Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Gold glimmers on SA Green Stars
Awards for trailblazer green buildings and the professionals who realise them triple in 6th year
SOUTH Africa’s top rated Green Star SA buildings and leading green b u i l d i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l s were announced in the Green Star SA Leadership Awards 2015 at the recent annual green building convention in Cape Town.
The annual Green Star SA Leadership Awards, sponsored by Old Mutual Property, has four categories. For buildings, there are the highest rated building and best quality submission awards, and individual professionals are recognised as either rising green stars or established green stars.
Green Building Council South Africa ( GBCSA) chief executive, Brian Wilkinson, said: “Our convention this year aimed to inspire better buildings, and this is exactly what our leading building professionals and projects are achieving. They constantly work towards designing, building and operating better, greener buildings that tread lightly on our stressed planet.
These winners are at the forefront of making a difference in the built environment... leading by example in the greening and sustainability space”.
Old Mutual Property regional manager, Faieda Jacobs, said the organisation is committed to sustainable development, and the breadth and quality of entries submitted is evidence that many corporates have started to come on board.
Hotel Verde in Cape Town was the winner in the highest rated building category for its existing building performance (EBP) pilot tool rating.
Hotel Verde is owned by Mario Delicio and Andre Harms of Ecolution was the project’s accredited professional (AP).
Wilkinson said this award is given to the project that attains the highest points in the final rating for the 12 months under consideration.
“Hotel Verde, with its six star Green Star SA EBP rating, showcases some of the most advanced, environmentally conscious technological installations, construction methods, procurement and operational practices of any hotel in the country,” said Wilkinson.
Runner up in this category, Upper Grayston Building in Sandton Central, Johannesburg was recognised for its six star Green Star SA Office v1 As Built rating. It is owned by Tower Property Fund and its APs were Annelidé Sherrat and Marloes Reinink of Solid Green.
The best quality submission award was won by Solid Green’s Dash Coville, for his work as the green building AP on the Monte Circle Building A development. The development received a four-star Green Star SA Office v1 Design rating and achieved a score of 98 percent of points targeted. Monte Circle is owned by Abland.
The runner-up in this category was Sally Misplon for her work as the green building AP on the Gatehouse Building at Black River Park in Observatory, Cape Town. The building received an EBP Green Star SA rating and is owned by Redefine Properties.
Acknowledging outstanding and ongoing contribution to green building in South Africa, Alison Groves of WSP was awarded the Established Green Star. Jaco Kemp of Arup was named the runner-up in this category.
“We consider it very important to recognise those who have continually contributed to the green building economy and, in particular, through Green Star SA buildings,” said Wilkinson.
Mauritz Kruger of RHDVH was named this year’s Rising Green Star
‘The future is
and Nick Gorrie of Agama was the category’s runner-up.
“The future is indeed bright with professionals like these working together for a better built environ- ment,” Wilkinson said.
In 2009 the GBCSA awarded the country’s first green certification and in April 2014 celebrated 50 Green Star SA ratings. Since than, the number of Green Star SA ratings has nearly tripled to 140 certified projects.
Wilkinson said: “The significant growth in green building is thanks, in part, to the support of our sponsors. We have been overwhelmed by the commercial property sector’s commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency”.