> buildings still recycles internal air – warming or cooling Unfortunately, as WSP Green By Design’s managing
as needed – despite the suitable temperature of the director Eric Noir explains, the black water system has
external air much of the time, Reinink says. Nedbank yet to be installed as it is still awaiting approval from
Phase II has an air conditioning system that uses the local municipal authority and other bodies. Noir is
untreated fresh air for about 60 per cent of the year, hopeful that the bureaucracy can do its work within a
taking advantage of long, relatively warm winters. few months so that the ‘As Built’ certification can be
Reinink predicts that shortages of water will be completed with the black water system in place.
a major problem in the coming five years in South As in Britain, green buildings in South Africa win
Africa. Phase II has been designed to use a ‘black water’ points for proximity to public transport, and Phase II
system, whereby a recycling plant in the basement is within 1km of the forthcoming Gautrain network
collects all flushed toilet water in the building, along across Johannesburg.
with water from the washbasins. The solids go into the While the city has a serious traffic congestion
sewer while the water is cleaned and reused for non- problem, public transport is still in its infancy and
drinking purposes, such as flushing toilets, irrigation therefore the parking space allocation is relatively
and supplying the cooling towers that serve the air high, at almost one space for every two of the building’s
conditioning. The black water system reduces the 3,000 occupants – although this is still lower than
amount of water used by the building by around 60 standard council requirements.
per cent, Reinink says. The building boasts a lighting system that will be up
South Africa goes for Green Star, with help from Down Under
The Green Building Council of South support to help the South African council retail buildings is due to be launched in April
Africa was established in September 2007 get up and running quickly. ‘The Australians and there are plans to develop rating tools
and became affiliated to the World Green were unbelievably instrumental in getting us for industrial buildings, hotels, mixed use
Building Council a year later. It uses a set up quite fast,’ says Noir. developments, data centres and also for the
Green Star rating method based on the one Apart from Nedbank Phase II, so far only efficient management of existing buildings.
developed by the Australian Green Building four projects have been fully registered for an Unlike Australia, which has its Building
Council. assessment with the council: three are part Code, there are few if any legal controls on
Eric Noir, managing director of WSP of the forthcoming Menlyn Maine mixed- carbon emissions in South Africa. There is
Green By Design and a founding member used development in Pretoria, while the also no equivalent to Part L of the Building
of the council, explains that Green Star fourth is the Lincoln on the Lake mixed-use Regulations for England and Wales.
was chosen over the BREEAM and LEED development at Durban. ‘The government has been working on
assessment methods partly because Jason Buch, the council’s technical an energy code for buildings for the last five
BREEAM was considered ‘a bit too UK- manager, insists this is a good start by South years,’ says Buch. ‘They were supposed to
centric for us, from a climate point of view’, African standards: ‘We are aware of at least have released it a few years ago. Hopefully
while the Australian council, which already 10 to 20 building projects that are working one day soon. it will be a legal requirement.
had the Green Star system, offered practical towards [the standard].’ A certification for But there’s nothing so far.’
34 CIBSE Journal March 2010 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEmar10 pp32-35_nedbank.indd 34 25/2/10 16:00:26
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