SANRAL Southern Region’s Eastern Cape office is the first commercial building to be awarded the coveted 5 Star Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) Design rating in the province and in Nelson Mandela Bay. The three-storey, modern design structure needed to include quality finishes reflecting professionalism and a friendly atmosphere. The building is located next to Baywest Mall, which is adjacent to the N2 freeway in Port Elizabeth. The project started in August 2015 and was completed in December 2016.

SANRAL CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma encouraged the team to expand the role they play in the green environment. “I love the building and I want to spend more time here,” said Macozoma, who visited the building earlier this year.

Addressing the staff, Macozoma said an environment conducive to working well starts with the physical building.

“I have spoken to a lot of people and they are very proud of this building. I want you to entrench this office in this region. I want you to plan jointly with our stakeholders, to jointly prioritise projects and to work together to identify where we’re going to source funding from to implement projects of common interest. I think we will be able to win our people over, and they will see how relevant SANRAL is to their development.”

The building design includes energy efficiency, a reduction in the use of potable water and acoustic treatment. It also boasts an efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, as well as the use of low-embodiedenergy materials.

Other green features of the building
• A learning resource in the foyer communicates and educates building users on some of its sustainability interventions, for example, Eskom energy consumed and PV energy generated (thus CO2 from Eskom saved), water consumption and savings, and the various acoustic interventions
• Site location offers good public amenities for staff and visitors
• Public transport integration
• Bicycle storage, lockers and showers
• Focus on high-quality commissioning and building tuning for one year
after occupation, to ensure the building operates as intended in design
• Low volatile organic compound paint and carpets
• Reduction in products containing formal-dehydes
• Forest Stewardship Council certified timber and joinery
• Recycled steel content and aggregate
• Reduced cement use

The building has a 90kWh peak roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system, rainwater harvesting system, highly insulated walls and roofng and fooring to maintain a comfortable internal temperature.

Environmental considerations have been incorporated into the landscaping through irrigation-reducing technologies, such as automated seasonal adjustment, Rain Bird sensors, which automatically shut off the sprinkler system when it rains, soil moisture sensors, drip irrigation and mulching.

Sound-absorbing materials have been installed to reduce and maintain appropriate internal noise levels. Marlize Nel-Verwey, Special Projects Manager overseeing the design and construction of the building, said: “With our road network continuously

expanding, a growing staff complement and the inclusion of SANRAL’s Technical Academy, we had to relocate to bigger premises. This was an opportunity for us to design a building that would be inclusive of creating connectivity, a positive work environment and a building that echoes our commitment to a green and sustainable economy.” Edward Brooks, director of Activate Architecture, said that each of the building’s facades is highly energy efficient with the roof also being insulated.

“Our brief was around SANRAL’s professionalism. SANRAL has a huge responsibility to deliver roads and infrastructure to the country and you need to come across as professionals and I think the building certainly delivers that. The multiple spaces are also designed around team building and cohesion. There are multiple meeting spaces and impromptu spaces, en-couraging you to talk to your colleagues,” he said.

THE SANRAL Western Cape office building in Bellville, Cape Town, at the corner of Durban Road and Mispel Street on the onramp to the N1 highway, is lending itself to great exposure. This building was awarded the 4 Star Green Star SA – Office v1 Design rating in December 2013.

The office building is constructed from two interconnecting blocks around a central, full-height atrium in an H-configuration. In terms of function, it consists of three office levels over two mechanical ventilated basement levels.

Sustainable building features include:
• Variable air volume HVAC system with terminal heaters that supply air for all heating, ventilation and cooling requirements
• Digital addressable lighting installation provides lighting to the general office area by means of air handling T5 fluorescent fittings
• Domestic hot water is supplied to the kitchen and cyclist facilities by hot-water cylinders, while instanthot water heaters provide point source heating to the pause and entertainment areas
• Two fire escape stairwells, one in each block, provide general vertical circulation through the building.