Company Announcement - Atterbury Properties appointed Aurecon to provide Environmental, Sustainable and Design services for Golder Associates’ new building in Maxwell Office Park, which forms part of the Waterfall City development in Midrand, Gauteng. In June 2015, the Green Building Council of South Africa awarded the building a 5-Star Green Star rating on Existing Building Performance. Marni Punt, ESD Consultant at Aurecon, says that the Green Star rating exceeded the sustainability targets that were initially set by the design team.

“In 2012, Aurecon was appointed to provide sustainability guidance on the project with the goal of achieving a sustainable, highly efficient building. The 5-Star Green Star rating on Existing Building Performance shows that the green design, facilities management and sustainability policies for the building helped reduce its energy and water consumption significantly,” says Punt.

The new building, known as ’Building 1, Golder House’, is a three storey, 5 412 m2 Grade A office space with two basement parking levels. Some of the energy-saving initiatives that were implemented in the project include appropriate zoning of the mechanical system, high performance glazing and external shading devices, energy-efficient lighting and carbon monoxide (CO) sensors in the basement to reduce energy consumption of extraction fans. Natural daylight was maximised through the installation of a triple volume atrium above the entrance foyer, as well as lightwells above ablutions, and roof lights with clerestory windows. The green initiatives have led to a significant saving for the client.

The building is equipped with smart meters that record data, which enables staff to adjust mechanical, electrical and water system equipment according to their needs. The data is monitored remotely and deviations from normal use are able to be detected and addressed quickly. This information can also be used for long-term decision making so that the client can manage its asset effectively.

“The Green Building Council of South Africa’s Energy Benchmarking Tool was used to determine that the annual energy consumption of the building will be 182,51 kWh/m²/annum, while the benchmark for the building was predicted to be 245,69 kWh/m²/annum. Based on the current electricity prices in Gauteng, the client will be saving R171 929,60 each year,” says Punt.The building also achieved a 73% reduction in water consumption compared to similar buildings thanks to an innovative rainwater harvesting system. This automatically switches to municipal water when the tanks are empty and, in the event of a power failure, flow restrictors on all the taps and dual flush cisterns reduce the flush volume of toilets.

The achievement of exceeding the initial sustainability target with a 5-Star Existing Building Performance rating through the GBCSA follows shortly after Aurecon celebrated the one hundredth Green Star SA certification. On May 27, this was awarded to Growthpoint Properties’ Kirstenhof Office Park in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Aurecon acted as the ESD consultant for this 3 837 m² multi-tenanted office park.

“Property developers such as Growthpoint Properties, Attacq and Atterbury Properties are helping many clients achieve their sustainability goals. Aurecon is proud to be a part of so many iconic buildings and achievements,” says Punt.