Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2013 | Page 46

GETTING STARTED

BY JAMES COLBY

Sustainable Buildings
Investing in the future

A

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

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September 2013 SA Real Estate Investor

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
f lush toilets, low f low showerheads and tap
aerators. For external use, water infiltrating
the basement as a consequence of high
ground water levels will be captured and
used for irrigation of the gardens. This will

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