18 / 68
16
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
APRIL
2015
PROPERTY
The new Interiors tool, sponsored
by both Standard Bank as the
main sponsor and Saint Gobain as
supporting sponsor, encourages
tenants to rate the interior fit-outs of their
premises. The overall aim of this new rating
tool is to encourage the reduced environ-
mental impact of interior projects.
Brian Wilkinson, CEO of the GBCSA,
comments: “Our current suite of rating tools
focus largely on the design and construc-
tion applied to new buildings and major
refurbishments. Until now, they’ve had very
little consideration for interior fit-outs inside
each premises. The new Green Star SA Inte-
riors tool is a key rating tool that will make a
significant impact, especially on multitenant
retail and office space.”
Wilkinson adds: “We are excited to
launch this pioneering new tool for South
Africa, and believe that it will help transform
thousands of offices, shops, restaurants
and many other places, in existing and new
buildings across the country, into sustain-
able green spaces.”
Nathi Manzana, Standard Bank’s head
of professional and technical services says:
“Standard Bank is committed to sustainable
business. This commitment is seen in the
business practices we conduct, the facilities
we manage, and the associations that we
support. Working sustainably makes sound
business sense, supports the environment
and provides a productive space for our
employees to serve our customers.”
Manzana adds: “Standard Bank’s new
Rosebank office complex is an illustration of
this. The building was completed in 2013 and
accommodates around 4 500 employees in
customer-facing operations. It has achieved
a 5-star Green Star SA Design office v1 rating
by the GBCSA and a 5-star Green Star SA As
built office v1 rating.”
Lisa Reynolds, sustainability director
at Saint-Gobain Gyproc, comments: “Saint-
Gobain Gyproc is mindful of the fact that
developing green environments requires
much more than just energy planning. The
company's primary focus is the contribu-
tion our products make to the reduction of
energy usage in both homes and workplaces.
“We have a number of products in
our portfolio that have been designed
and developed in-line with the company's
commitment to moving towards a greener
environment, ensuring our products are
able to contribute to energy efficient
buildings being awarded the highest Green
Star certification.”
The Green Star SA Interiors tool will
reward high-performance tenant spaces that
are healthy, productive places to work and
incentivise best practice for sustainable and
efficient interior fit-outs that are also less
costly to maintain and operate.
It is designed to allow each tenancy to
have unique environmental design initia-
tives, and to fairly and independently bench-
mark each one.
The benefits are far-reaching. Signif-
icantly lower building operation and
management costs will provide cost savings
for both tenants and landlords, and an ener-
gy-efficient premises would be less affected
by soaring energy prices. In addition, with
the national energy crises, lower energy
consumption in green buildings reduces the
strain on the power grid.
“A healthy building means happier
employees and improved productivity. Busi-
nesses will be in a better position to retain
talented staff and fast-track behavioural
change,” says Wilkinson.
He adds there are several knock-on
advantages to using the Green Star SA Inte-
riors tool. “It will definitely give businesses
a competitive advantage. It signifies industry
leaders who provide smart and healthy
work, shopping and meeting places that
are ‘set apart’ in the marketplace. It is not
only a responsible investment, but serves
to heighten a business’s attractiveness as an
investment, a partner and an employer.”
The tool will also recognise and
encourage collaboration between the
building owner and tenants to manage and
operate the building along environmentally
sustainable principles.
The tool considers interior fit-outs
from an all-round perspective, including
the project scope and implementation.
“Itwould, for example, identify andencourage
management practises that minimise the
amount of demolition and construction
waste going to disposal,” notes Wilkinson.
“It gives recognition to the design of
workspaces that provide spatial efficiency
and improve productivity and occupant
performance. Credits targeted will include
quality of internal air, thermal, lighting
and visual comfort, acoustic quality, ergo-
nomics, as well as energy monitoring and
greenhouse gas emissions,” Wilkinson says.
The Green Star SA Interiors pilot
programme has already been a success.
Various interior fit-out projects at retailers,
gyms, offices as well as standalone fit-outs
at branches are part of the pilot phase.
Version one of the tool is now available for
public use.
New Green Star SA Interiors
TOOL LAUNCHED
Continuing its vision to
lead the transformation
of the South African
property sector into an
environmentally sustainable
industry, the Green Building
Council South Africa
(GBCSA) has launched its
new Green Star SA Interiors
tool – taking green building
into the heart of every South
African business.
>
Brian Wilkinson, CEO of the GBCSA.
The company's
primary focus is the
contribution our
products make to the
reduction of energy
usage in both homes
and workplaces.
C STR CTIO W RL
A IL
2015