SCAPE | August 2022 | Sustainability | Vol. 83

AUGUST 2022

SUSTAINABILITY

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WELCOME HOME! Sustainability is far more than just a modern-day buzzword: it is an absolute for the build industry. As an industry, it's a collective call to reduce our consumption of nonrenewable resources, minimise waste, and create healthy, productive environments for end-users. This is no small feat, especially when you consider the building sector and its related fields are responsible for around 23% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.

That’s why every architect, developer, designer, and landscape professional is implored to encompass sustainable and regenerative design principles in all that they do. Well, at least, that’s the ideal!

Our August issue, therefore, takes you on a journey through sustainability — from concept right through to implementation. It hosts thought-provoking features and collaborations with outstanding architects — both interior and landscape — who have taken great strides for sustainable design and delivery in their projects. From South Africa’s first Net Zero Carbon building to 6-Star Green Star-rated estates, you will find plenty of sustainable innovation and inspiration. What's more, we even feature an entire ‘floating city’ between the pages of this issue! Some highlights to look out for, include a One-on-One interview with GLH & Associates Architects, and a trip through the bustling, red-walled city of Marrakech with Anji Connell. Visit Helderberg’s brand new biodiversity hub and explore the notion of sustainability with Marijke Honig — and so much more...

We’ve pulled out all the stops in this issue, extending our reach to journey through ideas and concepts we are sure will generate conversation and growth around the subject of sustainability.

Our team is looking forward to exploring this concept further at SCAPE: The Trade Show and we are thrilled to welcome you to the biggest build-industry event on 21 October 2022 at the CTICC.

Editorial Editor-in-Chief & Director Chanel Besson Content Manager Liesl Lamprecht Commissioning Editor Amy Aries

Advertising OWING S T I L L G R Justine Key Account Manager Coleman STRONG Media Sales Executive Basheerah De Villiers STILL GROWING

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/ CONTENTS /

56 Reinventing Environmental Education Helderberg Environmental Centre, Ebesa Architects, Viridian Consulting Landscape Architects

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CONTENTS

Floating into the Future OCEANIX Busan, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and SAMOO Architects and Engineers

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Thinking About Resilience

Talborne: Soil Health and Plant Nutrition Basics for Best Results Every Season

Booming Business

by Marijke Honig, Landscape Designer, Environmentalist, and Author of Indigenous Plant Palettes

by Grant Gove, Creative Director, Talborne Urban Organics

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Embracing the Green Side of the Red City

Nature & Nurture: Designing Sustainable Healthcare Facilities

by Anji Connell, Interior Architect, Garden Designer, and Travel and Design Writer, ACID+

by Kevin Hinde, CEO and Principal Architect, and Milos Petkovic, Senior Professional Architectural Technologist, A3 Architects

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Wetland Wonder, Vleihuis

AfriSam

by Marc Sherratt, Managing Director and Principal Architect, Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects

Spearheading Sustainable Solutions with Composite Cement

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One on One

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with the Directors of GLH & Associates Architects

A Brand Committed to Sustainable Practices

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Ikusasa, GLH & Associates Architects

82 One Giant Leap for Green Design Greenlee Greenbarn, Boogertman + Partners, LEAP Enviro

85 HandleCo. A Company Committed to High-Quality Ironmongery

89 PotPort Sustainability Starts with Good Stewardship

90 SAWPA Treated Wood, A Sustainable Choice

THINKING ABOUT RESILIENCE

10 A traditional Danish house, replete with a thatched roof and simple garden, shows how timeless materials last long and age well

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T

here was a time when sustainable development was the new buzzword, until it was over-used and now it has shifted to climate change and resilience. A word that rolls easily off the tongue, but what exactly is it? And how does it apply to the design and construction industry?

Reflecting on resilience Resilience can be defined as ‘the ability to provide the required capability in the face of adversity.’ Indeed, considering our local situation where load shedding and teetering services are the norm of the day, we are in an excellent position to reflect on our designs to ask: How well are the buildings and landscapes we designed functioning during power outages? Lighting, air conditioning, pumps for boreholes and basements, and irrigation systems all come to a standstill. What about our standby generators? Will they continue to function when there is another 25% to 30% increase in fuel cost? These points make a strong case for designing buildings with natural light and passive cooling, as well as unirrigated landscapes that are sustained by the careful infiltration of rain. But how will buildings and landscapes be affected by disruptions in water supply, another drought, or flooding event?

Wondering ‘what if?’

While these questions may seem pessimistic, it is worth noting that engineers are trained to think and design in this way. The profession is proactive rather than reactive. It considers the threats (e.g., a system failure) before there is an event. Asking ‘what if?’ is an inherent part of the design process. What if a bridge collapses or a skyscraper falls down? While this can happen during an earthquake or extreme event, it is remarkable how seldom and unlikely it is to occur during normal conditions. But engineers are always prepared for the possibility of abnormal loads or stressors, while staying conservative in their designs, allowing for large margins.

They deliberately build in redundancy, so that when one system or machine part fails, there are others that can perform the same function.

Whether you are an architect, landscape architect, or contractor, we can all learn from this proactive approach, and make resilient thinking a routine part of our practice. Instead of ignoring the threat of climate change, the wild day-to-day temperature fluctuations, the potential risk of floods, wildfires, or the impact of social upheaval; we need to contemplate these possibilities upfront and plan for mitigating factors. I have found the principles listed by the Resilient Design Institute to be invaluable. (See www.resilientdesign.org/the-resilientdesign-principles).

Building with backup plans: a case study in Mossel Bay Since I started applying the ‘what if?’ question to our landscape design work, I came to both a surprising and obvious realisation: the simpler the design, the better. By this, I do not mean ‘simple’ in a one-dimensional way; it is more like going back to basics and including flexibility, diversity, and natural processes in the design.

To provide a real-life example, we are currently working on the landscape of a low-cost housing development in Mossel Bay. Considering the budget and potential for vandalism, our first response was that it should have an unirrigated landscape. However, the annual rainfall in the region is low (455 mmPY) and the remaining fragments of fynbos and dune thicket vegetation on site indicate that the coastal conditions are tough – really tough. We knew that regular watering during the establishment phase would make a big difference. When seen in this light, irrigation can be regarded as an asset that expands the possibility of planting. But it is also a liability: there are the concerns of vandalism or theft, and the extensive management and maintenance such a system requires, not to mention the impact of load shedding.

MARIJKE HONIG Landscape Designer, Environmentalist, and Author of 'Indigenous Plant Palettes' @marijke_honig

The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for this development requires the planting of at least 500 trees and 850 linear metres of screen planting. The decision was made to invest in a borehole, but the landscape’s water supply remained a major concern to me. What if the borehole pump fails? How can we build in redundancy?

Fortunately, JSA Architects designed 5000-litre rainwater tanks within the housing units that can be used for watering trees and plants in the courtyards. But what if the tap is left open, or all the rainwater is used and the tanks are empty? One can hardly expect residents to use their tank water for watering a berm. What is our Plan B and Plan C?

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First off, Plan B is the local municipality: they have committed themselves for two years to water 500 trees by hand, using treated wastewater. Next up, Plan C is the new borehole installation for the project. Great! But what if the pump fails, trips, or gets stolen? That brings me to our final backup plan, Plan D, which is connecting to the water mains.

However, after the borehole was finally drilled and the yield test was good, we were hit by a major curveball: the water tested saline (EC = 450). It was like diluted seawater – not even suitable for growing date palms! At that point, the landscape contract and installation of hard landscaping had already commenced, but we had to go back to the drawing board, facing a true test of resilience. In fact, how designers have to adapt and change their designs during a project due to unforeseen events and budget cuts, is an unacknowledged aspect of resilience that deserves just as much emphasis.

Thankfully, our resilient design-thinking paid dividends. We did not have any borehole water, but at least we still had Plan A, B, and D. In terms of water supply, the trees and courtyards were provided for with rain and wastewater, using a manual system that had nothing to do with borehole water and irrigation. What a relief! This left the berm and screen planting – an extensive area of planting where we had planned thousands of fynbos and thicket plants to create a haven of biodiversity. Obviously, we could not use municipal mains water to irrigate it all, so the berm planting was reduced to the bare minimum: a double row of planting with drip lines. Apart from drip irrigation being the most efficient method of watering, with minimal evaporative water loss (the drip lines will be partially buried), it makes it very easy to calculate water usage. This enabled us to determine a water budget and get the municipality on board to allocate 41 kilolitres per week for two years. (In the greater scheme of things, this is not a lot of water, especially when one considers the amenity and biodiversity benefits). Of course, thinking about ‘what if? does not stop there. Municipal water is not guaranteed, and the region could be faced with another drought.

“REAL RESILIENCE BEGINS BY UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU HAVE.”

We have adapted the planting strategy to include more legumes and pioneer species, carpets of sour fig, and the sowing of green manure seed as a soil conditioner for future planting. In the future, local seed can be collected from the site and used to increase biodiversity.

Working in a low-cost housing environment has been an excellent exercise in designing for resilience. We would dream up the possibilities of vibrant urban spaces, beautiful green parks, and climber-covered pergolas and then wonder: What if the raised planters are turned into braai pits? What if the pergolas are turned into shacks? What if the planting on the berm fails, or is trampled, or gets smashed by soccer balls, or goats come in? What would remain?

From this perspective, the less planting and irrigation, the better. Instead, we should focus on allowing weeds and indigenous plants from the soil-stored seedbank to germinate and allow a self-sustaining, unirrigated landscape to develop over time. Additionally, we can create mini-swales and depressions so that water and organic matter collects, making conditions favourable for germination. And we can provide perches for birds to sit on, so that seed can be brought in the natural way, for free.

In retrospect, the saline borehole water has been a blessing in disguise. It forced us to simplify the design and reduce the planting, which in turn will reduce the maintenance and watering. The Berm Park has a strong design: even if the berm is covered with weeds, the long slide down the embankment, curved seat walls, natural rocks and boulders in the grass (serving as seats, stepping stones, and giant bollards to keep cars out), jungle gym, and tyre embankment will all provide amenity value. One of our primary underlying goals is to activate the public spaces with social activity so that they are safe and used by the community. We envision it to be a place where people can sit and watch while kids are playing and having a ball.

Materiality matters Without a doubt the choice of material plays a considerable role in designing resilient buildings that will last and age gracefully through the centuries. We can learn from the past by looking at structures and landscapes that have withstood the test of time. While travelling

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How does nature make building materials using minimal energy? Biomimicry practitioners have studied marine ecosystems to develop alternatives to concrete.

through Denmark, it struck me how timeless and durable the houses are: they are made of stone or brick, and their rooves are covered with mossy thatch or clay tiles with a steep pitch for snow. There were very few ‘designer’ landscapes or fancy gardens using plants from all over the world. The Danes seem content to work with whatever is growing locally in the area – whether that be dune grass and beach roses by the coast, or simply mowing the prevailing meadow mix. By using the local materials at hand (e.g., timber and stone), they display a sense of design and style that is both sophisticated and understated.

In the built environment and landscape industry, I think we are quick to turn to concrete and composite materials for a ‘designer’ look. While concrete may last long, and even acquire a patina, it has a massive carbon footprint and does not lend itself to redesign and reuse by the next user. Why not use a natural material that is timeless, like stone? It can be rough, carefully hewn by hand, machine cut, polished, and everything in between. While broken or used concrete pavers become landfill, stone cobbles and flagstones are invariably recycled and reused on a site. We all know concrete products do not include the environmental damage and impacts of their production. So, suggesting that natural stone is ‘too expensive’ is not a good enough excuse. If the client cannot afford it, then just reduce the extent of its use.

Biomimicry and beyond Finally, we can draw inspiration from nature for many wonderful examples of resilience. Think of how fynbos and grasslands bounce back after a fire, the plants literally growing from the ashes. Biomimicry is essentially innovation inspired by nature; when people use ideas from the natural world to solve problems. The website www.asknature.org features an extensive library of biological strategies, grouped into collections for solving different challenges; whether it is solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change, producing clean energy, or the making of lightweight structures or high-performance materials. After millions of years of evolution, the solutions are right there – we just need to know how to look for them.

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EMBRACING THE GREEN SIDE OF MOROCCO'S RED CITY 14

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arrakech attacks the senses in an explosion of vibrant, saturated colour, exoticism, and frenetic energy.

The imposing ancient, red-hued walls of the medina have earned Marrakech the moniker of the ‘Red City.’ Yet, surprisingly, it is also a city of green. Its tree-lined streets, lush gardens, and rooftops teeming with wild birds have earned the city a handful of historic nicknames, including ‘rose among the palm trees,’ ‘oasis in the desert,’ and Al-Bahja, ‘the city of peace and open air.’

Considered an earthly reflection of the paradise described in the Quran, gardens play an important role throughout the Islamic world. It was the Moors who firmly established Morocco's garden culture, introducing ingenious design elements with both a practical and spiritual purpose.

The central idea behind the Islamic design approach is creating a space of quiet reflection and contemplation. Courtyard gardens are divided into quadrants, each with a water channel or rill representing the four rivers of paradise (water, milk, wine, and honey) that flow into a central pool. As the water evaporates it creates a micro-climate that keeps the area cool.

The view from atop the city’s social rooftops will help you to see just how green the Red City is. Marrakech boasts numerous hidden gardens within its medina (old city). Its riads or traditional houses, palaces, and mansions, are built around a central courtyard garden, typically with a large pond for irrigation and a pavilion that provides privacy, allows light to filter in, and lowers the temperature within the building.

Marrakech's gardens are the beating heart of the city

For such an arid city, the surprising number of gardens can be afforded to the proximity of the Atlas Mountains, which snow-capped peaks act as a constant water supply to the ancient irrigation systems of the medina.

While the city swelters during the hot summer months, the gardens continue to flourish, providing a refreshing retreat to escape the bustling streets. There is nothing quite like stepping inside the tranquillity and beauty of Marrakech’s riads as they invite you to cool down and enjoy a bit of peace and solitude.

Le Jardin Secret Some gardens simply cannot be missed, and Le Jardin Secret (The Secret Garden) is one of them. UK designer Tom Stuart-Smith recreated a historic riad garden, and it is a complete joy to see and experience. A small doorway in the medina leads you straight into the beautiful and intricate green bejmat (geometric-patterned tiles from the Moroccan city, Fes) adorned courtyard of a sixteenth-century palace that has been lovingly restored for eight years before being opened to the public in 2016.

Garden art at Jardin Majorelle

Le Jardin Secret boasts two main buildings, two riad gardens, a qubba (tomb structure), and a tower rising as high as some of the city's minarets, with unmatched views of the medina and the Atlas Mountains. There is also a small café with a large terrace overlooking the gardens. Both the qubba and tower are symbols of the former palace owner’s wealth and power. The skill of Moroccan artisans is showcased throughout the building, with beautiful pise (rammed earth) walls covered in tadelakt (a typical Moroccan waterproof plaster surface) and zellige tiles (mosaic style, hand-chiselled geometric tiles set into a plaster base), hand-carved stucco, and hand-painted, inlaid cedarwood ceilings and doors.

16 Morocco's famous "Majorelle Blue" walls

17 Yves Saint Laurent's iconic Art Deco-inspired villa at Jardin Majorelle

/ FEATURE /

Tom Stuart-Smith has taken great care to follow the original layout and function of the gardens, saying, ‘While the two courtyard gardens may initially seem separate and contrasting, they share a common language of bubbling fountains, trickling rills, shady walks, and high walls, which shut out the noise and bustle of the medina.’

The larger of the two is an Islamic Garden based on the Quranic description of heaven. Built with the characteristic, orderly geometric design reflecting the ideology behind 'paradisal gardens,’ the garden adopts the symbolic four-fold plan known as the Chahar bagh used in Persian and Islamic gardens since 500 BCE. Authentic Islamic gardens typically feature a quartet of trees, including olive, pomegranate, fig, and date. Some say the olive could be the ‘Tree of Bliss’ mentioned in the Quran. Pomegranates represent unity, wholeness, and fertility, and their oil has long been considered sacred. Figs were deemed the fruit of paradise by the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims regard the date as one of the blessings offered in Paradise. They eat the fruit to break the fast at the end of each day of Ramadan.

Stuart-Smith included several trees and plants of symbolic importance in Moroccan gardens, such as argan trees, grapevines, and both sweet and bitter oranges, which were introduced to the Mediterranean from China between the sixth and eighth centuries. The second of the two gardens also maintains a four-fold layout, but is filled with exotic plants from all over the world — plants that would not have been available to the original owners. Both gardens feature several streams of water flowing along narrow ancient irrigation channels called khettara, which, signify life. Since access to running water in dry countries was, and still is, a great luxury, the presence of water represents wealth. The sight and sound of cool water also symbolises purity, renewal, peace, and tranquillity.

Jardin Majorelle An oasis located in the heart of the city; this botanical garden is one of the most iconic landmarks in Marrakech.

The French Orientalist artist, Jacques Majorelle, purchased the land in 1923 and spent a decade landscaping the garden. In 1931, he commissioned the French architect, Paul Sinoir, to design an Art Deco-inspired villa for the grounds. Majorelle is responsible for the building’s most famous feature: the iconic shade of blue of the walls— since known as "Majorelle Blue." In 1947, he opened a large section of the garden to the public—something couturier Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé continued to do when they purchased the property in 1980.

ANJI CONNELL Interior Architect, Garden Designer, Travel and Design Writer, ACID+ www.anjiconnellinteriordesign.com @anjiconnell_acidplus

The garden is home to more than 300 different plant species from five continents, collected primarily by Jacques Majorelle over several decades. Dense thickets of bamboo groves stand tall in the Moroccan sunlight, while a good number of cacti, coconut, palm, and banana trees, vibrant flowers, and billowing grasses encircle the pristine marble pools. From the pools’ lily pads and water fountains frequented by koi, carp, and frogs, to the white-pillared pavilion and elevated footpaths, there is simply no place quite like it. Additionally, the high adobe tower flanking the garden evokes the character of the nearby casbahs — the mountain fortresses that were the homes of the fiercely independent Berbers.

After restoring the villa and creating a masterpiece of Moroccan craftmanship with elaborately painted cedarwood and zellige interiors, Yves Saint Laurent aptly renamed his former personal residence ‘Villa Oasis.’

Both Laurent and Bergé also restored the surrounding gardens of Jardin Majorelle with the help of Abderrazak Benchaâbane, Morocco’s leading garden designer and ethnobotanist. Although the garden is one of the top tourist destinations in Morocco, Villa Oasis is currently not open to the general public. But new plans are reportedly in place to make it more accessible after the late Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé passed on. At present, only a handful five-star hotels, such as the Four Seasons Resort, can arrange exclusive tours for guests.

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The traditional Islamic courtyard gardens of Le Jardin Secret

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Le Studio Musée Yves Saint Laurent’s 75-seat café, Le Studio, is titled after its namesake’s workspace on 5 Avenue Marceau in Paris, and is reminiscent of the calm and intimate environment where the couturier would retreat and work. The site has an outdoor garden designed by Yves Taralon using pale-coloured wood with plaster light fixtures, white marble, and wicker furniture upholstered in a vibrant canary yellow. Overall, Le Studio serves a bold dynamic that contrasts wonderfully with the Majorelle Blue.

Musée Yves Saint Laurent Created by French architectural duo Olivier Marty and Karl Fournier of Studio KO, the museum that is devoted entirely to the work of the legendary fashion designer opened in 2017. The late Pierre Bergé, who commissioned the architects in 2014, gave them a short but challenging brief. 'It's simple', the architects recall Bergé saying, 'I want something strong, Moroccan, contemporary, and, above all, absolutely uncompromising.’

The building marries modernist architecture with traditional Moroccan stone, using detailed brickwork that recalls the kind of weave you see in fabric. What’s more, the interiors take inspiration from the YSL Paris studio, with pared back white marble, light-coloured wood, wicker furniture, and an air of serenity. The result is a stunning 43,000 square metres museum and cultural centre dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent’s archives and sketches, telling the story of the designer's work and his passion for Morocco.

Marrakech has more…

Before we leave the green courtyards of the Red City, it’s pertinent that we pause on more of its gorgeous gardens: 1. Anima Garden An Instagram-worthy wonderland of botanical staging with pavilions, ponds, mystical artworks, and sculptures backdropped by the Atlas Mountains.

2. La Mamounia Gardens Set on a former royal estate dating back to the twelfth century, the gardens are lush with delphiniums, jacarandas, orange trees, palm trees, rose bushes, lemon trees, and even 700-year-old olive trees.

3. Bahia Palace A palatial complex with sprawling gardens covering 8,000 square metres, this green paradise was built in the late nineteenth century using Moroccan-style architecture.

Le Jardin Secret

4. Agdal and Menara Gardens Dubbed the ‘Islamic Versailles,’ the historic gardens and orchards of Agdal Gardens and its little sister, the Menara Gardens, were listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

5. Cactus THIEMANN The largest cacti farm and garden in Africa, supplying many famous gardens with succulents, prickly pears, giant aloes, and agaves.

6. Jardin Bio-Aromatique d'Ourika Morocco's first organic garden is open to visitors who wish to discover the aromatic, medicinal, and ornamental plants of the region.

Musée Yves Saint Laurent

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HANDLECO.

A COMPANY C OMMITTE D TO H IGH -QU ALITY IRONMONGERY

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n the competitive world of high-quality ironmongery suppliers, HandleCo. has fast established itself as a formidable provider and advisor. Established in 2015, the trusted company is situated in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, with a store in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, to service the North Coast and further afield. With almost two decades of experience in ironmongery sourcing and supply, Larry Mallach, the proud owner of HandleCo., recognised a gap in the market and proceeded to bring exclusive, imported and locally-sourced product ranges to the South African market. From its inception, their driving vision has always been to provide a variety of quality products at consistently competitive prices, backed by a gold standard of aftersales service.

Setting the pace at the forefront of the industry, HandleCo. is one of South Africa’s top suppliers of high-quality door and cabinet handles, knobs, accessories, and other ironmongery. Despite Larry Mallach's busy schedule, he is a frequent traveller, constantly attending various international and local expos and trade shows. Regular attendance of these shows has enabled HandleCo. to stay ahead of the trend curve, bringing the best new innovations and exclusive product ranges to customers and consumers alike.

Never one to fit into the conventional mould, Larry Mallach understood the intrinsic value of offering his discerning customers a professional ‘one-stop-shop’ for all their residential and commercial needs. HandleCo.’s product offering also extends beyond quality door handles, cabinet handles, and bathroom accessories to home-security solutions and signages. Among the sumptuous and exclusive styling of Italian handle ranges like Formani and Frosio Bortollo, clients can source CISA cabinet locks and Exidor’s panic and emergency exit hardware devices. However, HandleCo. is not only a supplier of quality ironmongery products; they also offer bespoke solutions such as custom finishes in the form of powder plating – all tailored to the needs of their diverse customer base.

HandleCo. continues to be a market leader in collaborating with South Africa’s richest talent in architecture, construction, and interior design. Their hands-on involvement has been integral to the design and development of some of the most important and innovative commercial and residential projects in the country. As such, HandleCo. boasts a range of top clients in the private, corporate, hospitality, and government sectors, including Nike, Coca Cola, Sun International’s Tsogo Sun, The Legacy Hotel Group, and multiple prominent residential projects to name a few.

In the local sphere, HandleCo. is a proud supplier and promoter of ironmongery goods manufactured and produced in South Africa. Moreover, with solid relationships built up over time, the international product line includes more than 5000 unique items, which are predominantly sourced from the European markets of Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Turkey, and India.

Despite the challenges many businesses face due to the current economic climate, HandleCo. shows no signs of slowing down in their pursuit to bring clients the best products at the most competitive prices.

In the welcoming words of HandleCo.'s customer-centred philosophy: ‘Our doors are always open.’

HANDLECO. www.handleco.co.za @handleco_za

TRIPLE NET ZERO BUILD

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WETLAND WONDER

VLEIHUIS, JOHANNESBURG – MARC SHERRATT SHARES HIS SUSTAINABLE INSIGHT

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arc Sherratt Sustainability Architecture (MSSA) is considered one of the leaders in the green building and sustainable architecture movement on the African continent. Their flagship Vleihuis development in Linden, Johannesburg, is a triple Net Zero GBCSArated project – the first on the continent to achieve this – cementing their forefront in the industry even further.

With a keen lens, zooming in on the preface of why and how he went about creating a residential home in harmony with its surroundings, Marc Sherratt dives into the sustainable solutions behind this wetland wonder...

Setting the sustainable scene Sustainability has come to be understood as so many different and confusing things, but in layman’s terms, it simply means that you can keep on doing the same thing forever. Our actions have a massive impact on the environment at various scales. That is why true sustainability should start by focussing on the planetary level, moving all the way down to the local level. At MSSA, our in-house landscape designers have helped us to view architecture and landscape design as two sides of the same design discipline. More importantly, we regard both fields as having equal importance and value. In terms of Vleihuis, the driving philosophy was to design the landscape first before we started designing the architecture. This was an interesting project in the sense that we were both the client and the architect. We bought the land, rezoned it, and are now selling the development ourselves. This approach gave us the time to do the necessary research to create a pioneering example of sustainable architecture for the residential market. The design process also was not rushed: we spent three years making sure that our design specifications were correct and our costs would be affordable.

Our design approach is very site-specific. Before commencing a project, we do an intensive historical research process that searches for clues about a site that can lead to a design that is a reflection or refraction of the cultural and environmental identity of that specific area. In terms of Linden, its original landscape (before the city was built) was a combination of grassland, koppie, and wetland. Today, most of the area has been transformed by exotic gardens, so our first response was to choose a locally indigenous plant palette that would re-establish the biodiversity, reversing the local extinction of indigenous plants in the area.

Ecological explorations In order to form a baseline ecological understanding for the project, we took a research expedition to the Okavango Delta in Botswana. This allowed us to understand how the natural system of a pristine wetland functions and how local people connect their lifestyle to its bountiful provision. We learned so much from the Tshwane fishing community on the Okavango, and have implemented this knowledge to design an aquacultural system where the wetland can provide indigenous fish and freshwater mussels to the development’s residents. Our investigation also helped to answer some important questions around keystone species, and the physical and chemical structural requirements for the landscape to thrive. But most importantly, the wetland expedition gave us the concept for the architecture. We were inspired by how birds create a variety of different nest structures in the reeds, using plants as their building material and camouflage, and the water as their security boundary. As such, our residential units are perched in the wetland landscape like birds’ nests, seamlessly blending into the surroundings.

Triple threat

Net Positive Ecology Wetlands are usually regarded as a scary landscape for developers to tackle, but what many don’t realise is these habitats offer incredible

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The calming unit interiors use a combination of locally-sourced granite and timber flooring

MARC SHERRATT Managing Director and Principal Architect Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects

marcsherratt.com @marc_sherratt

ecosystem services for city environments. They cool the air around them by about two degrees, which is the current climate change projection for Johannesburg by 2050. They also sequester large amounts of carbon into their soil, filter water, and provide a safe haven for many threatened and secretive species. Plus, they provide food in the form of fish and freshwater mussels as well as herbs and vegetables of various kinds. Wetlands remain a threatened landscape in South Africa, therefore, one of the key questions we asked ourselves is: How can we symbiotically link the landscape and the architecture together in a way that encourages both to thrive?

At their most basic level, wetlands are landscapes that allow water to move very slowly through a vegetated substrate. The site’s slope is gradual, and so water moves very slowly between each unit’s individual, natural pool that are connected by fish ladders, enabling fish to cross between them. The pools’ retaining walls have been constructed from recycled rubble sealed with gunite – a type of concrete used for wet applications. However, the one we used did not have the usual smooth finish but a rough and irregular surface that would encourage the growth of aquatic life.

The landscape designers worked closely with local indigenous nurseries to help develop the plant lists. All of the wetland plant species we used are locally indigenous to the area, and we specifically chose indigenous plants that can be used for food. With more than 60 different species, the landscape is incredibly biodiverse.

Net Zero Water Due to the amount of water storage you need for the dry months, the Net Zero Water-rating is extremely difficult to achieve. Essentially, instead of using unsightly tanks, we considered the wetland itself to be our rainwaterretention device. The water is then treated naturally and mechanically until it is of drinkable quality. Yet, most importantly, the landscape is intended to encourage drastic changes in human behaviour. If the surrounding environment is where your drinking water is sourced from, then you cannot waste or pollute the wetland. The healthier you keep the ecological system, the better the landscape will service your health and water and food needs. As a result, everyone has to change the soaps and cleaning products they use to be biodegradable. Of course, the architecture is also fitting with the latest technology in terms of water savings, e.g., water recycling systems and low-flow fittings.

Net Zero Carbon For operational energy, we used the cooling power of the wetland to remove the need for air conditioning. The building is also insulated very well, which removes the need for active heating in the winter.

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Additionally, the Vleihuis building takes advantage of as many passive elements as possible, making the required PV and battery storage as small and cost-effective as possible.

Water heating is usually the biggest energy drain in residential builds. For a sustainable solution, this project used an electric geyser with a heat pump. Therefore, Net Zero Carbon was relatively easy to achieve as the design team first integrated efficiency into all parts of the building design before renewable energy systems were applied.

Meet the materials The building is made from an upcycled steel structure that has been reused and strengthened from shipping containers. This structural system allows the buildings to be slightly raised off of the ground, suspended like bird’s nests spanning over the wetland, while still being cost-effective. The walls are made of plastered and painted green-crete – a lightweight, highly-insulated building block that is a combination of concrete and polystyrene insulation. The unit interiors have a combination of locally-sourced granite and timber flooring.

Unit buyers have three cladding options, which all have different characteristics regarding look, maintenance, longevity, and cost: African reed, recycled timber, or Rhino Wood. This will give the buildings an element of appearing as if they were built from the landscape they live in, as well as helping with insulation.

Overcoming obstacles Many of the local residents did not support the development during its rezoning process. Unfortunately, this is common with many developments that come under fire by the ‘NIMBY’ (Not In My Backyard) attitude. Another obstacle was that our initial design was overscaled for the area in terms of size and cost. Therefore, we had to redesign the unit many times, including reviewing material and structural choices, eventually finding a sweet spot in terms of price, performance, and unit size. We began selling the development just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which affected the sales. In response, we decided to first build a show-unit to showcase the project in reality before we resume sales to the public again.

Looking ahead Going forward, the landscaping design approach we used can be applied to almost any building. The same goes for the water and energy technologies that are becoming more and more common throughout South Africa. However, the construction materials will change as they are directly related to the climate zone the building sits in. This was tested with thermal comfort computer modelling to make sure the design will function as intended. This methodology of modelling the building design before it is built in theory should apply to all buildings to make sure the systems, materials, lighting, etc. will perform as designed.

As the project was an in-house development, the budget was defined by the affordability of the area. The development has only five threebedroom, two-bathroom units that are currently selling at R2.9 million each. This means they are selling at the same price as some of the similarlysized conventional buildings in the area, plus all the sustainability features as a value-add. Most GBCSA Net Zero projects only target one Net Zero category (there are four categories). So hopefully, our Vleihuis project shows that targeting multiple Net Zero categories can help lead to more integrated, holistic, and simple solutions to sustainable challenges that do not have to break the bank.

MEET T HE T EAM Quantity surveyors: Russell Irons & Associates Sustainable design review consultant: Solid Green Consulting Sustainable building consultant: Solid Green Consulting Project manager: Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects

Architect: Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects Ecologist: Ecology International Wetland specialist: Emifula Riverine Consultants & Associates Mechanical consultant and engineer: Drikus van der Walt Wet services: Green Planet Engineering Services

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ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABLE

HEALTH & SAFETY

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

LIFETIME WARRANTY

CAESARSTONE: A BRAND COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

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easarstone is the pioneer of engineered quartz surfaces, offering aesthetic appeal and functionality through a distinct variety of colours, styles, textures, and finishes. Their vision is to bring the magic of our planet's materials into people's homes in a sustainable way. Learn more about how their spectacular surfaces have become the bedrock of everyday life for people around the world...

With a strong commitment to service, they have fostered growing customer loyalty in over 50 countries. Their position in the global market has been achieved through continuous investment and innovation, extensive research and development, highly trained personnel, and an advanced infrastructure.

Caesarstone is all about setting new standards in innovation and craftsmanship and they continue to set trends in the industry. Their quartz product offering consists of four collections, each designed to have a distinct aesthetic appeal: Classico, Supernatural, Metropolitan, and Outdoor.

A passion for sustainability

Sustainability is a natural extension of Caesarstone’s core values. Their sustainability vision draws upon their commitment to people, accountability, and innovation. At Caesarstone, sustainability goals are centred around these core areas: sustainable products, environmentally responsible production, health and safety, and social responsibility: Sustainable products: Commitment to developing environmentally-friendly and low-silica products with a lifetime warranty.

Environmentally-responsible production: Commitment to an environmentally-responsible production process, including reducing carbon footprint, reducing styrene emissions, increasing use of renewable energy, reducing water use, and reducing waste. Caesarstone is currently exploring more advanced environmentally-sustainable transportation opportunities to improve their logistics and supply chain processes.

Health and safety: Caesarstone is committed to their goal of achieving a world-class health and safety system, aligned with their global plan for a best practice approach in their facility practices and processes. They seek to keep people and the industry safe through raising awareness of safety practices.

Social responsibility: They are committed to acting in a socially-responsible manner and having a positive impact across the value chain, including for employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities they work in.

Environmental ethos

Caesarstone is committed to conducting its business in compliance with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, and permits in a manner that has the highest regard for sustaining the environment in which it operates. As they develop, manufacture, and market products, they work to reduce the environmental impact of their processes.

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“We are committed to resource efficiency in our production processes, including raw material management, energy savings, reducing our emissions, water recycling, packaging recycling, and efficient use of auxiliary materials. To help establish a comprehensive approach to our environmental management strategy and practices, we have further developed our approach and commitment to Environmental, Health, & Safety (EHS). We believe these new guidelines will support us on our path to improved environmental performance, which we consider a long-term endeavour and investment.

Our approach to environmental management is one of continuous improvement – we not only ask ourselves what our employees would want us to do when it comes to environmental responsibility, we also ask what our neighbours would want us to do."

“AT CAESARSTONE, WE ARE FOCUSSED ON A VALUE CHAIN BUILT ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES. WE WELCOME YOU AS WE EMBARK ON OUR JOURNEY OF SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION TOGETHER.”

Materials

Caesarstone is committed to the superior quality, strength, and durability of their products. The materials used to create these products must meet the highest standards of performance and quality. Their product specialists and supply chain management team work closely with suppliers to ensure the materials they receive are of the best quality. Caesarstone adopted resource-efficiency measures for their auxiliary materials and they continue to aim for improvement in the efficient use of these resources.

THEIR GOAL: 50% reduction of certain materials used.

Energy

Caesarstone understands the importance of energy efficiency and the transformation to renewable energy as part of their efforts to reduce their impact on climate change. Their energy use is tracked carefully and is managed by their energy committee, including an energy manager. Energy usage and related KPIs are reviewed quarterly for their production sites, and they have a continuous improvement process plan in place to meet their energy reduction goals. In addition, they comply with all local energy regulations in the respective countries they operate in and conduct a periodic energy survey every few years.

THEIR GOAL: 10% decrease by 2025 in energy consumption.

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Air

Caesarstone is committed to the health of its employees, the well-being of populations living near their production facilities, and ultimately, the health of the global environment. As such, they diligently seek to conform with all regulations regarding emissions and regularly track and measure these figures. They have targets and threshold values for pollutants across their facilities, with a focus on styrene and silica, and they regularly conduct environmental and stack monitoring of their facilities. Their meauring activities include the online monitoring of emissions and monthly meetings to track the progress of their energy reduction projects.

As the impact of climate change becomes increasingly relevant on a global scale, they are committed to tracking and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

THEIR GOAL: 5% decrease by 2025 in global GHG emissions.

Waste

Caesarstone works to minimise their waste through the reduction, reuse, and recycling of materials. Hazardous waste impacts the environment, our communities, and the health and safety of employees. That means they continuously search for new recycling and circular economy opportunities, both at their production and corporate sites. Recently, they completed a full mapping of their waste streams at all production facilities, which helped identify opportunities to reduce waste at the source and divert more materials to recycling. They will soon begin to track their hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

THEIR GOAL: 2% overall reduction of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

Water

Water is an essential part of the creation of their products and is used to ensure that their production process runs smoothly and safely. In their facilities, water is primarily withdrawn as tap water from the municipal water system and is used mainly in the polishing department, where it helps reduce dust and particulate matter from entering the airstream. Their approach to water management is to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Caesarstone facilities recycle approximately 95% of the water used in the production process. In addition to recycling water, they also take measures to reduce the amount of water they use. Water reduction projects include the installation of flow meters to detect and repair leaks quickly and efficiently.

THEIR GOAL: 10% decrease per slab by 2025 in municipal water use.

CAESARSTONE www.caesarstone.co.za @caesarstonesa

TALBORNE

SO I L H E ALTH AND PL A N T NU TRI TI O N BASI C S F O R B ES T RE SU LTS E VE RY SE A S ON

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or decades, soil health and correct plant nutrition have been overlooked and smothered by a quick-fix approach (i.e., the use of synthetic chemical fertilisers and pesticides). The result? The loss of long-term environmental benefits and detrimental side effects to human health. The truth is, understanding nature’s ways, and what is best for her, does not have to be complicated. Soil that is understood, taken care of, and treated with respect will always be healthier, providing us with plants that are resilient, strong, and nutritious. So, let us unravel the hidden secrets of soil...

Inspiring landscapes start with a good foundation of fertile soil. Therefore, the focus of a healthy and biodiverse landscape should always be to first build soil fertility. Conditioning the physics, biology, and chemistry of the soil in the following ways is an important first step:

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Add compost for good structure, water retention, feed soil life and humus.

Correct chemistry and nutrient levels by adjusting pH and adding fertiliser for vigorous, pest-free plants.

Mulch planted areas to save water, maintain temperature, and suppress weeds.

The makeup of soil While conventional soil fertility programmes focus solely on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), the balanced fertility approach considers the full spectrum of chemical elements necessary for optimum plant yields, plus the biological and physical factors that impact production.

Biology For millennia, plants, soil microbes, insects, and other diverse forms of life have lived together and developed incredibly complex and synergistic ecosystems. Bacteria and Fungi are the most basic building blocks of the soil food chain. They perform critical functions such as: TALBORNE ORGANICS Grant Gove, Creative Director, Talborne Urban Organics www.talborne.co.za @talborneorganics

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Cycling nutrients, including fixing atmospheric nitrogen into forms that can be taken up by plants Breaking down organic matter Releasing nutrients that are bound in parent rock / sand particles Transporting water and nutrients to the plant from areas outside of the plant’s root zone Protecting plants from disease-causing pathogens Producing plant vitamins and growth-stimulating hormones

Chemistry The five fundamental elements sustaining life on earth are carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Moreover, of the 94 elements that occur naturally and are essential for plant health, approximately 60 are found in the human body, most of which have origins in our food, and therefore, in our soils. Since the invention of synthetic fertilisers, there has been a focus on only the major nutrients that are required by plants (N, P, and K), but minor and micro-nutrients also play a crucial role in soil fertility and plant health.

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Did you know that one teaspoon of healthy soil is home to more than 1 billion micro-organisms?

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Physics Soil is made up of mineral particles, organic matter, water, air, and living organisms.

The mineral particles are a mixture of sizes. The larger particles are sand, and the smaller particles are called silt and clay. The size and composition of these particles determine the soil’s physical properties, such as water retention, nutrient leaching, cation exchange capacity (CEC), aeration, compaction, and more.

Understanding the type of soil that you are planting in is essential for planning your plant nutrition requirements. For example, soils that mostly contain sand and very little clay or silt are known as sandy soils. These soils allow for water to drain very quickly and are prone to losing nutrients to leaching. In order to help these soils maintain their nutrients, you can replenish them with organic matter like compost and natural organic fertilisers.

C H E M I S T RY

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Did you know that sandy soils have an open structure that often leads to deficiencies in magnesium? Apply magnesium sulphate or Gromag to your soil to combat this problem.

The importance of healthy soil Soil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Soil does all this by performing five essential functions:

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Regulating water. Soil helps to control where rain, snowmelt, and irrigation water goes. Water flows over the land or into and through the soil.

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Sustaining plant and animal life. The diversity and productivity of living things depend on soil.

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Cycling nutrients. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients are stored, transformed, and cycled in the soil.

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Providing physical stability and support. Soil structure provides a medium for plant roots. Soils also provide support for infrastructure such as buildings and protection for archaeological treasures.

Filtering and buffering potential pollutants. The minerals and microbes in soil are responsible for filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilising, and detoxifying organic and inorganic materials, including industrial and municipal by-products and atmospheric deposits.

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Understanding plant nutrition While soil health is very important, landscaping and the maintenance thereof is a business. So, the aim is to create beautiful and functional landscapes with strong, healthy, and resilient plants, while focussing on sustainability and maintaining a profit. To achieve this, the link between soil health and plant health must be understood.

There are many factors affecting a plant’s health, some of which are beyond our control (e.g., the weather), but we can still influence the nutrition available to the plant. All living systems require nutrients to drive their biochemistry and create energy. For a plant to function and reach its performance and genetic potential, the correct quantity and variety of nutrients should be available. In fertile soils, nutrients exist in large quantities and few additions are necessary to grow quality plants.

Did you know that dry leaf tips are most often a sign of potassium deficiency in plants?

Healthy plant growth and development use nutrients from the soil and air, which can be supplemented with natural organic fertilisers to replenish and regenerate the soil. Plants require more than 18 nutrients for optimal growth and development.

Macronutrients Nitrogen N), phosphate (P), and potassium (K) are required in large quantities by the plant and are important for plant nutrient content. Deficiency of these nutrients cause poor plant growth, health, and yield, so these are most important nutrients supplemented by the addition of fertilisers.

Minor-nutrients Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulphur (S) are very important for soil chemistry (pH) and structure and vital to healthy plant growth, and resilience to pests and disease.

“SO, THE AIM IS TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL AND FUNCTIONAL LANDSCAPES WITH STRONG, HEALTHY, AND RESILIENT PLANTS, WHILE FOCUSSING ON SUSTAINABILITY AND MAINTAINING A PROFIT."

Micronutrients These include iron (Fe), boron (B), copper (Cu), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni). Plants also contain sodium (Na), silicon (Si), iodine (I), selenium (Se), cobalt (Co), and other elements in small quantities for their contribution to plant health and resilience.

The soil and plant wrap-up If the above information still has you scratching your head, then allow Talborne Organics to be of assistance.

The Talborne product range is safe and friendly, working with nature to improve and revitalise soils and plants for better life on earth. As the saying goes:

HEALTHY SOIL = HEALTHY PLANTS = HEALTHY PEOPLE 37

Apart from being a functional component of the build, the sweeping shading along the façade is inspired by the spinal vertebra, reflecting the hospital's specialisation in head, neck, spinal, and vascular surgery

NATURE & NURTURE

Designing Sustainable Healthcare Facilities

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ince 1991, A3 Architects has built an impressive portfolio of sustainable specialist healthcare facilities throughout the continent.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that SCAPE decided to lean into their well-found architectural knowledge of creating harmoniously suitable end-user hospitals to glean some more insight.

Read along as Milos Petkovic, Senior Professional Architectural Technologist, and Kevin Hinde, CEO and Principal Architect, of A3 Architects share the inside scoop behind their careful consideration when designing these spaces.

Key considerations for designing sustainably Hospitals are some of the most complex building projects an architectural firm can take on. A hospital consists of patient care areas, public spaces, back-of-house services, and entire equipment plants. All of this is integrated seamlessly into a functional clinical system. Going green takes it another notch further, adding an additional layer of complexity that affects almost everyone involved. Perhaps the biggest challenge can be aligning the client’s expectations with the architect’s design philosophy and Green Building Council South Africa’s (GBCSA) sustainable requirements. However, transcending the tagline of simply placing green design principles on paper for the sake of ticking something off your list, greenfield facilities need to prove that sustainable design is both possible and feasible – leading to real change. The pursuit of an improved building environment has to progress the quality of the patient, staff, and visitor’s experiences. In design terms, this progression of sustainable synergy is both logical and natural, evolving from the architect’s conceptual design into the final build.

KEVIN HINDE CEO and Principal Architect

MILOS PETKOVIC Senior Professional Architectural Technologist www.a3architects.co.za @a3architectsjhb

The nature of a Green Star hospital The Green Star rating concept is relatively new to hospitals in South Africa. As such, the first and only Green Star-rated facility in the country is Cintocare Head and Neck Private Hospital in Pretoria. The project, which was completed in 2021 and received a 5-Star GBCSA rating, required the development of a custom evaluation tool and served as a learning curve for the entire design team. The Green Star-rating system is a tool that objectively measures the design of green buildings. Since the rating is based on both the ‘Design’ and ‘As built’ criteria, the designer’s success lies in constructing a building exactly as the plans were intended and presented. A3 Architects’ design philosophy perfectly merged with GBCSA’s credit requirements, with many parallels between its green principles and design process. Due to the high energy and water consumption required for the daily operations of a hospital, developers are radically rethinking the healthcare industry’s impact on the environment.

What makes the Cintocare hospital so unique is its ability to reduce its operational footprint to create a place that comes alongside nature to nurture.

Healthcare-specific systems and materials Cintocare Private Hospital incorporates a range of sustainable building features, including an extensive highperformance, double-glazed façade that increases daylight levels and maximises the view of the outdoor environment, all while controlling radiant heat load and glare. More than 92% of bedded areas have external views enhanced throughout the facility by a day-lit atrium. A high level of thermal comfort has been obtained for 95% of the useable area of the hospital.

The HVAC system places infection control and indoor air quality at the fore, and additional maintenance access points ensure an air distribution system that minimises risk of particulate and microbial contamination of the internal air supply. Energy usage of 100 kVA or more, plus all major usage figures, are sub-metered and monitored via a Records Management System (RMS). Additionally, a Building Management System (BMS) links all the systems and services, allowing monitoring and control across the entire facility from a central system.

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The atria is filled with ample seating areas for visitors and patients to wait comfortably in the hospital

41 The rooftop garden provides patients, visitors, and staff access to fresh air and vibrant greenery

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The recycling waste storage area facilitates on-site recycling, storage, and sorting of operational waste. A 204 kilolitres rainwater storage tank has been installed for routine fire projection testwater to reduce consumption. Moreover, a sustainable procurement guide has been developed to guide the facilities and operational team in all purchases to ensure consideration is given to energy and water efficiency, as well as environmental management systems for those manufacturings, with durability another key factor throughout the decision-making process.

Furthermore, all greenery inside and outside the building is water efficient, while one plant unit has been installed for every 25 m² of frequently-occupied space.

Floor and wall coverings, ceilings, partitions, and joinery were selected in terms of Green Star-rating requirements, including recognised ecolabels, re-used materials, and long-term guarantees.

End-user fundamentals When specifically designing healthcare facilities, A3 Architects’ design philosophy is centred around the well-being and experience of the patients, staff, and visitors. Fundamental end-user elements to consider include thermal comfort, natural light, green spaces, and establishing a visual connection to the natural environment in and around the facility. Aurecon and A3 Architects worked closely together to apply the new requirements of GBCSA’s PEB v1 (Custom) Healthcare tool to Cintocare’s design. Green Dot materials were also used throughout the building process.

The future of sustainable facilities A3 Architects is in the process of constructing the Johannesburg Surgical Hospital (JSH) in Fairlands, Johannesburg. This specialist facility will cater to its own unique context and site, while drawing on the architects’ design philosophy and utilising the latest materials and systems.

Healthcare facilities carry enormous potential to be more than just ‘buildings that house services to treat patients.’ Part of the design process behind green hospitals is also considering the people inside.

Everyone from the cleaning staff to the nurses relies on functional wellbeing to cater to the needs of those who walk through the doors of the facility. Similar to what we see in nature: the environment influences the outcome. Within the context of a hospital, the health and well-being of the staff will greatly benefit the patients. An abundance of natural light, visual links to nature, and access to open landscaped gardens for staff, patients, and visitors are some of the elements that can make a substantial difference. Therefore, architects should strive to design buildings that can assist in the healing process, fostering an environment where the patient’s experience inside the facility is beneficial to their recovery.

The atria's diffused lighting provides a varying intensity of brightness that changes throughout the day, reflecting and imitating the play of light in nature

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Valcal International offers professional design, flexible solutions and expert installation.

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THAT’S SUSTAINABILITY, FIRST. Not only were we the first to measure kiln emissions in Southern Africa, we were the first to install bag-house filter technology to reduce kiln emissions, setting a benchmark for the industry by not only identifying a production problem but providing a productive solution. We also achieved a 90% reduction in particulate emissions and a 33% reduction in CO2 emissions because, as the leaders in sustainability, putting sustainability first has been, and always will be, second nature to us.

www.afrisam.com

Creating Concrete Possibilities

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AFRISAM

SP E A R H E A DIN G SU STA IN A B LE SO L U T IO N S W IT H C O M P O SIT E C E ME N T

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t has been over two decades since AfriSam began accelerating their efforts to reduce carbon emissions during its cement production.

This has put the company ahead of the pack, allowing them to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced per tonne of cement by some 30%. Learn more about how their innovative replacement of clinker with other cementitious material has been a key aspect behind their success...

Leading the market in reducing clinker content in its composite cement, AfriSam has been a trailblazer in cutting carbon emissions in one of the economy’s most energy-intensive sectors. In fact, according to Hannes Meyer, Executive Cementitious at AfriSam, the energy consumption when producing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) can be 20% to 25% times higher than a composite cement containing a cementitious extender. This is largely due to the added cost of milling clinker and the high temperatures involved in the process. One way to combat the production challenges for good, is by blending extenders like fly-ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) into the mix, effectively reducing the amount of clinker milling required per tonne of cement.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that AfriSam is spearheading the benchmark of cement innovation, leading the way in sustainability initiatives to monitor and reduce carbon emissions. A vital aspect of their use of extenders, is their ability to activate these materials for greater reactivity. Meyer explains that ‘through evolving our chemical and mechanical activation methods, we achieve a more reactive product – allowing us to progressively replace more and more clinker while retaining high cementitious quality and performance.’

In another stream of AfriSam’s research, they have taken strides in developing the reactivity of clinker itself.

Essentially, by changing the mineralogy of clinker they can improve its reactivity. Meyer points out that cementblending companies have already recognised the high reactivity of AfriSam cement, with many of them preferring AfriSam’s products as they ‘go further’ in a blending application.

AfriSam also had great success in the use of grinding aids in their milling processes, and have collaborated closely with specialist firms to address their exacting requirements. These grinding aids are specific to the extenders they use, helping to improve reactivity and, in some instances, adding 10% to 15% early strength enhancement. The end result is that less clinker needs to be produced per tonne of final product, he emphasises, leading to less carbon dioxide being generated. The company has also become more efficient in the use of thermal and electrical energy in its processes. Whereas electricity used to be a minor cost in cement plants, it is now a major factor in cement manufacture. In this context, AfriSam has explored alternative fuels, which have become a major focus for many cement producers globally.

AFRISAM www.afrisam.co.za @afrisam_sa

The reputable cement-manufacturers have made progress with responsibly disposing their waste products during energy-generation strategies. For example, using high-efficiency multi-channel burners that reduce hazardous emissions when combusting waste tyres and industrial carbon sludge. AfriSam hopes that the government will take the necessary steps to allow them to expand on these initiatives even further.

The employment of increasingly sophisticated process-control technology is part of the ‘AfriSam Way’ towards a sustainable planet.

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Concept to Conclusion - Innovative solutions for unique problems Dune Management // Restoration // Eco Landscapes +27 82 564 5748 | admin@vula.biz | www.vula.biz

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O W I TH THE D I R EC TO R S O F GL H & AS S O C I ATE S ARC H I TECTS

ONE ON ONE

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Witklipfontein Eco Lodge, Vredefort District, Free State

Established in 1945, GLH & Associates Architects have been industry leaders for 77 years, successfully adding a plethora of iconic builds under their belt. The firm is passionate about innovating exciting yet timeless buildings, and are responsible for some of the best cultural and sustainable projects both in the commercial and residential space across South Africa.

We are delighted to share an exclusive interview with GLH & Associates Architects' board of directors. From inspiration to sustainable innovation, settle in as the team shares their expert insight...

Q: From the Vodacom SSIC Africa, built more than 10 years ago, to the most recent Ikusasa, we see a common thread of green and sustainable design principles echo throughout your work. How have green building projects progressed from then until now?

GLH & ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS

Leon Fourie Briget Grosskopff Xavier Huyberechts Naina Jivan Louise O'Raw www.glh.co.za @glhplus

The GBCSA's Green Star rating system for buildings was introduced in 2007. When the Vodacom SSIC was conceived, we had already gained substantial experience and had opportunities to make use of many sustainable design initiatives on large-scale projects. Our building designs had in fact been awarded the very first 4-Star Green Star rating and the first 5-Star Green Star rating in the country, and we have been privileged to be at the pinnacle of sustainable design ever since.

The aim with the Site Specific Innovation Centre (SSIC) was explicitly to push the boundaries in terms of integrated design from the ground up, creating a prototype for the potential of passive energy design for possible use in areas of limited infrastructure. The main challenges when creating a sustainable building, both then and now, are to do more with less (less energy, less water, less waste, less carbon, less use of resources, etc.) and to consider the materials and processes for the full life of a building (i.e., from the chosen site to the design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition). During the design of the SSIC, we started by re-examining and reinterpreting every surface and service in the construction of the building, from the foundations up.

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2 Pybus, Sandton, Johannesburg

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50 MultiChoice City, Randburg, Johannesburg

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Significant changes over the last 12 years, in our opinion, have been in the availability and development of sustainable materials and processes, as well as the change of mindset among building owners and developers.

Global awareness of the environmental crisis has also pushed the necessity for sustainable design into sharp focus.

Q: What are some of the notable industry progressions in terms of green builds that you are most excited about as a firm? How do you plan to implement these new concepts in upcoming projects?

We are particularly excited about the expansion of the tools now available through GBCSA to benchmark not only new, but also existing or refurbishment projects of every description. Certifications have been added for new categories, such as Net Zero, Interiors, Existing Building Performance, Sustainable Urban Precincts, SocioEconomic, New Building and Major Refurbishments, and Custom tools, which can be adapted to just about any type of building. There are simply no more excuses not to apply sustainable solutions to every aspect of the built environment, targeting excellence and then pushing the boundaries to the next level.

The advancement of solar technology has led to improved efficiency and flexibility in design, and we strive to include photovoltaic systems in all our projects. We are currently working on a design to incorporate bifacial solar panels which can absorb energy on both sides of the panel for increased performance.

Q: You’ve recently been awarded the 2022 Corobrik-SAIA Award of Excellence for Witklipfontein Eco Lodge (previously featured in our magazine when we were formerly known as Pro Landscaper + Architect).

What was the biggest challenge you encountered on this site? And what would you say has been the most successful element to this build?

The initial selection for the site of the lodge was a fundamental decision that drove the design of the building, resulting in one of its most striking features: an extended green roof growing from the surrounding hills. When the decision was taken to carve the building out of the face of the earth rather than place it on the top of the hill, the green roof, which is now fully integrated into the surrounding landscape, became the most prominent feature of the lodge, allowing the building to blend seamlessly into nature.

Challenge or opportunity? The lodge provided a great opportunity for Xavier Huyberechts to explore his deep love for sustainability, which is evident in the successful use of rammed earth for the walls of the lodge. The walls have predominantly been constructed using earth that was locally found on the site, and the application of different thicknesses of the walls helped to enable structural stability and thermal massing.

Q: What are some of the attributes you consider when selecting green building materials for commercial projects? What product(s) are you loving currently?

Our main consideration would be the effect our choices have on human well-being and on the environment.

We are very aware of the substantial impact of the construction sector alone on our planet and are eager to implement strategies that will leave a cleaner template for future generations, without compromising on the legacy of creating inspiring buildings.

We would prefer not to single out any specific product, but rather express our love for the ever-evolving sustainable building opportunities we are continually exposed to. As a bespoke architectural practice, we are also fortunate to collaborate with some of the top experts in every field who are like-minded in taking on the challenges that green design demands.

MEET T HE T EAM

Leon Fourie

Louise O'Raw

Naina Jivan

Briget Grosskopff

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Xavier Huyberechts

/ ONE ON ONE /

Q: What buildings have inspired your team? Any build, anywhere!

Architecture is an ever-evolving learning experience. Therefore, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly which buildings have influenced our work. As architects we constantly try to expose ourselves to innovative design and technology and to learn from others. Our aim is always to add value and to create buildings that stand the test of time. We have been lucky to have a 77-year heritage on which to continue to build our practice.

The following are among some of the buildings that have inspired us over the years:

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Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion and Farnsworth House for their exquisite hidden detailing and simplicity in the use of materials and re-conceptualising of how we think about space.

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Emilio Ambasz's ACROS centre in Fukuoka, Japan, for the respect it shows to nature, making this a dominant feature of large-scale urban architecture through remarkable innovation.

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5 2 Pybus, Sandton, Johannesburg

Renzo Piano's Fondation Beyeler near Basel, for the way it seamlessly blurs the boundaries between the interiors and exteriors, while including natural light into the structure that has been designed for art.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House in Chicago, for its horizontal planes, reference to particular landscape vernacular, and the gentle way it makes magical spaces through whimsy and the handmade.

David Adjaye’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, for the proud and ground-breaking way it represents culture in such a large-scale reinterpretation of material and harnessing of technology.

Q: Which architect (dead or alive) would you like to collab with and why?

Naina Jivan: While doing my practical year in India, my visits to some of Balkrishna Doshi’s vast projects left a lasting impact on me as a young student of architecture. Inspired by the likes of Le Corbusier, Doshi reinterpreted the lessons of modernism with consideration to India’s traditions, lifestyles, materials, and environment, designing structures that celebrate the human spirit. Be it in his low-cost housing schemes or institutional buildings, Doshi provided spaces in which to gather that are physically representative of their environment.

My deep respect and love for Balkrishna Doshi’s philosophy of creating a relevant architecture of place can be summarised in these words: “The most important things are experience, the rasa, which is the subtle experience of the space which makes the space memorable.”

Q: Ikusasa has been popping up quite a bit on our news feeds. Can you tell us a little bit more about this project, its intentions, and what makes it so unique?

This building is situated in Oxford Parks — a flourishing mixed-use metropolitan precinct in Dunkeld — and is the proud new home of Anglo American’s Global Services division.

We aspired to deliver a world-class sustainable building that is welcoming and accessible to all, boasting pleasant and desirable places to work, interact, and liaise while doing so in the context of a well-planned and meticulously executed urban landscape. The district’s integrated urban philosophy is focused on the pedestrian experience, heightening the sense of human scale. It connects activities inside the building to streetscapes, creating an urban vibe through a fabric of landscaped links, winding between pedestrian pavements and mid-block public or semi-public spaces.

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90 Grayston, Sandton, Johannesburg 90 Rivonia, Sandton, Johannesburg

Rosebank Towers, Johannesburg

/ ONE ON ONE /

Market Theatre, Newtown, Johannesburg

From start to finish, a 12-month construction period had to be achieved, including the complete interior fitout for the tenant. This put incredible pressure on the design and construction team and required meticulous selection of materials. To allow the building to be closed at record speed, the design of the façade aimed to have all elements incorporated into a system of unitised panels that could be erected as completed modules without the need for perimeter scaffolding. This included glazing, aluminium cladding, and composite stone panels which helped to accomplish diversity and contrast.

The tenant and developer’s desire for demonstrating environmental sustainability was realised by intentionally expressing elements in the essence of the architecture rather than concealing them (e.g., the solar panels). The building’s relatively long east and west façades required solar protection, which resulted in a rhythm of solid stone panels that step to concurrently tie into the placement of the roof solar panels at an optimal ten-degree sun catchment angle.

As the first building in Oxford Parks to target multiple 6-Star Green Star ratings, it sets the tone for exciting future projects and upholds the vision for a sustainable, integrated precinct.

Q: A large portion of your projects are cultural builds. You’ve also been involved in some of Johannesburg’s most iconic public and cultural building projects. Would you say this category is one of your team's main focus areas? What are some noteworthy cultural builds you’ve been involved in over the years? How have these defined your firm and reputation?

Culture and community sit very much at our core. We understand the importance that every building plays in the way it is situated, how it is conceived, how it functions, and the impact it makes on people’s lives and on the building of a city. We appreciate the fact that our buildings will outlive us and become the stage around which memories are made and lives are lived.

We are very proud to have been the architects who undertook the renovation of the old Newtown fruit market into the Market Theatre. This was far more than a building project. The resulting theatre became a place that broke social conventions, being inclusive to all communities and encouraging creativity. It became a nucleus for building a new way of being and a vision for a new culture. Even today, it remains on the cutting edge of experimentation and cultural development.

We were also privileged to have designed and built the Alexander Theatre, the original Johannesburg Civic Theatre, the Bloemfontein Civic Theatre, and the African Ballet Theatre. Theatres are places that need to work both functionally and acoustically while being designed around a large amount of technology. They are where science and art meet. More importantly, they are places that build community, encourage imagination, and create magic.

We believe we bring the full number of these assets to all of our buildings.

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REINVENTING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Helderberg Environmental Centre

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Size: 1150 m² Cost: R20 758 780 Completed: 2021 Location: Somerset West, Cape Town, Western Cape

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ocated on the slopes of Helderberg Mountain overlooking the beautiful False Bay, the new multi-purpose, state-of-the-art Helderberg Environmental Centre offers an inviting space for biodiversity education. The client’s initial design concept was spearheaded by Ashley Hemraj, Senior Architect of the City of Cape Town, to advance sustainable green architecture underpinned by sound passive design principles that are resource and energyefficient and environmentally responsible. Let’s see how the project unfolded...

THE BUILD Brief and design concept Ebesa Architects’ appointment as the JV project team was to design and construct a new educational facility for CoCT (City of Cape Town) at Helderberg Nature Reserve. The beautiful setting of the reserve makes it an ideal location to teach communities in and around Somerset West about the Western Cape’s plant and animal kingdom and our impact on it. As such, the staff at the reserve identified the need for an environmental education centre where school groups and visitors can be accommodated. The new building needed to house the current staff capacity as well as additional services, including a multi-purpose space and a two-tier roof garden overlooking the existing stage area to the north.

In essence, the project brief required the extensive use of recycled materials, such as reinforced tyre and rammed-earth technology for load-bearing walls (forming the building envelope), and the use of ecobricks for internal decorative dividing walls. Additionally, the project necessitated a strong emphasis on passive design interventions to achieve thermal performance during seasonal periods. To fulfil these sustainable goals, proven conventional and unconventional green technology solutions were combined to reduce the carbon emissions of the building and to encourage an approach that is rooted in renewable resources.

Inspired by ‘biophilic design principles’ that encourage human engagement with the natural environment ‘through the interaction of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions,’ the building aimed to form a nexus between humans and the environment. This is evident in the design form, the orientation of the building, the use of natural material and the expression thereof, the harnessing of natural sunlight, and passive ventilation, which filters through the internal spaces and roof garden.

The civil, structural, electrical, and mechanical engineers supported these innovative design objectives by providing hands-on, ecologically-sensitive services. The ‘passive design principles’ approach is a second-tier, overlay component to the project, which introduced both active and passive solar energy storage and heating systems. This includes the use of thermal performance material to control the ambient temperature internally; the recycling of greywater and harvesting of rainwater to minimise end-user energy consumption; the management of freshwater usage; and processing of solid waste. The existing topography and natural surrounding landscape elements were also preserved to maintain the original character and essence of the chosen site.

The Helderberg Environmental Centre will become a flagship project that embodies and promotes green design solutions in line with the framework and goals of SALGA, GBCSA, and ICLEI Africa. The building not only demonstrates the practical intervention of alternative sustainable technology, but also facilitates the transferral of critical skills and economic opportunities through the engagement of local communities and artisans.

For example, 32 EPWP jobs were created for people from local communities who gained sustainable building skills.

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EBESA ARCHITECTS www.ebesa.co.za @ebesa_architects

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59 Two different shades create a colour movement within the rammed earth wall

A total of 830 recycled truck tyres filled with building rubble, sand from other construction sites, and ecobricks were used for the exposed tyre wall

MEET T HE T EAM Civil contractor: Regal Civils Structural and mechanical engineer: NWE Consulting Engineers HVAC installer: Khubanda Air Conditioning Electrical installer: Power Trust PV solar installer: Current Automation Paint contractor: 1st Class Coatings Specialist sub-contractor: Natural Building Collective Rammed earth specialist sub-contractor: Simply Sustainable Ceiling and bulkhead specialist sub-contractor: Ceil Wall Interiors Occupational health and safety consultant: Frontline

Client: City of Cape Town, specifically Nature Conservation and the Urban Planning and Design Departments Architect: Ebesa Architects Landscape architect: Rene Maria Brett, Viridian Consulting Landscape Architects Environmental consultant: Sillito Environmental Consultants Landscape and irrigation contractor: Ezra Watson, Bantu Environmental Solutions Principal agent: ENN JV Quantity surveyor: Narker & Associates Principal building contractor: The Construction Co.

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Site and locality diagrams Situated in a spot opposite to the existing heritage building, the site is just off the access road and the road that leads to the main entrance connecting to Verster Avenue, which forms a part of the wider Helderberg Nature Reserve precinct.

Before building commenced on the new educational facility, the nature reserve already sported various supplementary structures, including a heritage building, café and resource centre, male and female restrooms, a bird lookout post, and a concert stage. The remaining portion of the 403 hectares utilises the locality in the most scenic of ways: boardwalk trails meander around the slopes of Helderberg West Peak, leading visitors to isolated seating areas overlooking the region’s indigenous flora and fauna, and the bird sanctuary beyond.

Unpacking the design Position and orientation The building was positioned in relation to the mountain, stage, embankment, and the current information centre, which meant the placement of the building was a subject of major consideration. Once the position, shape, and orientation of the building was determined, and the delicate play between the aforementioned constraints was established, the design team shifted their focus to selecting the materials for the new building.

"MATERIALS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BECOME A BURDEN IN A LANDFILL WERE REUSED AND GIVEN A NEW LIFE. THE IDEA OF REPURPOSING AND UPCYCLING MATERIALS ALLOWS THIS CENTRE TO SPEAK TO SUSTAINABILITY AND WASTE SEQUESTRATION."

Materials Aided by the Natural Building Collective, the team workshopped the selection and implementation of alternative building materials and were able to find practical solutions in implementing these materials into the building design, and eventually, into the construction process. The outer layer of the building envelope, which was encroaching into the embankment, needed to be waterproofed extensively. This posed quite the challenge as the wall was constructed out of tyres and cob. In order to address the matter, the walls were first layered with plaster to secure the cob and to provide a substrate to apply bitumen layers. This was followed by an additional layer of bubble drainage, sand, and then, finally, a French drain before the embankment wall was re-established.

The tyre wall started at a base width of 800 mm that narrowed towards 400 mm at the top. The outer rammed earth wall was particularly challenging, as it had to house the structural columns needed to support the coffered slab roof, enabling the design team to have the hall space free of any internal columns that could potentially interfere with the earth-ramming process. Local material was used for the rammed earth, as well as two different shades to create a colour movement within the wall. The wall was 600 mm thick and was coated with a protective layer to reduce the impact of weather over time. Lastly, a Bedouin tent structure was designed to clip on and off the building so that the client can use it for outdoor functions.

Roof The roof structure was designed to span the entire hall area and to allow both people and plants on top. This was achieved by using a coffer slab on the upper roof structure. Balustrades were designed to protect the people on the roof, but were not placed on the outer edge so as to minimise the visual impact. The architects wanted lookout points where people could go all the way to the edge of the building, which is why they placed glass balustrades there. The garden on the roof structure aids in the thermal comfort of the building and includes low-growing indigenous planting with drip irrigation.

Sustainable systems and principles Apart from the sessions hosted inside the facility, the building itself was also designed to educate its visitors on its function and construction process. The ramp on the side of the building leads people around the structure to engage all their senses as they take in the full visuals of the building. From the exposed tyres and rammed-earth walls that beckon a visitor’s touch as they move around the centre, to the services placed on the lower-roof structure, there is plenty to admire.

The three different wall types showcase the principle of carbon burying: the inner, curved wall and foundations were constructed using rammed earth and repurposed building rubble; and the outer, curved retaining wall was constructed from repurposed tyres. This massively reduced the amount of cement needed for construction (cement has one of the highest carbon footprints of all building materials). A total of 830 recycled truck tyres were used for the tyre wall, which is approximately 40 metres long and 3.4 metres high. Building rubble, sand from other construction sites, and ecobricks (made from plastic bottles filled and compacted with plastic waste), were used to fill the tyres and the internal wall.

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Natural cob — an environmentally-friendly plaster mix — was also used to cover the ecobricks instead of conventional cement-based plaster. In addition, approximately 176 cubic metres of earth and recycled building rubble were used for the rammed-earth walls and foundations. Materials that would otherwise have become a burden in a landfill were reused and given a new life. The idea of repurposing and upcycling materials allows this centre to speak to sustainability and waste sequestration. The building is also a carbon sink, meaning it saves and absorbs more carbon than it uses.

A Maskam system creates a closed system for water and wastewater usage, coupled with water harvesting to supplement the water supply. Wastewater and rainwater from the new and existing facilities are captured and sent to the underground blackwater treatment system. There, wastewater passes through a four-chamber process before being stored in storage tanks for the flushing of toilets in the new facility and existing ablution blocks. This ensures minimum water usage and zero water wastage. The treatment system makes use of bacteria and microorganisms to break down solids and treat the wastewater — a process that mimics nature without releasing harmful nitrates into the atmosphere. Additionally, the centre is fitted with a solar photovoltaic system to generate its own electricity. As a result, the savings in terms of electricity costs and carbon emissions are significant.

Interiors By minimising the use of finishes, the interior of the building was kept functional and environmentally conscious.

Polished concrete floors were used throughout, and reclaimed materials were used for cladding, doors, and windows. Ecophon panels were used in the hall and boardroom for acoustic treatment.

Roof lights and clerestory windows were used to bring in light from a higher level, and the round windows used in the office areas were constructed using civil drainage pipes penetrating the tyre wall construction. The front area of the hall was treated as a glass façade that could completely be opened to the outside, taking full advantage of the beautiful view and outside function area. Overall, the construction process took 11 months before the Helderberg Environmental Centre was ready to welcome visitors and school groups.

THE LANDSCAPE

Brief and location Initially, Helderberg Nature Reserve was home to a small, existing visitor centre as well as a separate environmental education centre aimed mainly at school groups. However, the education centre was tucked away in a non-public part of the reserve, making it inaccessible to visitors. Therefore, a new vision for the reserve was to develop a combined visitor and environmental education centre to showcase green architecture.

The goal was to integrate the building into the landscape by using environmentally sustainable construction methods and materials. Viridian Consulting Landscape Architects assisted with positioning and orientating the building, strategically using the site’s scenic locale to create a unique sense of place. The building is oriented towards the lawn and stage, and opens itself up to the audience seating area, creating a backdrop and extension from where the summer concerts can be enjoyed in the evenings and over weekends. The new building’s position functionally relates to the space between the former centre, and has been nestled into the embankment. Another enhancement to the building includes a rooftop garden that has been designed to experience the concerts and enjoy the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Accessible for environmental education purposes, the rooftop also houses solar panels that supply electricity to the centre. The facility is a tangible extension of environmental learning, giving visitors a first-hand experience of the positive impact of sustainability-in-action.

Landscape design philosophy The landscape architects sought to integrate a new and iconic structure into the landscape in a timeless way by creating the sense that the building is a part of the landscape, and not imposed on it. As such, the formation of an ‘integrated whole’ was key to the entire project.

Water and planting In a similar vein, the planting and earthworks approach was also to settle the building into the landscape sustainably, using a locally-indigenous planting palette. The roof garden has an artificial growing environment, which is why irrigation is crucial. Indigenous plants and succulents are irrigated with rainwater and recycled greywater.

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Glass and steel balustrades provide safety to visitors on the roof while maximising the sweeping mountain views

The rooftop garden aids in the thermal comfort of the building and includes low-growing indigenous planting with drip irrigation

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Nestled in the region's indigenous flora and fauna, the Helderberg Environmental Centre utilises its locality in the most scenic of ways

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Photograph courtesy of City of Cape Town

The extensive, yet water-hungry, lawns that contribute to the site’s recreational value, need a non-potable water source in order to meet its ongoing irrigation demand sustainably. The concert lawns are located on a natural drainage line with fairly high groundwater levels. The natural groundwater seepage had previously allowed the lawns to retain their active growth throughout the dry summer months. Therefore, the new building was positioned across this natural seepage line, and a subsoil drainage system has been used to divert the groundwater around the building to a constructed well point from where the water is automatically pumped into irrigation water-storage tanks.

The lawns, new planting, and roof garden all make use of this water source for irrigation.

When the available water exceeds the irrigation demand, it overflows into a constructed drainage channel that diverts rainwater and overland flow away from the building into an unlined, constructed pond located on the natural drainage line. This results in the reinstatement of the natural groundwater seepage, maintaining groundwater conditions for the existing trees and vegetation established along the drainage line.

The pond has evolved into a year-round water feature, creating a habitat for a wider range of vegetation and fauna to be established close to the visitor centre. Timber decking walkways make the pond accessible to visitors and groups attending environmental education sessions. Plus, the placement of large sandstone boulders provides a place for visitors to rest or inch closer to the pond.

Original site elements There were a couple of elements on the original site that had to be taken into account prior to the landscape design process. A number of indigenous trees (mostly Afrocarpus) planted by ‘Friends of the Helderberg Nature Reserve’ over many years obstructed the site of the new building. Viridian Consulting Landscape Architects applied for a permit to have them removed and, in exchange, a similar number of Cunonia capensis and Afrocarpus falcatus trees were planted in the reserve’s picnic and lawn areas. Additionally, initial funding for the project was established through the sale of pine trees for harvesting on the slopes of the reserve. Some of the harvested timber was also used in the building itself.

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VIRIDIAN CONSULTING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS www.viridian.co.za

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The existing natural drainage line and seepage (groundwater in the area) also had to be integrated into the design for irrigation and the creation of the pond. Lastly, the views of the mountain and orientation of the building also influenced the landscape design.

The front glass façade can be opened up, taking full advantage of the beautiful view and outside function area

Hard and soft landscaping Some of the hard landscaping elements included gabion retaining structures, retaining walls, and timber decking that helped to create the forecourt and landing areas around the building, and the timber pathways joining into existing timber elements, including on the rooftop garden.

Around the back of the building, stormwater channels were constructed from natural rock to absorb the flow off the embankment emptying into the constructed, natural soil pond. Paving and stairs are also present, speaking to the levels and flow around the building. Solar panels were installed on the rooftop garden to comply with the power demand. To avoid shading and obscuring the solar panels, the landscape architects also made their planting choices in light of the position and orientation of these panels.

Tolerant species were used for the soft landscaping as they can handle a wide range of extreme soil moisture conditions. The rooftop garden was planted with a variety of succulent species — a good choice considering that it would be hot and dry in summer and wet in winter. Geoplast (a specialised drainage layer) was used to successfully regulate the drainage on the roof garden. It consists of a cup-like drainage structure that creates mini reservoirs to hold water, increasing soil moisture holding capacity on the roof while still allowing free drainage to prevent waterlogging.

Maintenance and irrigation Maintenance is being done by the Helderberg Nature Reserve’s on-site staff (City of Cape Town). Irrigation consists of a combination of sprayers and drip irrigation on the rooftop garden, using the recycled, captured groundwater, which is recycled into the tank system for the large lawn areas.

The goal was to integrate the building into the landscape by using environmentallysustainable construction methods and materials

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FLOATING INTO THE FUTURE

Aerial view of OCEANIX Busan's first floating city

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O

CEANIX Busan is the world’s first prototype of a resilient and sustainable floating community, paving the way for future innovations to help coastal cities threatened by rising sea levels. The floating city is envisaged as a flood-proof infrastructure that rises with the sea and produces its own food, energy, and water with fully integrated zero-waste, closed-loop systems. Cutting edge on numerous fronts, this large-scale project signals the arrival of a new era of seascapes.

Location Located in the calm waters of Busan’s North Port, OCEANIX’s floating city will be an adaptable, scalable, and inclusive solution for living on the ocean. The build will serve as an organic extension of South Korea’s local urban fabric, where leading artists will help shape the public space defined by its market culture, art village, and celebratory events. The goal is to view public spaces not simply as the ‘gaps between buildings,’ but as places that form a productive bridge bringing people together. Therefore, OCEANIX Busan’s strength lies not only in its new model for sustainable communities, but also in its ability to build trust between the land and water communities. The development is site-specific and will consider the social, political, environmental, and economic environment of South Korea. This will be informed by Busan’s unique juxtaposition of old and new — a port-city rich in culture, art, and trade.

Sustainable systems Each neighbourhood is embedded with six integrated systems that generate energy, treat and replenish water, reduce and recycle resources, and provide innovative urban agriculture to facilitate a local plant-based diet.

Pedestrian-friendly paths accommodate autonomous vehicles, replacing all fuel-based cars with electric and shared mobility, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting a healthy lifestyle. The platforms also provide regenerative living surfaces, creating habitats that filter and clean polluted port water. Each platform has three performative petals (edges) that provide access to the water, regenerate the habitat, and offer seating and gathering spaces facing the waterfront.

OCEANIX Busan will organically transform and adapt over time. Starting with a community of three platforms with 12,000 residents and visitors, it has the potential to expand to more than 100,000 residents. The floating platforms are accompanied by dozens of productive outposts with photovoltaic panels and greenhouses that can expand and contract over time based on the needs of Busan.

Platforms and programmes The three floating platforms (totalling 6.3 hectares) are connected to the port with link-span bridges that frame a sheltered blue lagoon of floating art, recreation, and performance outposts. Each neighbourhood accommodates 30,000 to 40,000 square metres of mixed-use programmes distributed into living, research, and lodging platforms. The living platform provides diverse and accessible housing options plus intimate alleys full of local food vendors, crafts, and bookshops. The research platform is a co-working and maritime research hub.

It will provide job opportunities driven by innovating climate change solutions, including a habitat regeneration centre, maker spaces, and dorms. Lastly, the eco-lodging platform provides harbour-view guest rooms, organic dining, and skylight greenhouse amenities, creating a unique destination for visitors and residents alike.

Buildings Low-rise buildings are distributed across each platform, and to balance the weight evenly, a five-level datum creates a low centre of gravity that can resist wind. The buildings are defined by their soft lines and special terraces for indoor-outdoor living, helping to create a network of vibrant public spaces. Both floating and rooftop photovoltaic panels are used to harvest energy for the neighbourhood. Additionally, large winter gardens provide temperature-controlled environments to grow food and provide respite from Busan’s cold winter months. Alternatively, screening and salt-tolerant vegetation provide shade and lower cooling costs in the hotter summer months. Locally-sourced materials like wood – a 100% renewable material that is both strong and light – create lightweight buildings that will age with character and maritime appeal. Lastly, the buildings’ form will be tuned to maximize solar capture and to create comfortable indoor-outdoor spaces.

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Interconnected floating village prototype

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The People's Alley at night

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Design principles As the world’s first resilient floating community, the design principles behind OCEANIX will determine the future of floating infrastructure to help coastal cities adapt to climate change. The design is anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and seeks to channel the flow of energy, water, food, and waste to create a blueprint for a modular maritime metropolis. The developers have been looking to both nature and humans for inspiration. For example, the hexagons central to the design of the platforms are informed by the ability of bees to use space effectively despite limited resources, while global sustainability initiatives and existing communities living and thriving on the ocean are providing endless information to engineers to reconfigure the city’s evolving needs.

A NEW ERA OF BLUE TECHNOLOGY

OCEANIX is trailblazing a resilient and self-sustaining industry to meet humanity’s shelter, energy, waste, water, and food needs, all while regenerating marine ecosystems. Some of their sustainable building principles include: Net-zero Energy Affordable, abundant, and clean renewable energy from solar, wind, sea, and waves.

Freshwater autonomy Freshwater supply via the latest water-harvesting, filtering, recycling, and distillation systems.

Zero waste systems Closed-loop processing will reduce the material footprint, turning waste into energy, agricultural feedstock, and recycled materials.

Habitat regeneration Biorock is a unique ocean technology that produces the only marine construction material that grows, heals itself, and becomes stronger with age.

Plant-based food A steady supply of organic produce from high yield, decentralized, soilless, and permaculture systems.

Shared mobility Shared and multimodal mobility and active modes for an integrated, mixed, and productive community with reduced transportation demand.

"AS THE WORLD’S FIRST RESILIENT FLOATING COMMUNITY, THE DESIGN PRINCIPLES BEHIND OCEANIX WILL DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF FLOATING INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP COASTAL CITIES ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE."

The floating city foregrounds the mountains of Busan at night

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M E E T THE TE AM Developer: OCEANIX Leading architects: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and SAMOO (Samsung) Architects and Engineers Research, design, and engineering partners: UN-Habitat, Prime Movers Lab, Arup, Bouygues Construction, Helena, the MIT Center for Ocean Engineering, the Korea Maritime and Ocean University, environmental artist Olafur Eliasson, Studio Other Spaces, Wartsila, Transsolar KlimaEngineering, Mobility in Chain, Sherwood Design Engineers, Agritecture, the Center for Zero Waste Design, Greenwave, and the Global Coral Reef Alliance.

Render images: OCEANIX/ BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

BOOMING BUSINESS IKUSASA – 7 PARKS BOULEVARD, OXFORD PARKS, DUNKELD

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amed after the isiZulu name for ‘future,’ the brand new Ikusasa building is the latest addition to the bustling, mixed-use Oxford Parks precinct. Positioned on African Square along Parks Boulevard, the 7676 m² office space, comprising four floors and three levels of basement parking, is the proud new home of Anglo American’s Global Services division – another blue-chip company to complement the big-league residents already established in the district.

Read along to learn more about this fascinating 6-Star Green Star build...

Brief and location Situated in a prime location bordering the CBD-node of Rosebank, Oxford Parks is the pinnacle of cosmopolitan ambiance. The mixed-use precinct is favoured for its diversity and unique blend of residential, retail, and business components, offering convenient access to major roads, the Gautrain, and other public transportation options.

GLH & Associates Architects' brief was to align with the vision of Oxford Parks by extending the character of Rosebank, and incorporating the design into a vibrant and leafy urban node with a strong focus on seamless pedestrian movement and nonmotorised transport.

Ikusasa splendidly reflects the developer's holistic approach to the precinct by encompassing a powerful architectural design with innovative and energy-saving efficiency and a fresh approach to integrating public spaces.

Urban philosophy The project’s integrated, urban philosophy sought to heighten a sense of human scale, connect activities inside the building to their surrounding streetscape, and focus on the pedestrian experience.

This was brought to fruition by activating street frontages and by creating spaces that mesh with the fabric of the neighbourhood’s landscaped links, which wind between pedestrian pavements and mid-block public or semi-public spaces.

All parking is sub-terranean so as to respect pedestrian movement and safety, and to encourage walking, cycling, and other leisure activities. Another important aspect is the promotion of passive security for a welcoming and safe environment without fences. An inviting entrance was achieved by setting the building back near the street intersection on the north-eastern corner. The open-plan corner mimics adjacent developments to become a mini piazza, while the landscaping enhances the urban vibe through a diverse and ecologically-sustainable plant palette.

Upon their entrance, visitors are welcomed into a double-volume atrium, allowing convenient access to the central core of the building, which is used for amenities and support functions. Public-interface spaces such as meeting rooms, a coffee shop, and restaurant dominate the ground floor, each uniquely interacting with the surrounding streets and the pedestrian zones.

PARAGON INTERFACE www.paragon.co.za @paragongroupza

MEET T HE T EAM Tenant: Anglo American Developer: Intaprop Project managers and principal agents: Duncan Clark Project Management Architect: GLH & Associates Architects Quantity surveyor: Gro2 Consulting Civil, structural, and façade engineer: Pure Consulting Electrical engineer: RWP Taemane Consulting Engineers Mechanical engineer: Adaptive Resource Engineers Wet services: IZAZI Consulting Engineers

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Fire engineer: WSP Group Africa Sustainability consultant: Solid Green Consulting Landscape architect: Insite Landscape Architects Interior architect: Paragon Interface Health and safety consultant: Comprac Holdings Kitchen consultant: KDH Catering Design Concepts Main contractor: Concor Construction (Pty) Ltd Photographer: Sarah de Pina

The building has a coffee shop and an employee restaurant on the ground floor, providing connections to the urban framework of Oxford Parks

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A pattern of vertical fins protect the glass from the low-angle east and west sun, bringing subtle colouring to the edge of the building

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Automated, sun-controlled blinds effectively cut out the glare, completing a pleasant and healthy workplace environment

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SU P P L I ER S Façade coating Versus Coatings – 011 885 3136 Glazing Saint Gobain – 012 657 2800 Solar MBHE Energy – 012 643 0933 Tiling Limegreen Sourcing Solutions – 021 447 2254 Northern Wholesale Tiles – 011 803 9444 Sanware Geberit – 011 444 5070 Duravit – 011 555 1220 Hansgrohe – 021 447 7144 Ironmongery Ironmongery Warehouse Africa – 011 444 8677 Ceiling OWA – 011 786 5762 Paint Dulux – 0860 330 111 Rollershutters Sandpalm Doors – 011 749 2600 Waterproofing a.b.e. Construction Chemicals – 0860 223 773 Vanity Eeziquartz – 021 511 2353 Walk-off mats Coba Matco – 011 452 7961 Serra – 011 334 7447

Ikusasa's collaborative work spaces are designed to encourage creative brainstorming and idea-generation

Design The architecture of the building can be described as modern, humble, and timeless, with an open and permeable character. The team decided at the start of the construction phase to integrate the tenant’s interior fit-out with the new build. This ensured that the internal environment would be enhanced by the envelope of the building, providing a superior space for the occupants.

Simple, rectangular, and open floor plates allow for maximum flexibility and sub-divisibility around the central lobbies across the three office levels. The structural planning comprises a generous square column grid of 8.4 by 8.4 metres – a layout that ensures the futureproofing of the building for single or multiple tenancies beyond the current fit-out.

One of the challenges faced, was that the project team needed to deliver the final product within an incredibly tight construction period of 12 months. Therefore, the building design had to be cognisant of the speed of construction necessary to meet the tenant’s requirements. This required the team to aim for a speedy assembly without compromising on the quality of the high-end corporate product, and all while still reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

Taking the aforementioned into account, the material selection, therefore, also had to be in keeping with the project’s strict time constraints. This resulted in a design where all of the elements could be incorporated into a system of unitised panels to be erected as completed modules without the need for perimeter scaffolding. Such a system has the added benefit of sustainability as it is designed for easier disassembling in the future.

Façade Even though the building could be finalised at record speed, GLH Architects still desired to create something unique by bringing diversity and contrast to the façade. This was achieved by using a stone-look tile for the solid elements to create texture and character, contrasting with the smooth and sleek aluminium cladding and glazing. A pattern of vertical fins was used to protect the glass from the low-angle east and west sun, and to create interest and bring subtle colouring to the north and south sides of the building.

The tenant and developer’s combined aspirations for environmental sustainability were accomplished by intentionally showcasing elements such as solar panels in the architecture as opposed to concealing them. The building’s relatively long east and west façades required solar protection, which resulted in a rhythm of solid stone panels that step to concurrently tie into the placement of the roof’s solar panels.

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The north and south façades are far more transparent with energy-efficient double glazing, protected by ‘overcladding wings’ at the corners to effectively cut out the exposure to the east and west, as well as functional balconies and horizontal shading for the north in summer.

Automated, sun-controlled blinds for cutting out the glare complete a pleasant and healthy workplace. The project’s innovative application of façade materials resulted in a product that is low-maintenance and timeless; a design that is simultaneously efficient and eye-catching.

Interior design Ikusasa is a future-smart, technologically-connected, and innovative workspace that responds to the urban environment of the Oxford Parks precinct with its dynamic, high-street culture and business and leisure connection. The interior spatial framework is structured as a flexible and adaptable task-based workplace that utilises contemporary tools and technology to empower employees with opportunities to work creatively within a system that caters to their diverse needs.

Designed by Paragon Interface and aligned with Anglo American’s progressive minimalism branding principles, the unique space is subtly overlayed with South African colours, materials, and textural influences, resulting in an interior that beautifully reflects the country’s rich heritage, strength of community, and diverse mining landscapes.

The space employs a variety of textures with ‘engineered and expressive detailing’ that can be seen throughout the highly technical, natural, and biophilic materials. Several intuitive and leading technologies were strategically incorporated into the build, including plug-and-play AV systems, a globally-linked room booking system, and energy-efficient lighting.

On the second floor, an innovation hub offers a series of flexible, open-plan workspaces – all designed to empower Anglo American’s values of innovative thinking and collaboration. The collaborative spaces encircle a transparent, soundproof, and immersive ‘pod’ at the centre of the room, which provides an anchor for the open agile workspaces clustered around it. This set-up allows for creative brainstorming and idea-generation to take place in the collaborative spaces, and then to complete the final phase of the realisation and implementation of these ideas by gathering in the ‘pod’.

GLH & ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS www.glh.co.za @glhplus

Additionally, the development also includes a meeting suite for clients, a coffee shop, and an employee restaurant on the ground floor with connections to the urban framework of Oxford Parks. Phumulu Lounge, the employee restaurant, was conceptualised as the heart of the organisation. Providing a distinctly urban aesthetic combined with Anglo American’s elegance and sophistication, the interior offers a unique relaxation and catering experience, encouraging a sense of community.

80 The elegant urban aesthetic of the restaurant encourages a sense of community

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"IKUSASA IS A FUTURE-SMART, TECHNOLOGICALLY-CONNECTED, AND INNOVATIVE WORKSPACE THAT RESPONDS TO THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF THE OXFORD PARKS PRECINCT WITH ITS DYNAMIC, HIGH-STREET CULTURE AND BUSINESS AND LEISURE CONNECTION.' Sustainability As the first six-star Green Star-rated building in Oxford Parks, Ikusasa has set the tone for a sustainable, integrated precinct. The build upholds this important vision through various commitments, such as:

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Maintaining financial transparency and ethical information sharing.

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Exceeding local connectivity benchmarks and enhancing nonmotorised access to amenities.

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Registering for multiple certifications during the various stages of the project, including a precinct certification.

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Implementing a ‘green lease’ agreement for ongoing environmental initiatives.

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Establishing a learning-resource programme through live educational displays.

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Selecting materials responsibly.

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Monitoring all building systems and energy usage in a comprehensible manner.

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Installing an air-cooled HVAC system with UV disinfection for air purification.

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Using energy-efficient and intelligent electrical systems.

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Stationing a photovoltaic system that covers the roof space.

Closing remarks Ikusasa successfully delivers the presence, stature, and remarkability the world-class Oxford Parks precinct commands. Striving to achieve excellence in all aspects, the unique building is welcoming and accessible to all, offering pleasant and desirable places to work, interact, and liaise with others in the context of a well-planned and meticulously-executed urban landscape.

Ikusasa's progressive minimalistic work spaces

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ONE GIANT LEAP FOR GREEN DESIGN GREENLEE GREENBARN

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Size: 1 282 m² Cost: R21.6 million Completed: March 2021 Location: Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng

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tationed inside Sandton’s scenic Greenlee Eco-Estate, the 6-Star Green Star-rated Greenbarn leisure project, developed by Balwin Properties, consists of simple initiatives that contribute to the sustainability of the entire estate.

Rooted in nature, the traditional rustic farmhouse-inspired design is more than just a lifestyle centre. Home to a plethora of amenities such as an outdoor gym, laundromat, food garden, art gallery, and so much more, the site boasts all the fabulous features that make communal living a pleasure.

THE BUILD Green initiative Combining their focus and grasping the opportunity to make a difference in the green building sector, the multidisciplinary teams involved on the Greenlee Greenbarn development exercised design excellence and thinking at every level of the project to enhance the end-user experience, build a sense of community, and progress the inclusion of sustainable principles in high-density urban developments. To that end, the ‘greenbarn’ building initiative aspires to introduce family-oriented lifestyle centres into each estate within the Balwin Properties green brand portfolio. The wholesome, accessible, and shared recreational facilities provide amenities such as pools, outdoor soccer pitches, an inside gym, a fresh-produce store with a working potager garden, co-working and exhibition spaces, children’s play areas, and large garden chess sets. This ties in with the urban design of each development, which encourages community outdoor activity through the estate’s purpose-planned green belts and pocket parks.

The first two Greenbarn prototypes have been completed at Greenlee Eco-Estate, Sandton, and Greencreek Lifestyle Estate, Pretoria. The third edition is underway at Greenbay Eco-Estate in Gordon’s Bay and is set to be completed in September 2022. The scale for determining the size of each location’s Greenbarn structure is approximately one square metre per apartment in the development. For example, if an estate has 1800 apartments, the constructed Greenbarn will be built with a floor area of 1800 square metres. For developments like Mooikloof Mega City, which consists of five lifestyle estates, each residential project will have its own Greenbarn complex.

Thoughtful design The evolving design behind a Greenbarn project is influenced by each site’s specific context and requirements.

However, while some of the details vary, the concept of creating a centre for community participation, activity, and connection stays the same. Another key objective in the Greenbarn concept is to make the elements of sustainable design visible so that they serve as demonstrable landmarks of green building principles. By exposing and showcasing every eco-conscious intervention and making it part of the development’s aesthetic as opposed to submerging these features in the fabric of the building and surrounding landscape, the value and importance of sustainability is shared by the whole community. For example, the solar panels are deliberately placed on an angled roof so that the system providing natural energy is visible; harvested water from the stormwater drains is channelled into three attenuation ponds that are landscaped as part of the Greenbarn outdoor environment; and the collection of rainwater into large, feature water tanks used for the potager garden not only optimises water efficiency but also helps to grow vegetables for the deli and the fresh produce offering in the convenience retail outlet. Overall, this approach seeks to foreground green design as a living principle that will influence greater awareness, ultimately changing everyone’s behaviour.

The scale and volume of the Greenlee Greenbarn development allow for increased open space and access to the outdoors with plenty of natural air circulation. Two frames with a central lobby form part of the core floorplan, highlighting its unique sense of place. The nine-metre-wide entrance from the boulevard leads through fivemeter-high barn doors that open up directly onto the indigenous landscaped gardens with an adult leisure pool and separate, enclosed children's pool. In the centre of the lobby, a wild fig tree has been preserved as part of the process of integrating the Greenbarn into its environment. With 80% compliant vision glazing, the building enjoys the sweeping views of its interior and surroundings. The terraced nature of the restaurant and coffee shop also naturally spill outside onto the landscape, taking advantage of the Highveld climate.

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BOOGERTMAN + PARTNERS www.boogertmanandpartners.com @boogertmanandpartners

SUP P L I E RS Instant turf Evergreen Turf – 011 948 9728 Artificial grass Artificial Grass SA Gauteng – 076 352 4534 Bricks Corobrik – 0118718672 Vibro Bricks – 012 374 5533 Paving Midrand – 011 023 6708 Outdoor play area Geppetto’s World of Developments – 086 143 7738 Big Chess – 011 792 4538 Outdoor gym Play On Art Design Solutions – 082 575 9981 Outdoor furniture Patio Warehouse – 011 801 0820 Pool Lex Pools – 086 110 2013 Water fountains Pool Spa and Filtration Contracts – 011 793 1381 Access Control System Prime Access Systems – 011 660 4488 Retaining walls Valcal International – 082 888 2432

Each Greenbarn project aspires to create a centre for community participation, activity, and connection

The Greenbarn aims to make the elements of sustainable design visible so that they serve as demonstrable landmarks of green building principles

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Recreational spaces, outdoor soccer pitches, a store with fresh produce, and a working potager garden encourage community outdoor activity

MEET T HE T EAM Main contractor: Balwin Properties Project manager: Balwin Properties Environmental consultant: LEAP Enviro Facilities management company: Landsdowne Property Group Interior designer: Boogertman + Partners Electrical contractor: MLE Electrical Contractors Construction/fit-out contractor: Balwin Properties BMS systems professional: Solid Insight

Owner: Balwin Properties Accredited professional: Solid Green Consulting Architect and landscape architect: Boogertman + Partners Electrical engineer: RWP Taemane Consulting Engineers Mechanical contractor: Midrand Air Quantity surveyor: Balwin Properties Structural engineers: Kantey & Templer Sustainable building consultant: Solid Green Consulting

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SUP P L I ER S Gabions Cloete’s Sand and Stone – 011 967 2152 Natural stone cladding Naledi Natural Stone – 072 577 2708 Tiling Union Tiles – 021 510 5933 Tiletoria – 011 462 4640 Flooring Pentafloor – 011 440 6759 Rubber flooring XTyre SA – 011 708 3421 Timber Foresta Timber & Board – 011 864 7966 Decking Elegant Decking – 084 905 1912 Concrete AfriSam – 011 670 5539 Precast concrete Alarn Concrete Products – 016 1001573 Vanstone Precast – 012 541 2056 Joluka – 011 314 0795 Precast hollow-core slabs Echo PreStress Flooring – 011 589 8800 Windows PG Glass – 011 794 1754 Thermal insulation Rigifoam – 011 421 0313

Greenlee Eco-Estate is home to many walkways, purpose-planned greenbelts, and pocket parks

LEAP ENVIRO www.leapenviro.co.za

The Greenbarn’s co-working space includes different working and studying areas to encourage usage beyond business. While there are boardrooms and desk units, there are also informal workspaces with occasional chairs and individual, soundproofed booths to accommodate virtual sessions and private meetings. With the uptake of online learning and hybrid work, the co-working space provides a useful extension to the residential apartments of students, scholars, and working professionals alike.

Energy and electricity Louvres (a ventilation feature that allows air to pass through it whilst keeping out unwanted elements such as water, dirt and debris) at the top of the Greenbarn work to pull warm air out of the building while circulating cool air back into the space. These remain open 24/7, even when the facility is closed, keeping the space at optimal temperatures without the intervention of air conditioning. The only areas that make use of HVAC systems are the two boardrooms in the co-working space, as they are enclosed for privacy.

Due to the high levels of natural light emanating through the double-volume glazing, fewer light points were needed in the space. Wherever lights have been used, they are motion-activated with low-voltage fittings.

Photovoltaic solar panels substitute the use of electricity for the geysers and switch to storing power in battery packs when the geysers are not in use.

Eco-friendly features The gym has dedicated chutes from the kitchen that lead to appropriately-separated bins outside. These bins are also available to the community to encourage recycling. Up to 30% of the overall project space has been used for the development of pocket parks and walkways connecting Greenlee Greenbarn to its community.

Whenever key heritage trees were identified, they were preserved and incorporated into the design. Natural wetlands or existing indigenous features were also conserved when doing the urban design. All finishes in the project, such as paints and tiles, made use of low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials.

THE LANDSCAPE Water management The client’s brief was to create bioretention – the process whereby contaminants and sedimentation are removed from stormwater runoff – for the estate’s attenuation ponds (reservoirs). These proved quite the challenge, as they have to retain permanent water while managing the stormwater throughout the area. The capturing of stormwater drainage in the bioretention areas successfully helped to establish an ecologically-functioning water system for flushing and irrigation in close proximity to the lifestyle centre.

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Conventional stormwater management systems predominantly focus on quantity management (flow) by collecting runoff and channelling it to the closest watercourse. However, this method has led to the erosion of natural channels and pollution, resulting in environmental degradation. The solutions that are implemented through the Greenbarn’s bioretention attenuation dams, offer an alternative and sustainable approach to designing for water quantity management, water quality treatment, enhanced amenity, and the maintenance of biodiversity.

To that effect, permeable paving has also been used for the lifestyle centre’s hardscaping. This green option of paving allows water to drain through its surface. Lastly, the entire plant palette comprised indigenous species.

SUP P L I E RS Ceilings JMS Ceilings and Partitioning – 011 804 1336 Aluminium composite panels Façade Architectural Solutions – 011 251 7000

Soil and substrates Most sites in the northern parts of Johannesburg are a challenge, since they are located on Egoli Granite Grassland soil. This type of soil erodes easily; therefore, special precaution needs to be taken to prevent erosion during and after the construction process. Furthermore, the substructures contain large pockets of clay, which must be removed and replaced with viable construction substrate. During the building of Greenlee’s Greenbarn, suitable soils were removed from the park areas for the building-platform substrates, while clay soils were in turn moved to the park areas. This process of ‘switching soils’ was financially beneficial and helped to retain the soils on-site.

Solar Artsolar – 031 1001019

Closing remarks Green Star developments should focus on appropriate building principles, such as saving existing trees, utilising soil to the benefit of the project, and making the most of the stormwater on-site. But they also need to be assessed in their entirety before being knighted as sustainable and responsible projects. The extensive paperwork that comes with sustainability should be balanced by the actual implementation of green programmes, ecological construction methods, and the installation of green materials. The Greenlee Greenbarn project successfully applied green principles and guidelines for a future-forward take on environmentally-friendly communal builds.

Irrigation Rapid Water Solutions – 082 336 5489

The Greenbarn offers the residents of Greenlee Eco-Estate a plethora of family-oriented lifestyle amenities

Rainwater harvesting tanks Abeco Tanks – 011 4931197 Hydroseeding Hydromulch – 011 964 2582

Drainage Herbish Draining Systems – 011 474 2644 Easy Flow Gutters – 012 653 3892 Paint Marmoran – 021 797 4250 Glacial Coatings – 011 807 0545 Joinery Collaro Designs – 011 822 4752

EUROPEAN QUALITY GUARANTEED

ADJUSTABLE LOUVRE 88

T: 011 251 7000 fasystems.co.za

Low Maintenance Built-in Light box Automated Options New Fascia Design

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POTPORT

S U S TAI NAB I LI TY STARTS WITH GOOD STEWARDSHIP

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otPort is a leading wholesaler and specialised importer of terracotta and glazed pots for mounted and free-standing plants. Their extensive collection of pots caters to a variety of spaces. Founded in 2004 by Dennis and Adele Carew, PotPort has a unique approach to sustainable business...

The materiality of PotPort's imported product is of a sustainable nature. The craft’s country of origin, Vietnam, has been making terracotta pots from as early as the fourteenth century. There, clay is responsibly harvested from rice paddies before being fired with rice husks in handmade kilns – a method that proves to be sustainable considering their pottery industry is still flourishing after many centuries! With the availability of raw material, we also witness the beauty of a pottery tradition that has been faithfully passed down the family line.

After mulling the word over, taking time to reflect and research its deeper meaning, Adele Carew found herself stuck on the word 'stewardship’. Considered a 'sister word' to sustainability, ‘stewardship implies caretaking, not abusing; we are to intelligently manage the resources God has given us, using all diligent care to preserve and protect them.’

As much as Adele Carew is thankful that PotPort’s product originates from a sustainable source, she is also grateful for the amazing stewardship opportunity she has in managing and owning a business in South Africa.

Some of the introspective questions she regularly asks herself, include: Am I a good steward of my business?

Do I steward my finances in a way that is sustainable? Am I passing on my knowledge to the next generation to create a sustainable economy? How can I pass on ethical business values to promote an economy that is honest and free from corruption?

Image by Flourish Plant Studio

Adele Carew’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the driving force behind her definition of sustainability. The very doctrine of stewardship views God as the owner and Creator of all, and humanity as the manager or steward of what they have been entrusted with. Therefore, much of PotPort’s business ethics and principles are rooted in the belief that they will have to answer for their actions, including how they treat the planet, before God one day.

Finally, after many hours of trying to make sense of the word ‘sustainability’ while trying to impart some wisdom, Adele Carew concluded that sustainability – or good stewardship – comes from having a sense of respect for the next generation. She aptly quotes the words of Matthew 7:12 from the Holy Bible: ‘In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you.’

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www.potport.com @Potport

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SAWPA

T R E AT E D W O OD , A SUSTA I NA B LE C HOICE

Treated wood – a preservative-protected construction material that captures carbon from the atmosphere and locks it away for decades – has a low energy demand and a feel-good appeal appreciated by almost everyone.

As part of the bioeconomy, wood can be sourced responsibly, and therefore, is a flexible and adaptable material that aligns with the concept of a circular economy. After reaching the end of its lifespan, wood can be reused in an ongoing process of recycling or energy recovery. As such, wood is one of the few truly renewable construction materials in the industry and can sustainably be used to substitute materials like steel, aluminium, concrete, or plastic, which require large amounts of energy to produce. Every cubic metre of wood used as a substitute for other building materials reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 1.1 tonnes. If this is added to the 0.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide stored in wood, each cubic metre saves a total of 2 tonnes of emissions. Therefore, an increase in buildings whose main structural components are made of wood will reduce carbon emissions significantly.* Wood protection The natural durability of wood is limited to the heartwood, while being dependent on the species, growth conditions, and provenance. Apart from a few mostly tropical hardwood species, untreated wood is usually vulnerable to bio-deterioration by fungal decay and insects. These biological agencies also degrade the sustainability credentials of untreated wood leading to early failure in service, premature release of carbon dioxide, and economic loss – characteristics of a linear economy and not a desirable circular economy.

Commercially-important wood species are typically derived from locally-grown, well-managed forests delivering high growth rate material. Due to high demand, modern processing practices are designed to maximise wood production yield, meaning it is impractical and uneconomic to exclude sapwood. All sapwood species are susceptible to insect and fungal attack, and therefore require protection against insect attack and – in prolonged wet conditions – fungal attack. Depending on the wood species, conditions of use, and the service life required, non-durable heartwood may also require protection. Most South African-grown, commercially-important species of pine and Eucalyptus are non-durable and require preservative pre-treatment. Preservatives and processes available for a variety of treatments for wood, meet the health, safety, and environmental requirements of the current regulatory regime.

Sustainability SAWPA believes that true sustainability can only be achieved by balancing social, environmental, and economic factors through integrating high quality of life, health, and prosperity with social justice and the earth’s capacity to support life in all its diversity. These goals are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, and are widely recognised as the three pillars of successful sustainability. Both treated wood and the biocides used in wood protection conform to these principles.

Biocides Products containing biocides, such as wood preservatives, are intended to destroy or control harmful or unwanted organisms (e.g., fungi and insects) that have detrimental effects on the environment, animals, humans, their activities, or the products they use or produce. Biocidal products are used in a wide variety of ways by industrial professionals and the general public alike. The goal of using these products sustainably, is to reduce the risk and impact of biocidal products on human health, animal health, and the environment. Treated wood is ideal for construction, railway sleepers, electricity poles, telecommunications, landscaping and decking, to name a few. With such high-quality protection and the foremost renewable and sustainable material; designers, specifiers, and installers are spoilt for choice.

*‘Using Wood Products to Mitigate Climate Change,’ International Institute for Environment and Development, 2004

www.sawpa.co.za

PROMOTING THE USE OF PRESERVATIVE TREATED TIMBER

PROMOTING TREATED TIMBER PRODUCED BY SAWPA MEMBERS

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Tel: 011 974 1061 admin@sawpa.co.za www.sawpa.co.za

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