The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has awarded the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) new office building, in Pretoria, with a five-star rating, after improvements were made to the building.
These included the installation of a solar panel grid system, soundproofing of technical rooms and the installation of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting throughout the building and compound.
“USAID is committed to creating an environmentally and socially responsible workplace without taxing local resources. We continue to look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and energy use, while pursuing solutions to development challenges around the world,” said USAID Southern Africa mission director Cheryl L Anderson.
The building’s design supported US President Barack Obama’s Power Africa Initiative, which partnered with more than 120 government, donor and private sector entities to improve access to cleaner energy in sub-Saharan Africa.
Environmental awareness was reflected in the design and construction of the new building, as well as the landscaping.
The four-storey building featured 1 400 solar panels that generate clean electricity, and a building management system controlled the lighting and air conditioning by zones, thereby reducing electricity consumption.
A grey water system captured 50 000 ℓ of rainwater for flushing toilets and urinals, thereby reducing water consumption and discharge on-site by 50%.
The landscaping included 20 000 low-water-tolerant ground cover plants and 110 new trees, watered with a drip irrigation system that delivered water slowly and efficiently to the roots of plants.