The Agrivaal building situated in the Tshwane Central Business District (CBD), which is being renewed by the Department of Public Works (DPW) as part of its Inner City Regeneration programme, is a ‘green building’ and has achieved a four star rating in this regard.
A ‘green building’ is a building which is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible.
This means that the design of this 1 938 building has now been put together in a manner that reduces heat loads; the building promotes the use of environmentally-friendly, non-toxic materials; the use of renewable energy sources and recycled materials – among other green building measures.
The restoration of the building commenced on 23 March 2012 and is set to be concluded by mid-2014. Upon completion, the building will be able to accommodate approximately 1 100 occupants and will have a total floor area of 40 847 m² comprising of 10 stories office accommodation, 5.5 parking levels i.e. 545 parking bays, a fully-functional canteen, two internal coffee shops, a 200 seat fully-fitted and operational media briefing room, 120 seats fully-fitted and operational auditorium, roof gardens, courtyard and atrium areas.
This flagship DPW project is approaching several benchmarks in that; the building is not only designed from a full facilities management operational perspective, the structure includes the integrated fit-out of key aspects that normally would fall within the responsibility of the tenant and not the developer or landlord; and this is the South African Government’s first structure to receive formal green building considerations.
Due to its ‘green’ nature, the building has received a four star rating for its design and an as-built Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) accreditation is also being sought.
The GBCSA recognises and rewards environmental leadership in the property industry and is the official certification body of buildings under the Green Star SA Rating System. The organisation aims to ensure that all buildings are built and operated in an environmentally sustainable way, so that all South Africans work and live in healthy, effective and productive environments.
