Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa September/October 2014 | Page 62

Membership
The GBCSA links a network of industry leaders
and pioneers, collectively championing the
green building cause and accelerating the
development and adoption of best practices.
Members have asserted their role in the green
building movement and enjoy a host of benefits
including increased professional profile, discounts
on GBCSA education and activities, high-level
networking and knowledge-sharing.
GBCSA
members are playing their part in changing the
way South Africa is built.
Education
One of the ways the GBCSA aim to drive
awareness of what green building is and how to
implement green building practices, is through
our extensive education offering. The range
of online and face-to-face courses teach built
environment professionals from all levels why
green building is important and what needs to
change for the growth of green building in SA.
Courses aim to encourage awareness and grow
understanding, enhance and accelerate the use
of GBCSA rating tools by equipping a diverse
community with the skills necessary to support
and perform submissions.
Certification
Establishing a common language and best
practice standard of measurement for green
buildings through the development of Green Star
SA rating tools allows the GBCSA to objectively
assess just how green a building is. Rating systems
provide a menu of green measures that can be
used in the design, construction and management
of a building to make it more sustainable. Each
Green Star SA rating tool reflects a different
market sector including office, retail, multi-unit
residential, public and education buildings, as well
as others that are in development like interiors
and existing buildings performance.
Advocacy
While the GBCSA’s core business remains the
greening of the commercial property sector,
they are committed to engaging in sustainability
on a social and environmental level. While the
focus is the built environment’s contribut [ۈ˜