Department of Health office building recognized by GBCSA in South Africa

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South Africa’s Department of Transport and Public Works has been recognized by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) for the work on Department of Health building that is currently under construction.

The US$8.7 million regional office structure located at Karl Bremer Hospital in Bellville is the first to receive the GBCSA Socio-Economic Category Pilot Award. The project also won the GBCSA 5-Star Green Star Certified SA rating for design of a public or education building. If everything goes as planned, the new office building will be completed in January 2017.

The Socio-Economic Award is always awarded to a green building project with a significant contribution to creation of employment, expansion of economic opportunity, training and development of skills, significant benefit to the community, empowerment, as well as health and safety. The Green Star rating measures the level at which the building’s design performs well in terms of indoor environmental quality, management, transport, energy, materials, water, land use and ecology, emissions, and innovation. Four stars means “best practice”, and five stars means “South African excellence”.

The building currently under construction on a 14 000 m2 piece of land on the corner of Mike Pienaar Boulevard and Frans Conradie Drive will offer accommodation facilities to over 320 public servants. The building is expected to catalyze the regeneration of surrounding areas up on its completion. Since the start of construction in January 2015, a total of U$$4.7 million has been used on sourcing services from local contractors. The project is boosting the fortunes of building contractors, particularly small contractors and local suppliers.

The building will use as little water as possible, generate very little waste, and provide healthier and conducive working conditions for workers. Passive solar design will reduce the need for heating and cooling. Activity spaces are open and designed to encourage communication between offices and encouraging a sense of community.