Virgin Active's Alice Lane a green club

These tools are developed by the respective Green Building Councils and provide an objective measurement for Green Buildings, focusing on reducing the overall impact of the built environment on the natural environment and human health through the efficient use of energy, water and other resources.

"The brief from the international team was to design the world's best health club, introducing elements never seen before. But, the curve ball was to do this while ensuring Alice Lane became a 'green' club," explains Herman de Beer, property director at Virgin Active South Africa. "This meant that the devil was in the detail when it came to the interpretation and execution of green principles."

Part of this mind shift was also the decision to create a natural outdoor exercise zone which resulted in the design of a roof top training area. Besides the outdoor facility being safe, the equipment is also all 'people powered'. From free running, non-electric Woodway treadmills to spin bikes and an interactive adult 'jungle gym', called Queenax. A two lane Astro Turf sprint track rounds off the facility.

Eco-friendly materials

"In consultation with Solid Green we trolled through various options before agreeing on the most energy efficient solutions that would not only fulfill the sustainability brief but not compromise on the luxury finishes required. To this end a furniture and lighting design team were commissioned to give the club the rich textured look while using eco-friendly building materials, including reclaimed wood, non-toxic eco-sensitive paints and LED lighting," De Beer says.

From the outset and throughout the construction, green principles were addressed with the project recycling 70% of its waste - diverting this from landfills. The contractor also reused the wooden moulds for concrete, thereby ensuring limited of use of timber. The entire Alice Lane building project is committed to being Green and all three buildings will be Green Star certified.

A number of initiatives have been introduced to ensure water efficiency and recycling, with harvested water from the pools used to flush toilets and urinals plus extra grey water being 'sold back' to the rest of the building which will be used to irrigate the landscaping. Energy efficiency is in the form of a heat recovery system for the showers and spa plus the use of LED lights.

High quality finishes

The air conditioning unit was custom designed to fit between the slab and ceiling and also has a heat recovery system to ensure no wasted energy. "There are no geysers at the health club as the warm air extracted from the air conditioner will be re-used," explains de Beer.

Both the material selection and indoor air quality were considered when it came to finishes. Material had to be sustainable timber, locally sourced, with recycled content or rapidly renewable. Healthy indoor air meant finishes and materials had to be devoid of emitting toxic fumes. The showers have been constructed using WEDI board, which is hard, durable, waterproof and lightweight. DuPont Corian is the solid surface material used as wall cladding and vanity tops that were moulded and polished to create a seamless, high gloss finish. Everything is being operated wirelessly - from adjusting the lighting levels to heat control and access to audio levels will be done via a touch pad.