Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2013 | Page 46

GETTING STARTED

BY JAMES COLBY

Sustainable Buildings
A
Investing in the future
c cord i n g to Stefa no C ont a rdo, Development Executive at Improvon, it makes sense from both an ethical and economic point of view to implement as many green technologies as possible whether it is a building which is being retrofitted or a new development. “In a new building the overall project design is imperative. The way a building is orientated is critical to ensure that it gets maximum light, but obviously not direct light, as you want to avoid heat build up inside the building. The way you choose to build, the materials you use and the suppliers you work with are all crucial elements in ensuring that an industrial or commercial space is ultimately ‘green’.” One building which has met the green standards and then some is the new Standard Bank building situated in Rosebank, Gauteng. The new 65 0 0 0m² building, current ly referred to as Standard Bank Rosebank, has been awarded a five-star design rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa. Says Mr Stewart Shaw-Taylor, Head CIB Real Estate, Standard Bank. “Sustainability is a holistic approach, so, we are particularly pleased that everything we’ve done at Standard Bank Rosebank contributes to the creation of a sustainable environment, both internally and externally, for staff, as well as for visitors and for the public use park area.”

Water
Water will be conserved inside the building through water-efficient fittings such as dual b?W6?F???WG2???rb??r6??vW&?VG2?BFW&F?'2?f?"W?FW&??W6R?vFW"??f??G&F??rF?R&6V?V?B26??6WVV?6R?b??v?w&?V?BvFW"?WfV?2v???&R6GW&VB?BW6VBf?"?'&?vF????bF?Rv&FV?2?F??2v?????C@??6WFV?&W"#24&V?W7FFR??fW7F? ??wwr?&V??r?6??????