In another ‘first’ for the South African green building sector, Solid Green Consulting has been awarded the first 6-Star Green Star SA Interiors v1 certification for the company’s own offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg.
Located on the second floor of an existing mixed-use commercial building on Tyrwhitt Avenue, the 180-m2 premises have been designed to accommodate fifteen employees. Marloes Reinink, director at Solid Green, says, “We spend about 90% of our time indoors, either at work in our offices or at home. It is therefore logical to focus on making interior spaces support healthy living by improving the air quality of our indoor spaces.”
Full-height windows and glass sliding doors, together with strategically paced opening window sections, optimise natural lighting and ventilation. In recognition of the benefits of including Biophilia in building designs, the building includes a green wall, plants in the work areas, succulents along the north-facing balcony and small-scale urban farming is planned for the open-air terrace.
Radiant cooling and energy efficient equipment (laptops and printers are Energy Star rated) have been specified. All light fittings are LEDs with occupancy sensors. A 1.8kW thinfilm solar PV system on the roof takes the office to net zero energy on an annual basis.
Rainwater tanks and water saving fittings are planned, as well as rainwater harvesting for irrigation of the exterior vegetable garden. By integrating with the office’s smart-metering systems, Solid Green’s own Solid Insight application enables automated billing for energy and water consumption, while environmental reporting is also handled automatically.
All office furniture is reused or refurbished and feature seating in the meeting nook was made from recycled 2-litre plastic bottles and recycled partitioning material. Solid Green’s employees have easy access to public transport, including Gautrain Rosebank Station, taxi rank and bus station.
Alternative transport modes include an electric car and electric bicycles with charging facilities; car-sharing; and cyclist facilities.
More information from Karen Eicker, +27 82 215 1361 / + 27 11 646 9200 / karen@apexcommunications.co.za
