The recent 4-Star Green Star PEB Custom Industrial Certification for Plumblink Head Office and Distribution Centre in Gauteng, proves that it’s absolutely possible to design industrial spaces that are mindful of their environmental impact. The plaque was handed over in May 2024.

Plumblink is a specialist plumbing, bathroom, and kitchenware business currently operating from over 140 branches throughout South Africa. While industrial buildings are typically assumed to be unsustainable or not particularly considerate of their environmental impact, Plumblink’s new Head Office and Distribution Centre in Woodmead shows us otherwise…

Keep reading: Plumblink redefines the Sustainable Industrial Typology 

Building Information

Address: Crn Pretoria Main Road and Beatty Street, Woodmead, Sandton,2191
Total gross floor area: 14 754 m²
Total PEB area: 10 851m² Industrial Space

Sustainable building features

Some energy, water and environmental initiatives Include:

• Minimisation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions associated with operational energy consumption is reduced. An energy model of the building was generated and in the design stages of the building compared to a notional building model. The building design demonstrated an improvement over a SANS 10400 notional building.
• Provision is made to ensure all individual spaces or enclosed spaces are individually switched with occupancy sensors. This will offer greater flexibility for light switching, making it easy to light only occupied areas.
• The office lighting design ensures the use of artificial lighting with minimal energy consumption as the energy use of less than 1.5 W/m² per 100 Lux was set for the office lighting power densities.
• Tobacco smoke is prohibited inside the building to ensure air quality benefits to the building occupants.
• All selected gaseous and fire suppression systems and thermal insulants used for the development have an Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) of zero, to eliminate any contributions to long-term damage to the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer.
• Evaporative cooling towers or other evaporative cooling systems that creates the risk of legionella disease are eliminated from the design of the building.
• The building achieves a savings using water efficient fittings that limit the occupant water usage.
• Sub-metering of major water consuming systems is in place. Gathering information is key to understanding and managing building systems and to assess opportunities for water savings.
• Potable water consumption for landscape irrigation has been reduced through smart metering and selection of waterwise plants.
• The project achieved innovation points for a GSSAAP Team- where 5 professional team members and 4 members of the main contractor has successfully completed the online Green Star New built course. Ensuring an enhanced understanding of the green star rating tool.

Project Team

OWNER: Barrow Construction
ACCREDITED PROFFESSIONAL: Solid Green Consulting
ARCHITECT: Paragon Architects
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: One Zero
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: Adaptive Resources
QUANTITY SURVEYORS: Barrow Construction
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: Kantey and Templer
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CONSULTANT: Solid Green Consutling
MAIN CONTRACTOR: Barrow Construction
PROJECT MANAGER: Barrow Construction

Certificate

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