Developers broke ground recently on South Africa’s latest four-star green building and the first of its kind in the Eastern Cape.

The modern three-storey office block is located within the Baywest City precinct in Port Elizabeth’s western suburbs, along the N2, and signals the roll-out of development at the greater Baywest City following the opening of the R1.7-billion Baywest Mall, in May.

Phase 1 of the R6-billion Baywest City development includes 2 000 residential opportunities, office and commercial space, light industry, a private school, hospital and a hotel.

The building, which will open towards the end of 2016, is the first green-rated commercial office block for the Eastern Cape. The only other green rated projects in the province, both classified as “public and education buildings” by the Green Building Council, are Grahamstown’s National English Literature Museum and Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Business School.

Baywest City MD Gavin Blows says the green office block is the first of many more to come for the precinct. Developers are focused on positioning the development as ecofriendly, having set aside 20% of the 320 ha Baywest City site for the protection of rare and indigenous fauna and flora.

“There is immense interest in developments of this calibre. Port Elizabeth has nowhere else to grow but into the western suburbs, which is why Baywest City is ideally located for the future of the city.”

A landmark deal between Baywest and Vodacom has seen the installation of the coun- try’s largest greenfield fibre-optic network, secur- ing Baywest City’s future as an interconnected smart city. Baywest has laid the fibre-optic infrastructure, which Vodacom will use to supply high-speed data.

The new office block will boast a modern façade, with fluid, clean lines and off-shutter concrete. An aluminium façade will mimic the outline of the Port Elizabeth coastline.

Director of architects on the project Edward Brooks says the demand for green-rated buildings has grown globally.

“These types of development are generally more pleasant to work in and tend to attract higher-end tenants. Demand has grown among the high business user category,” notes Brooks, adding that it might come with a greater capital outlay of between 5% and 20%.

The office block will boast a 40 kW roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system, a rainwater harvesting system and highly insulated walls, roofing and flooring to maintain a moderate internal temperature.

The solar system will provide 15% of the build- ing’s energy requirements, says Brooks. Also, as a requirement for the green rating, basement parking will give preference to bicycles, motorcycles and energy-efficient hybrid vehicles. An indigenous landscaped garden around the building will be maintained using the harvested rainwater, says Brooks.

Green building consultancy firm AGAMA Energy consultant Ann-Mari Malan notes that the sustainability aspects implemented in green building projects have a positive environmental and financial impact.

“Given the high energy costs and water scarcity in South Africa, implementing green building practices sends out a strong message about an organisation’s commitment to sustainability whilst promoting a positive image with stakeholders, customers and employees,” she says.

Blows says the building signals the roll-out of the greater Baywest City. Similar green-rated devel- opments will also be rolled out in the precinct.

Development on the project comes as Phase 2 of the R300-million Baywest road network is about to be completed, with a road linking Port Elizabeth’s Walker drive with Cape road by means of a new bridge over the N2.

The second phase of the road network will open next month, further unlocking economic growth potential in the western suburbs.