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South Africa’s best green buildings

http://www.isotherm.co.za/south-africas-best-green-buildings/

Considering that our buildings and structures contribute one out of three tons of the CO₂ produced globally each year, it makes sense to adopt construction principles that emphasise energy saving and promote sustainability. But how do you get a nation to change their minds about how things should be done?

Not long ago (in 2007), the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) was established to encourage those who are taking the leap and making a difference by constructing green buildings. In keeping with its mission to promote green building practices, the GBCSA has developed the Green Star SA rating system (based on the Australian Green Star rating system) for the commercial property sector.

Energy Saving Earns Rewards

The GBCSA is an independent NPO and one of 95 members of the World Green Building Council. It is also the only organisation in South Africa that is authorised to award building a green certification. The Green Star SA system allows for the objective rating of a building based on given industry benchmarks for design, construction and management. It takes into account factors such as land use; indoor environmental quality (IEQ); emissions and thermal energy use.

The GBCSA assesses each respective building on its implementation of standard green practices and awards it a 4-, 5- or 6-star rating accordingly. Four-star status denotes “Best Practice”; a five-star certification indicates “South African Excellence”; while a six-star rating is reserved for those buildings deemed to be at the “World Leadership” level. All submissions are judged by independent assessors based on the green building measures in place.

And The Winners Are …

Since 2009, the GBCSA has awarded some 140 Green Star ratings to commercial SA buildings in recognition of their commitment to the environment and energy saving. And this number is bound to grow as an increasing number of designers, architects and construction firms get on board with the green building movement. The cool news is that this means we, as the general population who enjoy the use of these commercial buildings, are all winners.

The Big Guns Choose Energy Savings

It certainly helps that corporates like Nedbank and Vodacom have got behind the movement. Nedbank was declared the first carbon neutral bank in Africa (2009), and its Head Office in Sandton was the first building in South Africa to receive a 4-star rating (2010). Vodacom superseded this achievement in 2011 by becoming the first company in South Africa to be awarded a 6-star rating for its Vodafone Innovation Centre in Midrand. Such an achievement places South Africa firmly in the forefront of progressive green building practices.

More recently, the GBCSA awarded the prestigious 6-star rating to the Cape Verde Hotel in Cape Town, making it the winner of the Highest Rated Building category in the annual Green Star SA Leadership Awards (November 2015). The Cape Verde was judged on its existing building performance (EBP) tools and placed first on merit of its advanced environmentally conscious installations, construction methodology and operational practices. The runner up was the Upper Grayston Building in Sandton.

Green Building Going Forward

So what exactly does the GBCSA look for when rating a building for its Green Star Awards? Here are some of the boxes that must be checked:

• Firstly the building must be resource and energy efficient,
• It should be designed, constructed and managed in such a way as to minimise any adverse impact on the surrounding environment and the building’s occupants,
• Particular attention is paid to how the building makes use of natural light; the air quality; and how waste is dealt with,
• The building should demonstrate energy saving air conditioning and lighting fixtures, and be insulated to promote passive temperature control,
• It should also feature water saving plumbing fixtures; a gray / rainwater capture system for harvesting water;
• Not to forget that it should have renewable energy resources such as solar panels,
• And all materials used should be non-toxic and where possible recycled,
• All fresh materials should be sourced from reputable suppliers who operate in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable manner.

As you can tell it is no mean feat to achieve a Green Star rating but the far-reaching benefits make it worth the effort. Implementing green building practices is our chance to address some of the most pressing issues of our time: energy consumption; carbon emissions; the preservation of natural resources; pollution; and how we deal with waste.

Striving for recognition by the GBCSA is not only an opportunity to counteract the enormous impact that our buildings have on our carbon footprint, it is a chance to create productive work spaces that keep us healthier, happier and inspired to give of our best.

Go green today with ISOTHERM Thermal Insulation. Manufactured from the thermally-bonded polyester of recycled plastic PET bottles, ISOTHERM is a truly environmentally-friendly product. In keeping with green building principles, ISOTHEM also assists with passive energy saving by insulating roofs, walls, geysers and hot water pipes, keeping your property cool in summer and warm in winter – ideal when building your own green building.