The Western Cape town of Paarl has received its first Green Star SA rated building. This is the 31st certification for South Africa.
The Western Cape town of Paarl has received its first Green Star SA rated building. This is the 31st certification for South Africa.
Located next to the N1 and close to the Paarl Mall, the new Cecilia Square office building in Paarl is scheduled for completion in September. It has received a 4-star Green Star SA office design rating from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA).
The goal was to build Cecilia Square within a conventional buildings budget, and all choices and decisions made kept this in mind – not much more was spent on this 4-star Green Star SA-rated green building than would have been spent on a traditional building.
Owned by BKB Limited, Cecilia Square offers many advantages, such as advanced technology and environmental awareness. Wolf Edmayr, managing director of BKB Limited, says: “Our business philosophy is leaning towards becoming ‘greener’, so this development fits us like a glove.”
A focus on innovation
The office space consists of two buildings on the project site. As they are part of the same development, they share a common address, a single entrance and common parking areas. Ground-floor walkways connect the two buildings, ensuring easy access.
Michelle Ludwig of PJ Carew Consulting, the green consultant for Cecilia Square, says Cecilia Square has managed to achieve a 55% reduction in energy and a 70% reduction in water consumption. This was done by adopting simple measures such as rainwater harvesting and using energy-efficient lighting.
According to Ludwig, concrete usage was minimised by using coffered slabs between the floor levels. “Coffered slabs contain empty pockets, rather than a solid slab of concrete,” she commented. These not only reduce concrete usage, but also have excellent thermal capabilities. Ludwig says this “limits the amount of heating and air-conditioning required to maintain an ambient indoor temperature”.
Eco strategy
According to PJ Carew Consulting, the building has an overall environmental strategy that encompasses transport, health, energy, water and waste. Cecilia Square’s green design principles will help to reduce the building’s carbon footprint and minimise the environmental impact. These include:
• Energy consumption is reduced by using thermal mass to cool the thermal spaces during the day.
• The buildings take advantage of the diurnal temperature difference by flushing cool night air through the interiors in order to cool the buildings’ thermal mass the next day.
• Municipal water usage is reduced through rainwater harvesting, water-efficient fittings and by using water-wise indigenous plants.
• The buildings also feature cyclist facilities and safe walking routes that ensure easy access.
Full thanks and acknowledgement are given to the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), www.pjc.co.za and www.sapropertynews.co.za for providing the information to write this article.
