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.

How it started…

… How its going

While we could focus on that here, you’d miss out on all the fun had in between. Empty spaces were filled, plans re-adjusted, plants flourished, and lessons were learnt. And yet it’s still a work in progress that will, hopefully, continue to evolve over time.

A church bench repurposed, along with second hand office furniture

We have consistently prioritised alignment with our company’s mission, vision, and values, ensuring that our actions mirror our principles. In the selection of furniture, we have a number of second-hand and locally sourced gems that work really well, proving that you don’t always have to purchase new to experience quality, style, and functionality. It’s a testament to the sustainability of reusing and repurposing, extending the life of an item, and also showcasing that value and character can be found in pre-owned pieces. And if we didn’t like the colour the furniture came in, well… what else is paint for?

Locker doors painted and decorated by staff

Colour was explored within the established Solid Green colour palette, and low VOC paint was used both to highlight and enhance certain features or elements. The lockers, once a dull shade of beige, have been transformed (with the help of chalk paint) into colourful individual, personalised storage spaces. The splash of colour in bathrooms coincided with covering up the patching of settlement cracks that occurred – we’re nothing if not deliberate!

Hand towel – sun dried

Passive lighting design was given a chance to shine – quite literally, through the introduction of skylights in the bathroom and kitchen areas. A quirky result of this is the repositioning of the hand towel ring onto the “sunnier” wall, using the sun shining through the aforementioned skylight to aid with passive drying. Talk about practising what you preach!

Space has been utilised more efficiently while still offering a variety of spaces for different uses such as standing vs seated desks, quiet break away zones and spaces for retreat. Hot-desking has been one of the most successful strategies that was implemented, with research showing that employees can focus on work without the distraction of a cluttered desk space and, at the same time, gain access to new ideas when working next to different team members.

As people are often creatures of habit, it’s been interesting to see how mini office neighbourhoods have naturally formed over time. Of course, it was fun to watch the competition that ensued when vying for the “hot spots” in winter, but all was fair on a “first come first serve” basis. And the opposite is true in summer, especially with the recent series of heat waves. A set of fans on opposite ends of the office have offered some relief, and investigations are currently underway by our modelling team to improve the thermal comfort of the space. We live and learn!

Other improvements include the addition of raised access timber flooring (for the ventilation system); installing a pump to facilitate irrigation using rainwater from our large tank; and smart plugs on all appliances with an app to make our energy management even easier. Future plans include recycled skirtings and painted feature walls.

View from garden to the office interior

The journey in transforming the office serves as a powerful visual representation of our progress and transformation over the course of the last year, allowing us to explore our commitment to sustainability and the built environment. Our office is a work-in-progress; an evolving, regenerative space for working in. And, if our year end office celebration was anything to go by, well… let’s just say that rumour has it that weddings could be held in it too!

Our second-hand sofa once had white legs!

The post Our Office Chapter 12: Far from Yesteryear appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Designed as a multi-tenanted building with maximum flexibility to enable both large and small tenancies, this 19,900m², 7-storey building has a double volume entrance that relates well to the retail centre on the west. An impressive internal atrium covered by a steel and glass roof contains a white cantilever staircase that connects all floors and hopefully entices users to skip the lift for the stairs.

Energy and Water Strategies

To reduce the overall energy consumption of the building, the following strategies were implemented:

• Energy modelling carried out during the design stages of the building helped to reduce operational energy consumption by 42% compared to a notional building model.
• Thermal energy storage reduces the energy demand of the mechanical system and shifts the heating and cooling load off peak.
• Ongoing management of energy consumption is in place through sub-metering of tenancies and all substantive energy loads.
• Occupancy sensors positioned throughout the circulation and common areas ensure that lights are only on when needed.

Water strategies have been put in place to reduce the use of potable water through the efficient design of building systems and accurate monitoring of water consumption. The target for potable water consumption is 0.26L/day/m², reduced from 0.92L/day/m². As a result of this reduction, the building’s discharge to sewer has been reduced by 50% against an average practice benchmark.

Water saving initiatives include:

• Sanitary fittings and waterless urinals.
• Waterwise landscaping and efficient irrigation systems.
• Rainwater collected from the roof of the building is filtered and treated for external irrigation and toilet flushing.

Environmental considerations

Zendré Compion, Senior Sustainable Building Consultant, explains that the site’s ecological footprint was minimised by using a site situated within a municipal approved urban edge and by redeveloping a previously occupied site. “To reduce light pollution, outdoor lighting was designed so that no lights shine directly up into the night sky,” Zendré adds.

This is because over-lit buildings can have a devastating environmental impact on nocturnal creatures by disorientating them and changing behavioural patterns – which impacts urban ecosystems. Accordingly, the brightness of all external lighting on balconies, parking areas and walkways was aligned to the minimum required maintained illuminance for these areas.

All thermal insulating materials used in the project have an Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of zero, ensuring no adverse impact to the Earth’s stratospheric ozone layer over the long term. The project has also taken a significant step by decreasing the total amount of Portland Cement by 30% in all concrete applications, thereby minimising the consumption of energy and resources during construction. Furthermore, the building incorporates reinforcing steel with a minimum post-consumer recycled content of 54% by mass, underlining the project’s commitment to more sustainable material choices. This emphasis on material characteristics extends to the sourcing of new materials, promoting a holistic approach to responsible material selection.

Ensuring occupant wellbeing

As salaries are the highest cost to companies, all occupied areas receive large amounts of fresh air to ensure a healthy work environment. An abundant supply of outdoor air is delivered at a 66% higher rate than the SANS 10400-O standard, to counteract the accumulation of indoor pollutants. This is achieved via the energy efficient air conditioning, which allows more fresh air to be introduced into the building without increasing the building’s energy use significantly.

Furthermore, paints and carpets have low VOC content, which contributes to a heathier indoor environment for building users.

Park Lane West’s strategic location, flexible design, and focus on resource efficiency, environmental and wellbeing strategies underscore the client and project team’s vision for a more holistic and sustainable approach to mixed-use developments, and their positive impact on urban living.

Project Team

OWNER: PARKLANE WEST CO-OWNERSHIP, MENLYN MAINE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS & BARROW PROPERTIES (Pty) Ltd
ACCREDITED PROFFESSIONAL: SOLID GREEN CONSULTING
ARCHITECT: BOOGERTMAN + PARTNERS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: BERTA WIUM LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: RWP TAEMANE CONSULTING ENGINEERS
FIRE ENGINEER: WSP
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: C3 ENGINEERS
QUANTITY SURVEYORS: RLB PENTAD QUANTITY SURVEYORS
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: WSP STRUCTURES AFRICA
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CONSULTANT: SOLID GREEN CONSULTING
WET SERVICES: WSP BUILDING SERVICES AFRICA
MAIN CONTRACTOR: BARROW CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT MANAGER: BOOGERTMAN + PARTNERS & MMIH
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT: LEAP ENVIRO
INTERIOR DESIGNER: BOOGERTMAN + PARTNERS INTERIORS
OCCUPANTIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGER: CAIRNMEAD

The post Park Lane West: Shaping Sustainability in Urban Living appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

The Firsouth office is targeting an ambitious 6-Star Interiors v1 certification for their refurbished offices and laboratories. The office, with a usable area of 1109,2m², is situated in an industrial zone in Midrand, Johannesburg, near highway access. The building itself is largely glazed, which ensures that most of the interior has access to daylighting and external views.

To deliver on the client’s values and aims, the Tétris design, furniture and project management team had to view the entire project delivery as a sustainable eco-system. The outcome is a workplace filled with light, plants and detailing for productive, comfortable and healthy workspaces. The design team used the hexagonal shape of a chemical molecule as the framework for its design and combined it with the structured geometry of traditional African ShweShwe fabric patterns. Planters, carpet tile designs and wallpapers all reflect this design language and combine well with Firmenich’s global brand standards to create an international look and feel that’s combined with local culture.

Air

The team worked closely with the client to understand the specific requirements for their office and laboratories. Air quality is core to Firmenich achieving a healthy workspace environment. Air flows are managed to ensure that odours remain inside the laboratories and don’t extend beyond these areas. The HVAC system distributes fresh air throughout the space, and CO₂ monitors continually measure air quality to ensure full compliance. Non-critical air conditioners are on timers to reduce unnecessary use of power.

Access to two outdoor balconies and openable windows allow for additional fresh air to enter the building. Interior spaces are shaded by external awnings, which also decreases the need for excessive use of air conditioning and provides visual comfort from glare. Areas are accessed through sealed, no-touch, double doors that are activated by access cards to ensure that each space is thermally controlled.

Cebisa Mafukuzela, sustainable building consultant at Solid Green, adds that the project has included Indoor Air Quality monitoring that focuses on virus management.

Considering the Covid pandemic, Firmenich prioritises the health and safety of employees and has installed a system that ensures indoor air quality remains at a healthy rate.

Water

At the request of the client, the design and project management team was tasked with providing solutions for harvesting rainwater, storing water, sourcing underground water and ensuring efficient water use.

Rainwater is harvested from the roof and parking area and then stored in a 100kL underground concrete water storage tank. This system reduces the reliance on municipally supplied water by approximately 67%. Collected rainwater is pumped to an above ground 5kL tank and then through a reverse osmosis treatment plant to provide potable water to the building. To become even more self-sufficient, a borehole was sunk to access natural underground water. The quality of the water production is consistently tested and measured, thereby ensuring the continuous supply of compliant potable water.

No-touch timed sensor taps are used throughout, which equates to a water saving of 60% in relation to conventional taps. All toilets are Propelair toilets, which use 84% less water in comparison to conventional toilets. In addition, a circular heat pump ensures that hot water is immediately available when taps are opened, thereby reducing water wastage.

Energy

A 75% reduction in municipal power use was achieved through the installation of 110kWp photovoltaic system with battery storage, which ensures continuous productivity despite power outages. Energy consumption and peak demand figures are measured by meters that are connected to the building management system (BMS), which is updated continuously at the polling speed of the BMS controller (live trending). This information is displayed on a screen in the main entrance foyer to allow staff and visitors to see the usage, to share reduction targets and to create awareness. As part of the energy saving strategy, the project has opted to select energy efficient equipment wherever possible to ensure that the operating consumption is as low as possible. All lighting used within the building is energy efficient LED.

Waste

An operational waste management strategy has been put in place to ensure that waste generated throughout the offices is collected, sorted, and recycled where possible. All waste types, including food, plastic, glass, tins, general waste, paper and cardboard, will be collected in recycling bins and transferred to the waste storage area for collection for recycling on a weekly basis.

Amenities

Limited car parking is provided for allocated staff members to encourage the use of alternative transport modes. One electric car station is available on site located near the entrance of the building. Cyclist facilities such as gym showers, lockers and changing facilities are available for employees.

The office is located within on kilometre walking distance of a bus and taxi stop as well as other amenities such as an ATM, convenience store, a restaurant, a place of worship and a retail shop.

For Ashley Sams, Firmenich’s Global Workplace Solutions Workplace Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, the highlight of the project is being able to bring together the improved workplace experience, enhanced offices and laboratories as well as various sustainable initiatives into a single project. He says:

To get the balance of achieving these in an equally successful manner with the various stakeholders involved was a challenge that I’d like to think we successfully navigated.

This inclusive approach, together with a creative yet practical vision, has enabled Firmenich to confidently demonstrate its commitment to user wellbeing and sustainability.

Project Team

Developer: Firmenich
Accredited Professional: Solid Green Consulting
Architect: Tétris
Interior architect: Tétris
Electrical engineer: Presto Electrical
Mechanical engineer: SFGP
Quantity surveyors: Tétris
Sustainable building consultant: Solid Green Consulting
Wet services: Tétris
Project manager: Tétris

The post A breath of fresh air: 6-Star Interiors rating for Firmenich’s Firsouth Office appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Due to its location in the CBD, the building – which has eight floors and a GFA of 8720sqm – is well connected to local amenities and existing public transport infrastructure, and offers proximity to accommodation for staff or visitors. This enabled the project to achieve a high score under the Green Star Transport credits.

Zendré Compion, Senior Sustainable Building Consultant at Solid Green, explains that organisations should consider sustainability at the earliest stages of a new office project. “Choosing an existing building over a new building has major implications,” she says.

The impact of new construction, with the associated waste and urban sprawl, is significant. Green Star therefore rewards refurbishment projects for reusing as much of the existing building as possible, in this case the whole structure and façade; as well as for ‘Reuse of land’ under Land Use and Ecology, and for not impacting topsoil. In this instance, the building’s contribution to revitalising the city centre was also considered.

Compion adds that refurbishment projects are also rewarded for reduced environmental impact through a slightly simplified set of criteria because the material value comprises less than 1% of the contract value, so a number of the Green Star material credits fall away such as timber, concrete and steel.

While older buildings may be a challenge on some fronts, a potential benefit to refurbishment is that many of them were designed with good passive design principles – a practice that was slowly eroded as building thermal comfort became increasingly easy to manage with automated systems. In this case, the NERSA building has smaller glazed elements, large overhangs, external vertical blinds where the afternoon summer sun hits the building, and narrow floor plates.

A key focus for the refurbishment was the upgrading of the building’s major mechanical and water systems – which made it possible to target Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), Energy (ENE) and Water points. Energy modelling of the refurbished building design was carried out and the results indicated an improvement of 42% in Greenhouse Gas Emissions associated with operational energy consumption compared to a notional building model.

Energy uses of 100kVA or greater and all major water uses are sub-metered and managed through an efficient energy management system. Upgraded roofing insulation will improve the indoor thermal comfort and reduce the amount of energy used for building cooling; and internal blinds have been specified on all windows to reduce daylight glare. A total overhaul of building mechanical, electrical and wet services has improved energy efficiency. The outdated mechanical equipment was replaced by a VRF system, improving the system COP and general performance. In addition, hot water for amenities is heated using a heat-pump, thus improving efficiency and saving electricity.

Occupancy sensors were positioned throughout the circulation and common areas as well as bathrooms and storerooms, and energy efficient lighting was installed throughout the building. The lighting design was also updated to include efficient luminaires that provide appropriate lighting levels with much reduced energy consumption.

Potable water consumption has been significantly reduced through the installation of dual flush and low flow sanitary fittings, and rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing. Waste collection and recycling is being undertaken by waste and recycling service providers, with measures being put in place to improve the rate of recycling – such as the provision of confidential paper bins for white paper; flattening and storing of cardboard boxes; and the separation of wet waste (mostly from the canteen) from recyclables and landfill.

To inform occupants and users of all the building’s incorporated service and management systems, a Building User Guide was compiled, and educational material has been provided on a screen in the building foyer to communicate water and energy consumption data with occupants. This will enable the facilities management team to optimise the building’s environmental performance and minimise its environmental impact; and will go a long way to ensuring that all future alterations, additions and program changes are consistent with the intent of the purpose of the Building Users’ Guide and the health of the environment.

Compion explains that there were a few challenges in the Green Star certification process.

When working with an older building, with no physical extensions or additions and alterations, there was no room for targeting points through innovation. There were also some challenges in getting all the existing building information from old drawings. And logistically, the tenants remained in the building during construction so the refurbishment had to happen floor by floor, which made the process relatively slow and caused some discomfort to the building users at the time.

That being said, we are looking forward to see many more refurbishment projects in the future and hope that clients can make the leap to think of the sustainability of their building projects early in the design process. This is one important way in which we will be able to reduce overall construction sector impacts, and further revitalise inner cities.

The post NERSA’s existing building achieves 4 Green Stars appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Greg Gordge, partner at Elphick Proome Architecture, explains that orientation, views and flexibility were design determinants in this multi-tenanted building, which needed to accommodate any type of tenancy within certain allowances. “While the building’s footprint was restricted by the site, its favourable orientation and position on the site allowed the southern aspect to be opened up, thus delivering views towards the sea,” says Gordge.

The north, east and west facades were more controlled, with strip windows on the north façade to control solar ingress; and double-glazed fenestration on the east and west facades to control heat gain while allowing natural daylight into the spaces.

The three-storey office offering, with an entertainment area at roof level, was designed around a central core housing the building’s ablutions, services and vertical circulation. This allows a corridor to run between two sectionalized, open-plan office spaces, designed around the notion of maximum flexibility. Gordge adds that, aesthetically, the effect of a floating box was created by encapsulating the upper two floors in a concrete surround, while the remaining floors are glazed with infill brickwork. The restrained colour palette in a series of greys was determined by the Umhlanga Ridge Management Guidelines.

Nomamfengu Mbele, Sustainable Building Consultant at Solid Green, explains that, prior to construction, a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan was developed and implemented throughout the development of the building to minimize the impacts of construction work on the local environment.

The building also targeted over 70% of demolition and construction waste to be reused or recycled – however, the contractors far exceeded this expectation during construction, realizing almost 100% reused or recycled waste. A conscious choice of the materials used within the structure ensured the use of concrete with a reduced Portland cement content, and reinforced steel made of 92% recycled content.

Energy modelling was carried out during the design phase to establish an annual benchmark for energy consumption of 160 kWh/m2/per annum – a 42% improvement over a SANS 204 notional building. Because accurate data is key to understanding and managing building systems, and to assessing opportunities for energy savings, sub-metering of major energy consuming systems was installed to guide the behaviour of occupants and users, which is critical to reducing resource consumption.

In terms of Indoor Environmental Quality, an air-cooled HVAC system supplies fresh air at a rate of 2.5l/s/person for 95% of the usable area. All selected gaseous and fire suppression systems and thermal insulants have an Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) of zero; while only low VOC adhesives, sealants and carpets were used.

Sub-metering of all major water uses was implemented, to monitor and manage consumption. The project has implemented a 5000-litre harvesting system, which supplies recycled water to all low flow sanitary fittings. In addition, the xeriscaped garden surrounding the development will not be irrigated after its initial 12-month establishing period.

All building systems were successfully commissioned to ensure efficient operations as designed. With this As-Built certification, the developers of 29 Richefond Circle are continuing to demonstrate leadership in the green building sector by driving positive change.

Project Team

OWNER: Growthpoint Properties
ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL: Solid Green Consulting
ARCHITECT: Elphick Proome Architecture (EPA)
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: DBA Consulting
FIRE ENGINEER: WSP
LIFE SPECIALIST: Woollatt & Clarke
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: Spoormaker & Partners
QUANTITY SURVEYORS: FWJK
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: ARUP
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CONSULTANT: Solid Green Consulting
WET SERVICES: Spoormaker & Partners
MAIN CONTRACTOR: Trencon
PROJECT MANAGER: Betts & Townsend Construction Project Management
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT: SHE Sage
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Land Art Studio

The post 4-Star As-Built rating for 29 Richefond Circle appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Fine-tuning the details of the CLT structure and the steel supports and brackets turned into a very involved and complicated process as we kept finding new aspects of the old building that we had to work around. However, we have now placed the orders for the timber beams, CLT slab, steel supports, and performance glazing facade. The wet works on site are proceeding well, so everything should be ready for when all the other elements arrive.

Design concepts have been underway with regards to the layout, look and feel of the new office interior. We have taken the information from our biophilia workshop and how we want to use the new offices spaces, to inform how we use the furniture we already have from the old office, and to decide what we want to add. The ideal would be to reuse as much as possible from the old office with some clever design solutions that will make the space functional, adaptable and ergonomically efficient. Natural lighting, glare, acoustics and multiple workspace options – including sit desks, standing desks and couches – have been identified as the main interior design challenges that we want to address.

In terms of waste management, we have been working with our contractor to ensure that we don’t have materials going to a landfill. All the old fittings – doors, windows, roof tiles, HVAC etc – that had some value have been collected by salvagers so they can be used on other sites. A special effort was also made to capture the gasses from the old HVAC units and not just let them be released into the atmosphere as they are powerful greenhouse gasses. They were removed by the HVAC contractor to be reused elsewhere.

Most of the original brickwork is being saved and cleaned so we can reuse it onsite. The old Oregon pine roof timbers will also be cleaned up, inspected and reused. The rubble from the section of the old building that needed to be removed was a little trickier. Most of the smaller waste haulers do not really offer a recycling service and the larger contractors were not interested in our little project. We eventually found a company that would take the rubble and crush it to be used as aggregate in new bricks as long as we delivered the material to them. We also found a few other construction sites near us that needed fill material and where happy to take the rubble off our hands. One waste skip was mistakenly taken to be used as a fill stabilisation at a landfill in the beginning of the process, as the contractor thought that it was an acceptable use. Ironically, the site supervisor, was quite taken with the idea of reusing or recycling materials and has taken to the process wholeheartedly!

We are looking forward to moving into our new home soon. Watch this space for more updates!

The post Our New Office: Chapter 3 appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

According to ‘The Practice of Biophilic Design’ (Stephen R. Kellert, Elizabeth F. Calabrese):

Biophilic design is about creating good habitat for people as biological organisms in the built environment. Like all species, humans evolved in adaptive response to natural rather than artificial forces, and these adaptations became embedded in our species biology over evolutionary time. Biophilic design seeks to satisfy these inherent adaptations to nature in the modern built environment and, in doing so, enhance people’s physical and mental health and fitness.

This can be achieved through three kinds of experience of nature – the direct experience of nature (e,g natural light and air, plants, fountains); the indirect experience of nature (images, natural materials and geometries); and the experience of space and place (mobility, wayfinding, prospect and refuge).

“People naturally respond better to spaces that integrate biophilia features in their design,” explains Marloes Reinink.

These design qualities are experienced through sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, and movement. We believe that these multisensory encounters with nature, which we have also incorporated as much as possible into our existing office, not only contribute towards health and wellbeing, but also significantly improve productivity and cognitive performance.

And so, as part of our intention to pursue an ILFI CORE Certification, we held a Biophilia workshop with all people involved in the design process of the new office, and all our staff. We explained the intention of the workshop and we did a series of exercises to get the creative juices flowing. This included brainstorming the qualities that we would like our new home to embody, and the experience that we would like to enjoy in our new space.

The elements that we focussed on are fundamental to human health and wellbeing, as well as comfort and productivity. They also stimulate our senses and creativity and, very importantly, nourish our souls. They include:

• Natural light and air;
• Plants and animals;
• Ecosystems;
• Fire;
• Images of nature;
• Natural materials, geometries and colours;
• Naturalistic shapes and forms; Information richness;
• Biomimicry;
• the ideas of Prospect and Refuge;
• the consideration of Transitional Spaces;
• clear Mobility and Wayfinding;
• and Cultural and Ecological attachment to place.

In October we also received SDP approval, and we are planning to start work in the New Year. As part of our ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ ethos, we have also managed to source reclaimed parquet flooring that we will use in the new office to avoid using virgin material. We are also exploring a new timber technology for the structure of our office, called CLT or Cross Laminated Timber. This will have a significant lower embodied energy than a standard concrete slab and as such would be more sustainable. It will also contribute to our Biophilia Goals.

Watch this space for more updates on our new space!

The post Our New Office: Chapter 2 appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

At the time of the study, the building had been occupied for a period of 24 months, with beneficial occupation having taken place on 1 July 2016. Rampou indicates:

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is beneficial for the control of the internal environment of the building to guide improved user comfort, well-being and satisfaction of occupants. This research employed a quantitative research approach using the BUS (building use studies) methodology questionnaire to determine the satisfaction of users with the performance of this green building.

The objectives of the study were to determine the extent to which users are satisfied with the overall performance of the National English Literary Museum; the extent to which users are comfortable within the museum’s environment; and to what extent users tolerate the indoor environment. For the purpose of this research, the building comfort index parameters referred to thermal comfort, visual comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ), and noise levels.

“It is crucial for post-occupancy evaluations to take the human aspects of health and well-being (productivity, comfort and satisfaction) into consideration,” Rampou affirmed.

The data analysis of the study included a comparative analysis of 70 similar buildings from the BUS database, and benchmarking determined whether the study building was better, the same as, or worse than similar buildings.

Findings of the study indicated that the perceptions of occupants rated highest in terms of satisfaction, attributable to the integrative design process of the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) and elements of social design; whereas perceived health rated the lowest. In terms of the factors of comfort, the perceptions of occupants regarding the overall comfort of the building were positive, although noise was a concern. On average, the building performed better than benchmark buildings.

Rampou adds:

The occupants of the building demonstrated tolerance with the building’s environment which may be attributable to pro-environmental behaviours. This information is beneficial to the facilities managers to enable occupants to exercise more control over the thermal conditions of the building. Building owners and managers should consider introducing noise reduction strategies in traffic areas such as floor padding for noise attenuation; and benefits might also arise from a noise awareness campaign and the installation of a visible or audible decibel warning system as additional strategies.

Demonstrating excellence within the South African construction sector, the National English Literary Museum was constructed by the Department of Public Works for the Department of Arts and Culture, with Solid Green Consulting as green building consultants and Intsika Architects responsible for the design.

Annelide Sherratt of Solid Green says:

A Building Users’ Guide was compiled with the intention of informing users about the building’s systems. By educating relevant parties to use and maintain building systems correctly, the building can optimize efficiency and performance, and the lifecycle of the building can be extended.

As a national literary resource, the Museum is thus able to offer an additional important learning resource for building users and visitors on the benefits of green building design, construction and operation.

More NELM news:

• Project page
• National English Literary Museum acquires 5-Star Green Star SA PEB v1 As Built Rating
• NELM project featured in Earthworks magazine
• Two GBCSA Green Star Awards for Solid Green

The post Literary Museum: User Satisfaction Study appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

On the financial side, it is becoming common knowledge that investing in the health and well-being of people is a better investment, with better returns, than investing in energy efficiency. A company spends about 1–2% of its expenditure on its energy bill and about 80% on salaries. So the effect of a 1% improvement in the productivity of its employees and the related return on investment is thus far more meaningful than a 50% saving on the energy bill.

Despite the preferred marketing pitch these days for green buildings, what we have to realise is that these projects are not definitionally healthy buildings, and the green measures taken won’t necessarily increase the productivity of occupant workforces.

The health impact of buildings is largely dependent on a number of design inclusions that address improvement of the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). These include daylight, fresh air, thermal comfort and views. It is worth noting that a building can achieve a Green Star certification without focusing on IEQ because Green Star certification is all about balance. For example, while some projects focus more on energy efficiency, others are well located and score lots of points for accessibility to public transport. Therefore, if a project does not focus on the IEQ credits and only on its Green Star Certification, it is unlikely that the people in that building will be more productive or healthier than people in a conventional building.

There is also a growing recognition of the benefits of accommodating ‘biophilia’ in our building designs. Biophilia works around the fact that humans have an innate attraction to nature. Connecting with nature reduces stress, enhances creativity and improves well-being. Research suggests that workers in office environments with natural elements report a 15% higher level of well-being, are 6% more productive and are 15% more creative. Environmental features can be expressed through colour, water, air, sunlight, plants and views.

One of the top five biophilic elements most wanting in offices is natural light. What is quite disturbing is that natural light is often not a consideration in green buildings. Only a third of the Green Star SA buildings in South Africa target the daylight credit, with aesthetics still taking first priority in building design. There is also an abiding misperception in the South African market that fully glazed buildings that provide lots of light are equivalent to green buildings. This type of design actually works against all green principles. In our climate – hot and sunny all year round – too much glass creates greenhouses that need massive air-conditioning systems to remove heat from the building. In addition, to minimise heat gains, the glass needs to be of higher quality (which is more expensive) and to be tinted (which kills the benefits of natural daylight).

Recently, the WELL Standard was developed and launched. This is the world’s first building standard that focuses solely on human health and wellness. The standard was developed over seven years in collaboration with scientists, doctors and architects. It addresses seven categories relevant to health in buildings, namely Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind.  It is a performance-based certification system, meaning that the building has to be in operation for at least a year to be able to justify the initiatives.

There is a list of more than a hundred initiatives that can be targeted, among others: air filtration management (air); fundamental water quality (water); provision of fruit and vegetables (nourishment); circadian lighting design (light); physical-activity spaces (fitness); ergonomics (comfort); and healthy sleep policy (mind). All the initiatives have a positive relation to health and well-being and, therefore, a positive influence on the productivity of employees.

Case studies piloting the WELL Standard are: 1) the Macquarie Bank at One Shelley Street in Australia, an 11-storey building completed in 2009 that achieved world’s best practice certification and a Six Green Star rating (equivalent to LEED Platinum), and which is registered for a WELL Pilot Certification; and 2) the world’s first planned WELL Certified city district in Tampa, Florida – a 40-acre development anchored around Amalie Arena that will include: residential units; a luxury hotel; an office tower; retail, restaurant and entertainment venues; health facilities and related businesses; and public recreational spaces.

As we move towards more conscious design choices, it makes absolute sense that, if we design with people’s health and well-being in mind, green will follow suit!

Author: Marloes Reinink, Founder

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