The Atholl Towers office development, in Johannesburg, received a 5-Star Green Star SA Rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) for its energy and water saving initiatives.
This included optimised air conditioning, a central heat recovery system and motion sensor light fittings. The domestic hot water system was integrated with the air conditioning system to receive recovered heat during cooling or simultaneous cooling and heating modes.
When cooling was not required by the air conditioning system, it acted as an air-cooled heat pump to efficiently deliver heat to the domestic hot water system.
Located between Katherine and Patricia streets, in Sandton, the building was developed in two phases by project management company Aurecon, which was commissioned by ALW Estates.
The first phase was completed in 2011 and comprised a 4 500 m2 office building tenanted by Volkswagen South Africa’s sales and marketing operations. The second phase, which was completed in April, comprised 10 211 m2 of offices and 480 parking bays, with five basement levels.
“Aurecon’s environmental sustainable design (ESD) team worked closely with AMA Architects and other project consultants to create an exceptionally energy and water-efficient building that meets the sustainable development needs of the client.
“For example, the frameless, full-glass façade is not only energy efficient, but it has a self-cleaning silicone base that ensures minimal maintenance over the coming years,” Aurecon ESD consultant Marni Punt noted.
Other sustainability initiatives were the use of recycled shutter boards for concrete casting, recycled steel components, the use of low-volatile organic compound paint, low formaldehyde timber and finishes, the smart application of insulation materials and blinds to increase thermal comfort for building occupants, as well as rainwater harvesting and water conservation systems.
Otis GeN2 regen drive elevators, which were up to 75% more efficient than nongenerative drive lifts, completed the green features.
“We initially set out to achieve a 4-Star Green Star SA – Office v1 Design Rating but, by incorporating extra cost-effective green features and initiatives, we were able to achieve the 60 points required by the GBCSA for a 5-Star Green Star Rating without incurring additional costs for the client.
“Atholl Towers marks the first Speculative Green Star Rated building for ALW Estates and Aurecon is proud to be involved in this landmark achievement for our client,” Punt said.
Meanwhile, the building also features a power grid system that was planned around the building installation design, allowing tenants flexibility in terms of how they plan and use their space.
“Tenants at Atholl Towers won’t have to lay a host of data cables after they move into the premises. Materials that will be needed to make layout changes for future tenants have been reduced.
“By thinking ahead and merging the building layout, systems and operational design, an innovative and highly efficient building that will have reduced measureable operational costs has been created. Tenant fit-out costs and, most importantly, reduced impact on the environment will be direct results of these efficiencies,” Aurecon ESD consultant Kyra Young explained.
The project also had an extensive metering system connected to a fully automated building management system. Fifty-five power meters were distributed throughout the building and water meters have been installed for all major water uses.