African Design Magazine ADM #35 November 2017 | Page 24

Ghana
ne Airport Square is a world-class development located in Airport City,
Ghana. One Airport Square is an elegant and contemporary striking
mixed-use development comprising 9 floors of office space, 2,000 m2 of
retail space and over 250 car parking spaces. It is also a pioneer in the
green design and the first environmentally certified green commercial
building in Ghana.
The building is quite compact in shape, with main elevations facing North and South.
The building has been designed to operate under natural and mechanical ventilation
mode as it benefits from an adequately ventilated atrium at its core.
All the external façades are fully glazed, from floor to ceiling, with panels that can be
opened throughout, promoting cross flow natural ventilation.
According to the orientation and sun position in the sky, the overhang depth has been
optimized in order to provide the best combination of solar control and daylight
penetration. The horizontal overhanging terraces provide shading to the façades
reducing cooling loads and glare risk. This certification was a collaboration between
Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) and Ghana GBC.
The tool used was Green Star South Africa which was adjusted by a local context
report to suit the local climate.  
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