The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has moved into its new green office at the Black River Park complex, in Obervatory, Cape Town, and will seek to secure a Green Star rating for the building.

The GBCSA had to move after having outgrown its previous office space.

“The GBCSA has grown from a small start-up to a fully fledged mainstream operator, with four rating tools and almost 40 certified projects,” GBCSA CEO Brian Wilkinson commented.

The new open-plan office had been designed to accommodate the expected future growth of the council and embraced the GBCSA’s increasingly flexible, collaborative and shared approach to office space and the work environment.

The council was aiming to get the new office certified under the Green Star SA Commercial Interiors tool, which would be released at the GBCSA Green Building Convention, in Cape Town, in October.

“The retrofit of the new office meant that the GBCSA could walk the talk and ensure sustainability at every turn,” the organisation said. 

The site was chosen because it was a reused old warehouse building and Black River Park prioritised efficiency and recycling. The office park was also close to public transport nodes and the Cape Town International Airport, and had amenities within walking distance.

Black River Park would also feature a large-scale rooftop solar photovoltaic installation, which would provide 1.2 MW of renewable energy, once complete.

“The professional team involved in the office retrofit did extensive performance modelling to see where interventions could be made to boost green building characteristics and the final design made significant sustainability improvements. When it came to the furniture, products and equipment required for the new office, products meeting sustainability criteria were specified and installed,” the GBCSA stated.

The GBCSA, as a nonprofit organisation, was able to achieve the highest green credentials through sponsorships from its member community, with a total of 38 sponsors having come on board. 

"We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of sponsors and the products and services that have been made available to us. It is a great recognition of what we do," GBCSA education manager and resident architect Donné Putter said.

Besides the tangible sustainable interventions, the GBCSA had also instituted a “hot-desking” system, which supported flexibility, team integration and maximised space.

“Staff are also encouraged to use alternative and public transport instead of their own cars to come to work, by having fewer company-rented parking bays available than staff employed,” the GBCSA said.

Meanwhile, the South African Property Owners Association’s (Sapoa’s) Cape Town-based representative would also be based in the GBCSA’s offices going forward.

“Both Sapoa and GBCSA are committed to advancing the property sector in South Africa and delivering value to members that encourages a quality, sustainable urban environment. We are pleased to share office space with people who also share our thinking space and look forward to the positive impact of our growing collaboration,” Sapoa CEO Neil Gopal commented.