GBCSA’s Joburg green office attracts sustainability tenant

Consolidating two office teams may not be simple, but finding tenants for a high-performance work place seems to be. With the Green Building Council South Africa’s move to Cape Town, the Green Star – Interiors rated office space used in Johannesburg needed a new tenant. Solid Green, a leading sustainability consultancy, is to sub-let the Rosebank property while waiting for their new offices to be completed.

Renovated in 2018 the Johannesburg offices were designed to be healthy and productive place to work with a reduced environmental footprint while costing less to maintain and operate.

The focus for the design was to enhance the performance of staff and give them a choice of where and how they would like to work – whether they required a space for formal or informal work, quiet focused work, or a collaborative space, according to Tim Prins of TC RPv Architects who realised the GBCSA’s original vision for the space.

“With the ebb and flow of high-energy staff and clients, it was important that desk-based staff would not be disrupted, but rather enjoy a visual connection around the office. We did this through making static spaces work much harder by doubling up on their function and making them adaptable to shrink and grow depending on the demand for space,” Prins told the GBCSA.

“Multiple studies have been done which demonstrate that an improvement in indoor environmental quality leads to more productive and healthy workers. The fruits of the workers’ productivity, as well as a reduction in absenteeism, leads to financial benefits for the business,” said Fabio Venturi, founder of Terramanzi Group, who partnered with green building consultants Ecocentric to ensure an exceptionally high standard of interior design and environmental impact.

A Green Star – Interiors rating is focused on maximizing the output of office users. Significant amounts of fresh air increase cognitive function performance; zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contribute to better health; reduced glare means less eye strain and so fewer headaches; access to daylight and the natural changes in light that occur during the day drive circadian rhythms which help you to stay alert in the day, and sleep better at night, and; good distance views help reduce stress levels.

The GBCSA continue to operate remotely during the COVID-19 lockdown and can be reached via email: [email protected]