GREEN TOWER
Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) is
living up to its corporate colours
by going green, as the best
technology and latest practices
in sustainable design were used
to create their new ultramodern
headquarters in Nairobi. The bank
commissioned Planning Systems
Services Ltd (PSSL) to construct
their new high rise building,
located in the burgeoning business
hub of Upper Hill.
T
he original brief required
a state-of-the-art banking
hall – including facilities
for personal banking,
administration offices and
conference facilities. Each
of the 25 floors provides
800 square metres of
office space, and parking
space for approximately
500 cars on five levels.
The building is easily accessed by seven
high speed lifts and six main lifts - two
of which are specifically for firefighting,
should the need arise, and one for VIP.
The last lift is dedicated for people with
disabilities, providing access from the
ground to podium level, where the main
entry to the building is found.
The building’s defining factor is that
it had to be green or environmentally
friendly, and balance the temperatures
experienced in the tropical country.
The trick was keeping the internal
temperature comfortably regulated
without the use of a mechanical cooling
system.
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The fact that a mechanical cooling
system was not part of the
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