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DECEMBER • 2016
Construction
WORLD
66
The AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable Construction
E
Project information
• Company entering: Aurecon
• Client: Developer: Atterbury and
building owner: Attacq
• Start date: March 2014
• End date: June 2015
• Main contractor: Group Five
• Architects: Empowered Spaces
Architects
• Quantity surveyors: Pentad
• Consulting engineer: WSP
Parsons Brinkerhoff Africa
• Project value: R146 585 000
(excluding VAT)
NOVARTIS, WATERFALL CITY,
MIDRAND
The decision to use the LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) rating system provided a framework for
evaluating, recognising and executing green building design
and construction in the project. The internationally-recognised
LEED certification process, as stipulated in the LEED reference
guide: “seeks to optimise the use of natural resources, promote
regenerative and restorative strategies, maximise the positive
and minimize the negative environmental and human health
consequences of the construction industry, and provide high-
quality indoor environments for building occupants.”
These LEED goals form the basis of the strategies employed
and the final sustainable attributes of the project:
• To reverse contribution to global climate change
• To enhance individual human health and well-being
• To protect and restore water resources
• To protect, enhance, and restore biodiversity and
ecosystem services
The new Novartis head office located in Waterfall
City was a construction project that encompassed
sustainability at its core. The green building
consultants, Aurecon worked with the design and
construction team to ensure environmentally
sustainable design principles and best practices
were used from project inception, through the
design, construction, operation and commissioning
of the project.
• To promote sustainable and regenerative material
resources cycles
• To build a greener economy
• To enhance social equity, environmental justice, community
health, and quality of life
The initial aim for the Novartis head office project was for a LEED
silver certification. The projects final achievement of a LEED
Gold certification demonstrated the projects strong commitment
towards the above mentioned goals.
The LEED process followed and sustainable attributes of the
project encapsulates the
AfriSam Innovation Award for Sustainable
Construction
criteria. Change and transferability, ethical standards
and social equity, ecological quality and energy conservation,
economic performance and compatibility, and contextual and
aesthetic impact should become apparent in the LEED Design and
Construction attributes explained below.
The Novartis building complied with these LEED Minimum
Project requirements:
• Complied with applicable federal, state and local environ-
mental laws
• A complete permanent Building or space.
• A reasonable site boundary
• Complied with a minimum floor area requirement of 93 m
3
of gross floor area
• Complied with a minimum occupancy rate of 1 or more Full Time
Equivalent (FTE) occupants
• Committed to sharing with the US Green Building Council
(USGBC) whole-Building Energy and Water Usage Data
• Complied with a minimum building gross floor area of no less
than 2% of the gross land area.
Special Mention