resources , carbon reduction targets and revised building energy efficiency standards . The Green Star rating and accreditation system has provided excellent guiding principles . However , existing Green Star tools only allow certification of single building types – i . e . commercial office , retail , multi-unit residential , and public and educational buildings .
“ Where before it may have been difficult to entrench sustainability into projects that did not fit into the Green Star rating criteria , this progression to having a customisable tool that enables mixeduse developments to use the Green Star rating accreditation will allow robust sustainability in the built space to be applied across the board ,” adds Groves .
To achieve the Custom Mixed Use rating for Menlyn Maine Central Square , WSP ’ s Green by Design team assessed all the current available ratings tools before deciding to make use of the Public and Education ( P & E ) Buildings Design Rating tool – as its structure offered the greatest semblance for what was required . The P & E tool offered added flexibility for adapting certain criteria to focus on different morphologies – and define how credit should be allocated for the Green Star rating that would more accurately reflect the building .
In addition to adapting the necessary criteria , the custom tool also allowed the incorporation of aspects such as ‘ green leases ’ to ensure that tenants can be held responsible for their own energy use – and particularly where this may be outside of the landlord ’ s control or influence . Groves says , “ Green leases are growing in importance as the first step in changing mindsets towards sustainability and getting buy-in from tenants for retail , commercial or residential use , alike .”
Central Square acts as the heart of the new urban centre that is Menlyn Maine . The driving principles embodied in this new urbanism are certain to act as a benchmark in similar mixed use developments throughout South Africa .
Central Square 559