Virgin exercises its green credentials

Virgin Active Collection Menlyn Maine

The 4056m² club was the fourth Collection club to open in South Africa but the first in the Pretoria area. The target at the outset of the project was a Green Star SA rating, and the award is a confirmation that the design principles delivered to their sustainability objectives. Virgin Active Collection Alice Lane was the first to be awarded a 4-star rating using the Interiors Pilot V1 in 2016, and Silo is the next club that has been submitted for rating.

The Green Building Council of South Africa's ratings are determined by a building’s performance in a nine categories: management, indoor environmental quality, energy, transport, water, materials, land use and ecology, emissions, and innovation. Each category is divided into credits, which address the initiatives put in place to improve a building’s interior environmental performance.

A total of 81% of the waste produced during the construction of the interior project was diverted from landfill. All paints, coatings, sealants, adhesives and flooring have low VOC (volatile organic compounds), contributing to a healthy indoor air quality and the hot water heating for the club is processed through 100% heat recovery system associated with HVAC chiller. And finally, the club is in a prime location, with access to variety of amenities, public transport and bicycle racks for employees as well as visitors.

“With the Western Cape in the clutches of a devastating drought, never has it been more imperative that businesses assume a leadership position and conduct operations in an environmentally responsible manner. This certification is testament to our sustainability commitment," says Ross Faragher-Thomas, MD Virgin Active South Africa.