Namibia is to have its first indepen-dently certified Green Star building in the capital, Windhoek, with the construction of First National Bank Namibia’s (FNB Namibia’s) new head office.

Namibia does not have a green building council and the bank worked with the South African and Australian councils to develop a rating system and terms of reference that apply to Namibian conditions. The new head office will have a rating of four stars.

Says FNB Namibia corporate communi-cations manager Victoria Muranda: “The bank has had a history of pioneering sustainability within the built environment, adopting best-practice design for our iconic building in Fairlands, South Africa, even before the Green Star system had been established. “The bank recognises the immediate and potential threats posed by global climate change and other environmental issues and is incorporating best practice in all new buildings that are being developed. The Namibia building will provide a meaningful metric to measure the company’s commitment to the environment.”

Green buildings are environmentally conscious from the construction phase and through their entire life cycle – from the design, construction and operations to maintenance, the goal is to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment.

Like other green buildings, the bank’s head office will use water and electricity efficiently by harnessing the latest technologies and natural light, while reducing waste and pollution. The health of employees as well as their productivity will also be looked after.

FNB has had a long history of environmental sustainability. Currently, the bank has four separate buildings in Windhoek from which it operates. These will now be consolidated into one head office, which has been designed with service and ease of access in mind.

While the cost has not been divulged, the process of developing a rating system for a green building as well as the cost of design and construction has been high. The company, however, says that the savings in services will pay back the cost in under a decade.

Situated in the capital’s central business district, the building will have six floors, including the ground level and six basement levels with 658 parking bays. At almost 4 600 m2, it can house 1 100 people.

Says Muranda: “Our building will form part of a larger precinct development known as Freedom Plaza, which incorporates the entire space from our site and up to the Hilton hotel. “The developer, Freedom Square, jointly owned by United Africa Group and Redefine Properties, has been working with the City of Windhoek on a development framework to enhance and optimise the public spaces.”

Construction has started and it is expected the new building will be inaugur-ated during the first quarter of 2015.