Championing sustainability in the construction sector, Concor has completed another Green Star high achiever – 7 Parks Boulevard – in the Oxford Park precinct of Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Developed by Intaprop, this elegant office development has been awarded a 6 Star rating in terms of the Green Buildings Council South Africa’s Green Star rating. It has also earned a Net Zero level 1 certification recognised as ‘World Leadership’. It was scored high at 75 points, for its performance in a range of indices including indoor environmental quality, energy, transport, water, materials, land use, ecology, emissions and innovations.

Located on the corner of Parks Boulevard and Eastwood Road, 7 Parks Boulevard comprises four basement floors and four office floors with a gross floor area (GFA) of 8,149 m² and a total commercial office area of 5,988 m². Among the sustainable building features it boasts are access to external views and plenty of natural daylight – important environmental strategies to enhance the wellbeing of the building’s users.

Among Concor’s contributions to the Green Star rating were two main requirements that had to be met before the project commenced with demolition and construction: a Waste Management Plan (WMP) and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP).

Active steps were therefore taken to reduce waste to landfill during building operations, including a waste recycling storage area in the basement. This dedicated area met the Green Star sizing requirement, and accommodated paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, cans and metals.

Energy and water efficiency in 7 Parks Boulevard is enhanced through sub-metering of major energy and water-consuming systems, with water-efficient fittings being installed to limit occupant water usage. The building also minimises greenhouse gas emissions associated with operational energy consumption. To facilitate this, an energy model of the building was generated during the design stage, comparing the building to a SANS 10400 notional building model. This energy model helped to inform the building design, ensuring a high performance from a ‘building envelope’ perspective.

To reduce the carbon footprint, the building is equipped with solar panels with a capacity of 230 kWp – producing 387,000 kWh of energy annually and reducing its reliance on coal-generated electricity.

Modelling also enabled internal operative temperatures to be assessed to ensure a high level of thermal comfort; temperatures remain within the ASHRAE Standard 55-2004 Acceptability Limits for at least 98% of occupied hours. Building glazing performance modelling was also carried out, with performance values being agreed between the architect and mechanical engineer.

To further reduce energy consumption, provision has been made to ensure that all individual or enclosed spaces are individually switched with occupancy sensors. The project also saves energy by providing office lighting that is not over-designed, with an average maintained illuminance level of no more than 400 lux.

All selected gaseous and fire suppression systems, refrigerants and thermal insulants used for the development have an Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) of zero; this eliminates any contributions to long-term damage to the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer.