However, now and then, a project team is required to do some site work. The Sustainable Cities and Research Department recently visited Mauritius as part of our role in supporting The Precinct in targeting an EcoDistrict certification. Phase 1 of the development, Unity Building, has already secured a 5-Star Green Star Office v1.1 Design Certification.

The property is being developed by Gateway Real Estate Africa (GREA) in partnership with GRIT Real Estate Income Group. Strategically located at the entrance of Grand Baie, approximately 20km from Port Louis, the project is envisioned as a state-of-the-art office space.

The EcoDistricts certification will be a first for Mauritius and aligns well with the ESG targets set by both GRIT and GREA, organisations that are committed to making sustainable development decisions that are focused on driving carbon neutrality and maximizing the positive impact on the communities they serve.

Adrie Fourie, Head of the Sustainable Cities and Research Department and I, embarked on our journey in the middle of February, not knowing the full extent of the adventure that awaited us. After an uneventful flight, the first thing that hit me was the density of the air and the heat, which I surprisingly enjoyed. However, my suitcase was nowhere to be found! Fortunately, the officials at the airport were efficient, taking my details and assuring me they would reunite me with my suitcase soon.

The drive from the airport introduced us to this beautiful, green island with an undulating landscape and an architectural expression unique to the island – culturally inspired buildings sit next to modern structures hiding between dense tropical vegetation. It was like nothing I had seen before.

Our hotel, a stone’s throw away from The Precinct, is an eco-responsible and EarthCheck Silver Certified hotel, boasting several sustainability initiatives, including:

• Wastewater recycling used for irrigation purposes, with automated sensors, aerated taps and rainwater harvesting systems to reduce potable water consumption.
• Renewable energy initiatives across the whole chain of hotels, contributing to 20% savings in power consumption.
• Motion sensors to switch lights and HVAC off when guests are not in their rooms.
• Integrated waste management where waste is separated for recycling, managing nearly 40% of waste being recycled.
• Food waste that is reduced through programs that distribute surplus foods to nearby communities and farmers, who collect non-donatable food for composting.

Fortunately, after breakfast the next day, I was reunited with my suitcase. While doing my research for this trip, I found several stats that spoke about the low levels of theft and crime in Mauritius and the speedy recovery of my suitcase felt like a testament to that.

I facilitated the first EcoDistricts workshop, providing insights on Centering Equity in EcoDistricts to the steering committee comprising relevant stakeholders and role-players. The training session focused on defining all vulnerable groups impacted by the project. The EcoDistricts Protocol understands that, when cities identify and acknowledge those most vulnerable to change, they experience stronger and longer-lasting growth. The well-attended workshop provided us with significant insight into contextual nuance and its impact on equity.

The next two days, facilitated by Adrie, required participants to workshop specific ways in which the three Imperative Commitments – Equity, Resilience and Climate Projection – will be embedded in The Precinct EcoDistrict. Focus was placed on creating a strong commitment from all stakeholders in support of “collective impact” to tackle the complexities and interconnections of precinct-scale sustainability. The remainder of the sessions were focused on collectively identifying the action plan that will move The Precinct toward carbon neutrality, while formulating its sustainability strategy around the 6 Priority Areas of the EcoDistricts Protocol: Place, Prosperity, Health & Wellbeing, Connectivity, Living Infrastructure and Resource Regeneration.

We also had the opportunity to visit La Croisette Mall, an exceptionally beautiful space with an open-air design. This design approach provides a unique shopping experience as a result of the strong connections created with the external natural environment. It also reduces the need for air conditioning and electrical lighting. Walking in the streets of Grand Baie and grabbing a drink while overlooking the crisp blue harbour littered with boats and catamarans, made this the most holiday-ish work trip I have ever been on.

Before leaving, Mauritius had one last surprise in store for us, Cyclone Freddy! With staff on high alert, the building was readied for a 1 in 100-year storm. Many businesses on the island were forced to close, the international airport was shut and, while Cyclone Freddy passed at approximately 120km to the north of Grand Baie, waves reached heights of 8m, a significant amount of rain fell across the island and, the next morning, the after-effects were still very visible.

The trip to Mauritius was very successful workwise, and it was an experience I will never forget – from the weather to the people, the warm beaches and the ever-changing menu at the hotel restaurant. But the most valuable part was spending time with my colleague Adrie and getting to know someone I work with on a personal level.

Hopefully we will be invited back once the project is certified and the other two building on site have been completed, with no suitcases going missing and, hopefully, no hurricanes to give us the full experience of island life!

The post The Precinct targets Mauritius’ first EcoDistrict certification appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

Photo credit Lar Photography

A collaborative approach

Nomamfengu Mbele, Sustainable Building Consultant at Solid Green, describes the feeling of excitement from the project design team who were challenged to rethink their ‘business as usual’ practices to contribute to the project’s sustainability goal. This resulted in quite a strong and diverse sustainability strategy that involved input from the whole team. She says:

It was quite a treat to have the operations and maintenance team involved so early in the project phase as it allowed for the project to target credits that a typical office building does not target in a design certification. These are also credits that contribute to building operations and tenant well-being long after the design team has concluded its work.

The theme of collaboration continued to show through the building’s façade selection which involved the architect, façade engineer and modelling simulations consultant from Solid Green. The collaboration between all individuals allowed for a façade solution that awarded multiple green star points.

The project will enjoy street frontage with a glass façade, a design element quite unusual in Mauritius. The façade will be equipped with performance glazing, providing sufficient daylight for all building users, as 68% of the office area has access to external views. Appropriate daylight glare control is achieved through perforated aluminium screens on the Southwest and Northeast elevations.

Photo credit Lar Photography

Resource efficiency

An energy model of the building was generated and compared to a notional building model. The building design showed an improvement of over 50% on the standard SANS 10400 notional building. Energy efficient measures include the development being designed to minimize the urban heat island effect to reduce the pressure placed on the air-conditioning and energy consumption of the building. The bathrooms and common areas are equipped with LED light fittings and occupancy sensors, while lighting in the parking areas makes use of LED luminaires and is equipped with motion sensors.

Sub-metering of major energy and water consuming systems is also in place. Water efficient fittings limit the occupant water usage to 0.52L/day/m2. There is no heat pump or domestic hot water production system for the building. If required by the tenant, an electrical storage boiler will be installed.

Photo credit Lar Photography

Innovative monitoring and display initiatives

The development has implemented a robust Internet of Things (IoT) system interface which will be used to display consumption data of water and energy as well as the building’s sustainable initiatives. This includes monitoring and reporting on indoor air quality factors such as air temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide. The information gathered by these meters is displayed though the IoT screen which will be placed adjacent to the facilities management office. This allows for building management to keep a close eye on the air quality that affects the health and mental well-being of its occupants.

Through this initiative, the development has noted the priority of having a building that thinks of holistic solutions, as sustainability is not only about reducing energy and water consumption but is also about ensuring the overall health of the environment and people.
This includes making provision for 10 plant units to be provided for every 25m² of the building. This is to improve the indoor environment quality and provides occupants with a connection to nature.

The project’s landscaping is to contribute to the biodiversity of the environment within the precinct. Intelligent irrigation control and moisture sensors are helping to save water, and only treated wastewater will be used for irrigation. Black water will be treated on site in a three-step process where grease, odours and large waste are removed from wastewater before bacterial decomposition takes place. Effluent is then disinfected with chlorine before being stored in a 32m3 irrigation tank.

Photo credit Lar Photography

Proactively dealing with waste

A Waste and Recycling Management Plan was developed and implemented to minimise the contribution of waste going to landfill and reduce the environmental impact of the project. The facilities management team together with Solid Green then took the process a step further and compiled a waste management plan that would allow for recycling to happen effectively.

Importantly, 95% of the total façade has been designed for disassembly. The design team created a comprehensive disassembly plan which includes identification of materials that are designed to be recovered during building disassembly; and details how (in terms of technique, expertise and technology required) the identified materials and products should be recovered, indicating the order of disassembly to enable them to be extracted without material damage or interference from other building materials/elements. By making the façade easy to disassemble, the costs and complexity of demolition have been reduced, while allowing most elements of the façade to be reused in other developments and recycled.

Photo credit Lar Photography

Conclusion

Avish Bhinkah of Gateway Real Estate Africa notes on behalf of the client that the building goes beyond the traditional design and construction principles and offers a futureproof adaptability to ever-changing tenant needs. He says:

Designed with all the flexibility today’s businesses need, it combines work, wellness and a social lifestyle in an array of contemporary and considered spaces, for a more holistic, efficient and enjoyable work life.

Project Team

Owner Gateway : Real Estate Africa
Accredited professional : Solid Green Consulting
Architect : EPA
Interior Architect : Novospace
Electrical engineer : ARUP
Lift specialist : Manser Saxon Elevators LTD
Mechanical engineer : ARUP
Structural engineer : ARUP
Quantity surveyors : RLB Hooloomann
Sustainable building consultant : Solid Green Consulting
Wet services : ARUP
Main contractor : Rehm Grinaker Construction Ltd
Project manager : Hodari
Landscape consultant : GreenScaff

The post The Precinct, Unity Building, Mauritius: Collaboration in design appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

The office park is designed to be a flagship of 21st century conurbation lifestyle, focussing on sustainable values and quality of life where professional, private and social needs are met within an inclusive community that has a genuine local spirit and cosmopolitan flavour. Located within convenient proximity to the SSR International Airport, its cargo logistics, Freeport zones, and the business-oriented Holiday Inn hotel, Mon Trésor Business Gateway specifically serves airport-related business and transits.

Mon Trésor Business Gateway

As part of the Mon Trésor Smart City, the office park is developed around a ‘live-work-play’ concept, incorporating environmental and sustainable practices from design through to construction. The building compromises a basement level, a podium level and three office blocks, all complete with roads, infrastructure, external works, hard landscaping, and related facilities. The nearby Airport Mall provides convenient access to facilities such as a pharmacy, gym, bank, cinema, post office, retail outlets, hair salon, convenience store, restaurant and playground.

Because consumption information is key to understanding and managing building systems efficiently, and to assessing opportunities for energy savings, the building was fitted with an integrated BMS system to record and log all energy and water usage within the building. This data can be displayed in real time. Sub-meters, linked to the BMS for the monitoring of energy consumption, were installed for substantive energy uses of 100kVA or more and separately for lighting, power and HVAC in each distribution board on each floor.

Energy strategies were implemented to reduce overall energy consumption and its associated cost, together with greenhouse gas emissions associated with operational energy consumption. An energy model of the building was generated in the design stage, which showed an improvement over a SANS 10400 notional building. The HVAC system, the most efficient available at present, is a cooled air system making use of minimal water usage.

With occupant wellbeing in mind, a high level of thermal comfort was ensured by addressing the internal operative temperatures through modelling. Due to the local climate, no heating was required, and the HVAC system provides temperature control to individual delimited areas. No hot water is provided, further reducing energy consumption.

The whole building is equipped with low consumption LED lights with light intensity and motion detector sensors, and fixed shading equipment for luminosity control. The sensors allow the building management team to set the general light level in the office space or to individually set a specific light intensity in a specific zone.

Water closets, urinals and tap fixtures were all specified to be water efficient with a low flow flush rate to reduce and control water consumption. This consumption is effectively monitored by water meters for all major water uses and an effective automated mechanism for monitoring water consumption data. This monitoring system will also be able to detect leaks and alert the FM team accordingly, ensuring that little to no water is wasted.

Water for irrigation purposes is sourced from an existing sewerage treatment plant (STP) located at the nearby Holiday Inn Hotel. In addition, the development was designed to minimize storm water run-off and the pollution of natural watercourses.

In terms of encouraging non-motorised transport, 48 secured bicycle bays and changing facilities with 58 lockers were provided for staff, as well as 16 visitor bicycle bays. Convenient cycling routes were identified between the office development and the adjacent street network, marked with specific signage. 20 parking bays were reserved for fuel-efficient transport, and 20 for 2-wheeled vehicles.

Finally, a waste recycling storage area was provided to encourage recycling of resources used within the building to reduce waste going to landfill – for paper and cardboard; plastic, glass and cans; metals; and general waste.

With this certification, the Mon Trésor Business Gateway has succeeded in setting a new benchmark for commercial developments in Mauritius. Annelide Sherratt, the Accredited Professional on the project from Solid Green Consulting says:

It is a great privilege to be part of a project that is a first in its country, demonstrating leadership in sustainability. Through their effective relationship, Solid Green Consulting and local partner Enerxis Solutions where able to ensure that the project achieved it’s targeted 4-Star Green Star SA Office v1.1 Design rating. We look forward to commencing with the As Built certification.

For more information about this project, see the project page for Mon Trésor Business Gateway.

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The MTBG office has incorporated environmental and sustainable practices from its design to its construction and has specifically been designed to give our people the workplace to enhance not only their productivity but also reduce the natural resource depletion on the environment.

The building compromise of a basement level, a podium level and three office blocks, all complete with roads, infrastructure, external works, hard landscaping and all ancillary and related facilities.

Two blocks consist of Ground Floor, first floor and second floor whereas the third bloc consists of Ground floor, First Floor, Second Floor, Third Floor and Fourth Floor.

The Usable Area of the project is 11,629m2 and the GFA is 13,493m2 excluding car parking areas.

The construction consists of substructure, concrete work, blockwork, roofing works and related finishes including all related external infrastructure works and MEP services.

A majority of the space is open plan due the nature of works. The air flow and direction has been taken into consideration with regards to potential noise levels. More than 90% of all structural steel has a recyclable content. Parking spaces for fuel efficient and 2 wheeled vehicles have been provided. All works will be carried out by the Principle building Contractor. Fixed external shading as well as internal blinds have be fitted. The building has been fitted with an integrated BMS system.

Sustainable building features include

• The heating ventilation and air conditioning system is a cooled air system. Making use of minimal water usage. Fresh air rate is supplied at 12.5l/s/person for 100% of the usable area.
• All the lights in the building are LED. The lighting power density for 95% of the UA is less than 1.5W/m2 per100 Lux at 720 mm AFL with a default maintenance factor of 0.8
• Water closets, urinals and tape fixtures all reduce water consumption. WC’s and urinals all fitted with actuators to reduce and control water consumption.
• Sub-meters are installed for substantive energy uses of 1100kVA or more and separately for lighting, power and HVAC in each distribution board on each floor. The sub-meters are linked to the 0BMS for the monitoring of energy consumption.
• All water pumps are equipped with Variable Speed Drive. Water is distributed through galvanized mild steel reticulation, and using efficient fittings reduces potable water consumption. Grease traps are provided for kitchen wastewater. Wastewater is treated through a Sewerage Treatment Plant and reused for irrigation,
• Secured bicycle bays and changing facilities/lockers are provided for staffs and parking bays for visitors. Convenient cycling routes are provided between the office development and the adjacent street network as well as specific signage.
• Integrated BMS system records and logs the all energy and water usage within the building and can be displayed in real time.

Building Information

Address: Plaine Magnien, District of Grand Port, Mauritius
Total gross floor area: 13493 m²
Total commercial office area: 11629 m²
Car parking area: 10472 m²

Project Team

OWNER: MAREF Mon Tresor Investments 1 Ltd
ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL: Enerxis Solutions Ltd and Solid Green Ltd
ARCHITECT: Architects’ Studio Ltd and Boogertman & Partners LTD
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: TAEMANE CONSULTING (PTY) LTD CONSULTING ENGINEERS
FIRE ENGINEER: GMF Ltd
LIFE SPECIALIST: GMF Ltd
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: GMF Ltd
QUANTITY SURVEYORS: MLC Ltd
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: Lux Consult Ltd
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN REVIEW: Enerxis Solutions Ltd
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CONSULTANT: Enerxis Solutions Ltd
WET SERVICES: GMF Ltd
MAIN CONTRACTOR: Building Construction Engineering Ltd
PROJECT MANAGER: Etwaro & Associates Ltd
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT: Enerxis Solutions Ltd
INTERIOR DESIGNER: Architects’ Studio Ltd
WASTE CONTRACTOR: Green Ltd
ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT: GMF Ltd
CLEANING CONTRACTOR: Green Ltd
LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT COMPANY: Bidvest TopTurf Mauritius

Certificate

Building Users’ Guide

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