and motivational speaker in the GBCSA’s Professional Development Team.
“It’s not only about Hlolo alone, as an individual,” she’s quick to point out. “I work with an outstanding team of experts in this space and their support, input and peer review of my work is critical to helping me get accreditation submissions right, first time.”
Hlolo is passionate about teaching young people and young professionals about sustainability. She presents the Existing Building Performance (EBP) Accredited Professional programme for the GBCSA - and participates in Growthpoint’s Greenovate Awards as a mentor to talented students from universities around the country. “I want to play a part in accelerating education about sustainability in the South African context,” she says.
“I would like to believe that I am optimistic and street wise, in that I like to have a holistic overview of every process we propose to our project teams and clients to help them make their buildings more sustainable,” she says. “Sometimes clients are excited about the prospect of doing something innovative in sustainability, but also don’t want to take the risk of being the first in case it fails. I use my optimism and holistic view to explore the possibilities with them and help them feel more confident about the perceived risk, whenever it is appropriate for them go for it.”
Hlolo believes her background in organisational psychology helps her bring a more humanistic view to building designs that compliments her technical colleagues’ and clients’ points of view. “As sustainability consultants, it’s our duty to work with the technical experts on our teams to design highly functional, sustainable spaces that people can use,” she explains. “If the space is beautiful but uncomfortable for human beings to work in, I consider it a failure. So, I always think about the people using the space when I advise clients and colleagues.”
International vigour around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting, and the spotlight placed on Green Star certified buildings’ occupancy performance post COVID – versus non-certified buildings – means that Hlolo’s passion for social considerations on projects is also becoming increasingly valuable to clients. “Green spaces are doing much better than non-certified buildings as the commercial office space market recovers slowly from COVID,” Hlolo says. “Green buildings have a positive environmental and social impact that I bring to my clients’ attention whenever possible to help them take advantage of this shift in occupants’ expectations.”
Hlolo says working on existing buildings to retrofit sustainability best practices is some of the work that is closest to her heart. “Existing buildings account for the biggest proportion of building stock available, and I take great joy in working with clients to reinvigorate these spaces and make them more environmentally and more people friendly,” she says.
About developing a career in an unexpected direction, Hlolo says simply: “When you’re open for learning and growth, there will be endless opportunities for you.”
Join the team
WSP in Africa is recruiting. If you’re looking for your next role and want to join a collaborative team of experts that thrives on challenge and unconventional thinking, then check out the jobs available on our WSP in Africa careers page.
