Banks, listed property funds, developers and certain government departments seem to be leading the charge. Nedbank was the first, back in 2009, with the launch of their Sandton head office extension, and FNB, ABSA and Standard Bank are following suit.
Growthpoint and Redefine have both stated that all their new buildings will conform with GBCSA's minimum Green Star SA rating, with Attacq and Tower also striving to differentiate themselves in terms of green. Rabie has had many of their Century City buildings certified green, and key government departments are following suit, including the departments of Environmental Affairs and Public Works, the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town and Ethekweni Municipality.
Anthony Manas, chief executive for Cube Workspace, an advertising-agency-styled serviced office space for businesses and entrepreneurs, is enthusiastically pro-green. "In May this year, we launched our fourth serviced-office-space building in two years," he says, referring to what was previously a private home that he renovated into a R40m serviced-office-space facility in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
"Each property is designed and furnished with some practical, easy-to-apply green thinking, with roofs solar panelled, insulation in the concrete, LED lighting throughout, gas cooking in the communal café-dining space, recycled materials for the tables, chairs, desks and carpets, and chemical-free paint on the walls," says Manas.
Some green measures are easy and quick to implement at both design and building stages. Photovoltaic (PV) panels can be used for solar power, LED lights and light-switch timers can be installed, insulation can be incorporated into floor slabs and roofs, and double glazing can be used for windows; recycled material should be considered for furniture and finishes such as carpets.
Manas adds that a business's choice of suppliers can aid an organisation in becoming more environmentally friendly. Cube Workspace recently appointed a bottle-recycling company to provide branded bottled water throughout their properties.
"The beauty of a supplier like Bottleworx is that not only do they use the PET manufacturing process, which is inert and BPA-free, but the upcycled product is used to build classrooms, clinics and houses in previously disadvantaged communities," he says.
