The construction of Baywest City office block in South Africa has started. Situated in Port Elizabeth’s Western Suburb., the office block is expected to be operational at the end of 2016. The construction will be the first green rated commercial office block to be constructed in the Eastern Cape.
Other green rated buildings in the province classified by the Green Building Council of South Africa include the Five star National English Library Museum located in Grahams Town and the Four Star Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Business School.
The Baywest City office block in South Africa will be fitted with aluminium facade which will impersonate the outline of the Port Elizabeth Coastline.
The office block will also have a 40kW roof mounted solar photovoltaic system, a rainwater harvesting system and highly insulated roofing, walls and floors in order for it to be able to maintain moderate internal temperature even when there is fluctuating external temperature.
The building’s solar system will provide 15 percent of the energy requirements for the building. Its basement parking will also allow room for bicycles, motor cycles and energy efficient hybrid vehicles. In addition, there would also be a landscape garden around the building and it will be maintained using the harvested water.
According to the Project Director for Architecture firm Activate, Edward Brooks, a project like this was enjoyable to work with and it attracted high end tenants. This might come with a higher capital outlay of 5 to 20 percent, with keen notice on the scarcity of electricity and energy saving that the building will contribute to overtime.
According to the MD for Baywest City, Gavin Blows, the green office block is the first to be developed in the area. The developers ensured that it was eco-friendly setting aside 20 percent of the 320 ha of Baywest City Site for protection of indigenous and rare fauna and flora.
In additionally, Baywest City office block in South Africa will have fibre optic network after a deal between Baywest and Vodacom was sealed.
