FNB Freedom Plaza

The building consists of six basements which include preferred parking bays for alternative fuel vehicles, motorbikes, mopeds and cyclist facilities. The usable office area is 10 744m² and is spread over five floors. The building is located on a public podium, which is the first portion of a larger precinct podium within the central Windhoek city.

Challenges

The Green Star South Africa rating system was contextualised to the Namibian context. The GREEN-by-DESIGN team developed a context specific Green Star rating system during the pre-construction phase of the project. The approval by the GBCSA realised this great achievement, a Green Star SA-Nam Office v1 Rating Tool, available publically for application in Namibia.

As this project is the first Green Star building to be constructed in Namibia, the contractor team had little institutional knowledge of the important of documenting construction for a Green Building. This challenge was overcome by several site visits during construction, and video conference calling throughout the construction period.  

WSP provided a Green Star South Africa Accredited Professional team to advise on the adoption of environmental initiatives from the Green Star SA-Nam Office v1 rating tool from design to practical completion.

FNB Freedom Plaza is designed to achieve a 150% improvement on minimum legislated requirements for fresh air rates. All HVAC refrigerants and fire suppression gases have an Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of zero. All insulation is free of Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) gases.

Efficient water fixtures are installed in the building, these include 3/6 L dual flush toilets, 1 L flush urinals, and 5L/minute basin taps. A greywater and rainwater re-use system is used for toilet flushing and irrigation. The hydraulic system installed in FNB Freedom Plaza exceeds the highest efficiency level in Green Star, demonstrating that the client and professional team have responded to the local climate and water limitations in the Windhoek region. The development has been designed so that it does not increase peak storm-water flows for rainfall events of up to 1-in-20 year storm. 

The site did not have the presence of endangered fauna or flora, nor was it on or near prime agricultural land or a watercourse. We specified the use of Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) paints, carpets and sealants, creating a healthier environment for the users of the building.

The building also encourages tenants to be environmentally conscious through the placement of a dedicated storage area for the separation and collection of office consumables and recyclable waste. Five percent of the buildings parking spaces are dedicated to fuel efficient vehicles, mopeds, scooters and motorbikes. Cyclist facilities are provided for the building staff, this includes showers, lockers and safe storage facilities for bicycles and personal belongings. Visitor bicycle bays are provided on the podium of the building, encouraging visitors to make use of fuel-efficient means of transport when accessing the building.

The project achieved a 4 Star Green Star Design rating which represents “Best Practice” in the Green Star rating system. WSP is currently compiling the As Built documentation for submission to the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).