It was incredibly rewarding to both organise and participate in a Green Building tour that celebrated Intaprop’s visionary approach to creating a precinct centred around human scale, where people truly own the urban space.

Since 2018/19, Oxford Parks has seen remarkable milestones in green building. The first building, 199 Oxford Road, achieved a 5-Star Green Star Certification, setting the foundation for further progress. Today, with refined strategies and lessons learned, each new development within the precinct has incorporated increasingly cost-effective and sustainable solutions.

The 5th and 6th buildings—7 Parks Boulevard and 5 Parks Boulevard—have both achieved 6-Star Green Star Certifications and Net Zero strategies, demonstrating that sustainability can be attained with a cost uplift of just 1,3% to 2,4%. Looking ahead, the 7th and 8th buildings, 10 Parks Boulevard and 55 Eastwood, are both targeting 6-Star V1.1, Net Zero, and V2 Certifications. This dedication reinforces Intaprop’s and Solid Green’s leadership in driving transformation within the African built environment.

Attending the tour, Kamohelo Selepe shared, “The experience was nothing short of inspiring. The day was filled with insightful conversations, networking opportunities, and a deeper appreciation of the precinct’s role in pioneering sustainability in the built environment.” The event provided a firsthand look at Oxford Parks’ commitment to pedestrian-friendly, environmentally responsible urban design.

A particularly memorable aspect of the tour was exploring the integration of art into the precinct’s identity. One standout piece was Usha Seejarim’s striking wing sculpture at the Radisson RED Hotel. Crafted from soleplates of domestic irons, the sculpture symbolises women’s agency and resonates with ancient winged mythological figures. Kamohelo noted:

This thoughtful use of materials transforms everyday objects into powerful artistic expressions.

Intaprop Director Carollyn Mitchell’s words, “Joburg is a city in a jungle, and people own the space”, capture the essence of Oxford Parks. The development harmonises nature, urban design and community ownership, reinforcing Johannesburg’s identity as a dynamic and evolving city where people actively shape their environment.

This journey highlights the collective commitment to green building, setting a benchmark for the industry. As Oxford Parks continues to evolve, it serves as a model for future developments in Johannesburg and beyond, proving that sustainability, innovation and human-centred design are fundamental to the future of urban spaces.

The post Oxford Parks Precinct: Celebrating Sustainability in Urban Design appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

1. Performance
2. Responsible Design and Construction
3. Health and Wellbeing
4. Protection and Conservation of Ecological Value

Highlighting Health

By Annelidé Sherratt, Director of the Healthy category and Head of Solid Green’s Green Building Certifications department

Annelidé Sherratt

Our work and living spaces have a significant impact on how we feel physically, emotionally and psychologically. The Healthy Category underscores the significant role the built environment can play in enhancing the wellbeing of its inhabitants.

Contributing factors are:

• the level and source of light
• the quality of the air
• how noisy the environment is
• the opportunities that exist for activity
• connection to natural spaces
• choice of materials

The recent study ‘Examining the impact of indoor environmental quality on individual productivity of knowledge workers in green certified buildings’ (Nurick, S. and Thatcher, A., 2023, Journal of Corporate Real Estate) explores the link in South Africa between indoor environmental quality and productivity of green offices. Using a case-study approach focused on the financial services sector, the research found that control of ambient noise levels and temperature, as well as quality lighting, were all drivers of productivity, while access to nature provides a positive contribution to psychological well-being. Furthermore, a high-quality indoor environment increases the comfort, wellbeing and health of its users. In a workplace, this can lead to increased work-engagement, and facilitates a strong organisational culture – which, in-turn, promote increased productivity, attraction and retention of employees.

In the second version of the Green Star tool, the application of new minimum requirements in the Healthy category aim to transform the market towards better IEQ (Indoor Environmental Quality) controls.

The intention of the minimum requirements is to set a baseline that propels the industry forward and recognises excellence. Emphasis is placed on implementing these requirements from the outset of a project in order to avoid additional costs if these measures are implemented later as an afterthought.

Minimum requirements for the Healthy category are*:

• Healthy indoor air quality conditions must be achieved and maintained by minimising the concentration and recirculation of pollutants in the building. This is achieved by keeping acceptable levels of indoor pollutants, providing high levels of fresh air and minimising pollutants entering the building.
• The building must provide good daylight and glare control while offering high-quality lighting.
• The building’s occupants must not be directly exposed to VOC toxins in regularly occupied spaces. This is achieved by installing low-VOC or non-toxic paints, adhesives, sealants and carpets.

A Sense of Place

By Adrie Fourie, Director of the Places category and Head of Solid Green’s Sustainable Cities & Research department

Adrie Fourie

By 2050, cities are projected to accommodate two-thirds of the global population. Significant changes are needed to handle the surge in population, address the strains on aging infrastructure, and adequately meet residents’ essential requirements for housing and access to vital services such as clean water and sanitation.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) delineate our shared global aspirations for future development. SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) specifies “new, intelligent urban planning that creates safe, affordable and resilient cities with green and culturally inspiring living conditions”. People-centred placemaking is a pivotal strategy that aligns with this vision and is integrated into the PLACES category.

The introduction of this new category is prompting the market to transform. Projects are given the chance to prioritise people in design, and project teams are rewarded for the qualitative socio-economic advantages of sustainable design. By developing well-conceived public places, projects can help to create dynamic, integrated, functional urban fabric that enriches the end-user’s experience, enhances movement, and bolsters economic activity.

People-centred placemaking, as an extension of green building design, offers a holistic approach to shaping cities of the future. We can create sustainable and liveable urban spaces by considering the contributions buildings make to specific locations such as:

• integrating with existing transport systems
• encouraging active modes of transport such as walking and cycling
• incorporating culture and heritage
• ensuring safety and security

This approach prioritises the well-being and needs of residents, furthers social inclusion, fosters a strong sense of community, and enhances the overall quality of life in cities.

The minimum requirement for the Places category is contained within the first credit – Contribution to Place – and projects will specifically be asked to undertake the following:

• The project team completes the Site Context Pre-Screening Checklist provided on the certification engine.
• The project team communicates the building’s urban contextual indicators to the applicant.
• The project team compiles a community organisation inventory.

For more information on the Green Star New Build V2 rating tool, or to find out how we can support you in pursuing your Green Star targets, please reach out to us here.

*RAISING the Green Star bar – +IMPACT Magazine (positive-impact.africa)

The post Green Star New Build V2: the Healthy and Places categories appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Annelide Sherratt

This course specifically appealed to me as performance computer modelling is covered in detail and, being well versed in various sustainability tools, I wanted to gain the skill of using modelling to scientifically show how building performance can be optimised and even influence design decisions at a conceptual stage.

So far, the course has broadened my understanding of sustainability at a global scale particularly around fuel sources, energy generation systems and the operations of companies. Accredited by both the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the Energy Institute of the UK, this Masters satisfies the educational aspects of becoming a chartered engineer in the UK. The course covers topics ranging from sustainable development, sustainable energy, and building services through to energy analysis techniques and building performance modelling.

A comprehensive understanding of the latest renewable energy generation technologies is also given as well as the skills of how to design and scale these technologies within any context. Importantly, business operations and policies are analysed to recommend measures to move from business-as-usual towards disruptive, innovative operations that align with the global agenda to combat climate change.

The course comprises eight modules – four per year, with the completion of a dissertation required for the third and final year. The modules include Sustainable Development; Sustainable Buildings; Sustainable Energy; Building Physics; Building Performance Modelling; and Energy Analysis Techniques.

Currently I am in the last part of my second year completing the modules Energy Analysis Techniques relating to Building Services; and Building Performance Modelling: applying IES (Integrated Environmental Solutions) modelling software to analyse a building in terms of thermal comfort, energy performance, daylight optimisation and building fabric performance.

In addition, one of three optional modules is required – Leading Change for Sustainability, Low-Impact Manufacturing, or Engineering Business Environment. I chose the latter, which looks at businesses and how they can achieve sustainability from an operational perspective and through company policies.

I am aiming to complete my Masters in May 2022. The building performance modelling and energy analysis techniques that I have studied have given me a comprehensive, in-depth understanding of various building services and, equipped with this knowledge in future, I look forward to working with multi-disciplinary teams to optimise designs and explore potential innovations on their projects.

The post A Masters in Energy & Sustainability appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.