The heart of collaborative excellence is housed at Devmco Group’s innovative hub, Innova Haus. Brad Winstanley (Commercial Director of Devmco Group), Charles Thompson (Director of Devmco Group), along with Bruce Ross (Director of M3 Africa) and John Van Wyk (CEO of Craft of Architecture) share how their relationships all began and how Innova Haus has shaped their businesses.
We uncover the story behind the creation of this dynamic workspace set within Marine Walk Shopping Centre and explore how it has become a catalyst for synergy, innovation, and unparalleled success in the property development industry.
Innova Haus stands as a testament to Devmco Group’s commitment to fostering collaboration and excellence. At its core, it’s a space where excellence, innovation and ideas are nurtured, and partnerships flourish. This unique environment has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of property development in KZN.
Born out of a vision to create a space where professionals could converge and share ideas, Innova Haus is a business hub designed to drive the property development sector to new heights. This vision quickly materialised into a dynamic office environment where over 200 individuals from various disciplines come together, united by a common goal of excellence. The journey to this point has been filled with camaraderie, shared experiences, and a collective pursuit of innovation.
Coming from diverse backgrounds, they have all worked together at some point in time or crossed paths somehow by navigating the world of architecture, development and finance.
Central to Devmco Group’s journey is the ethos of being good people first. This shared value has seen them grow from a modest beginning in Ridgeside, with just two people and a distinctive pink logo, to Innova Haus, where we are today.
Walking into Innova Haus and into any of the offices within this business hub, you immediately sense the dynamism; it’s palpable. There’s an urgency in the air, a collective drive among our people to act swiftly and execute flawlessly. In every corner of our diverse divisions, transparency reigns, everyone is tuned in, contributing or helping in any way they can.
This camaraderie is our ‘secret sauce’, the undercurrent that propels us forward. Despite working on different projects, we operate as one cohesive unit, supporting each other regardless of direct involvement. It’s a testament to our like-mindedness and the robust workplace culture we’ve nurtured. Hosting 200 professionals under one roof, we’ve created an environment where swift, efficient action is the norm.
We constantly assist each other, seamlessly working across different projects and teams, fostering an environment where seeking and sharing advice is the norm. This open exchange is pivotal, especially when we collaborate with external professional teams, ensuring that the collective wisdom of Innova Haus is always at our fingertips.
From a developer’s perspective, competition is common, yet our approach at Devmco Group is distinctively collaborative. We’re open to sharing insights and advice, not merely out of interest in a single project, but due to our commitment to enhancing the entire coastal belt. This enthusiasm for the broader success of the precinct and province is a trait we all share, underpinning our genuine interest in collective achievement.
The intellectual capital within Innova Haus is profound, a treasure trove of experience and insight that we all draw upon. Trust, in this context, becomes sacred, guiding us through successes and challenges alike.
The physical proximity within our workspace epitomises our approach to project execution. The ability to simply walk across to someone’s desk for a quick discussion or decision is integral to our workflow. This accessibility, a rarity in the industry, fosters an unmatched level of cooperation and efficiency. We operate as individual entities under one collective umbrella, each with our own projects, yet our collaboration is seamless.
Our unique structure promotes frequent interaction and mutual support among the diverse consulting businesses within Innova Haus. This has naturally led to a culture where working together is not just a necessity but a preference, born from mutual respect and a deep understanding of each other’s expertise.
The collaborative ethos it embodies is set to drive the creation of more integrated, secure, and multifaceted living spaces, proving that when we come together, we can transcend the ordinary and shape a future that is prosperous, inclusive and sustainable.
Our approach has already set precedents, evident in some of the fastest-selling developments in South Africa’s history. This success underlines the efficiency of our strategy and the potential for even greater achievements as we continue to innovate and respond to the community’s aspirations for dynamic and integrated environments.