an office environment . This brought with it a great deal of planning and coordination challenges .
Ultimately the team could also not lose sight of its primary responsibility which was to ensure an acceptable and competitive financial return for the Client . When you combine this requirement with the brief to create an iconic Gold LEED rated building with a highly sophisticated façade system , the challenges were certainly not small . In the end , a great deal of value engineering , commitment and innovation was required by all members of the team and a great deal of foresight , support and courage was required by the Client .
Green Building The building is attempting a Gold rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED ) certification administered by USGBC . The project ’ s design innovation addresses multiple sustainability and environmental aspects including water and energy efficiency , green transportation , sustainable materials and indoor air quality .
A combination of a grey water harvesting system and low-flow fixtures ensures 40 % savings in water consumption . High-performance façades and reflective roof finishes reduce the cooling load on the HVAC system and ( in addition to efficient Air Cooled chillers ) contribute to 27 % energy savings against the ASHRAE baseline .
Of course , one of the most effective ways to manage a building ’ s energy consumption is to ensure that it is properly insulated . Energy models were run at the beginning of the project ’ s design phase and were used to inform the specification of the building ’ s façades . Double-glazing , together with sun louvres and air-tightness tests , was employed to ensure that the building was designed relative to its specific micro-climate . The end result was not only a reduced load on the building ’ s systems but also vastly improved comfort levels for the building ’ s end-user .
Alternative transport facilities such as bicycle racks and a well-connected public transport network encourages occupants to reduce their carbon footprint . Occupant health and well-being is ensured with the use of low VOC coatings and nearly 30 % higher fresh air rate above the SANS guideline .
Lastly , resource efficiency is ensured through the use of local materials with a high recycled value and zero-ODP refrigerant based chillers achieve reduced emissions . of the sky on the glass façade , gives a sense of weightlessness to the building . The planted berms frame the central piazza and reflection pond creating an open green space acting as a corporate square adjacent to the high end restaurants of Mall of Africa . The indigenous planting and use of raw materials is a reflection of the Highveld landscape and lends itself to the notion of a natural setting in an urban environment as the materials used in the landscape installation are sourced from the immediate environment . The application of a dripline irrigation system contributes to the Green Building strategies that are put in place .
Summary Overall , the design for the Gateway West was based on a unique concept with very unique challenges . In resolving the design and constructing the building some innovative solutions were employed to achieve some extreme structural feats together with a highly sophisticated and innovative façade . The result is not only aesthetically pleasing , but also takes into consideration factors such as user satisfaction , social transformation and sustainable design . All of this while ensuring a decent financial return .
Landscape Design The bermed landscape around the border of the site creates a natural podium from which the building radiates , and with the reflections
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