Alexander Forbes' new HQ receives green rating
Financial services giant Alexander Forbes' new headquarters in Sandton, Johannesburg has received a 4-Star Green Star office design v1 rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa.
Located at 115 West street, in the Sandton central business district, the ZAR840 million ($9.7 million) office building has been designed by Paragon Architects. The 36, 950 square metre building incorporated a number of green elements to achieve the rating.
The office features 43 000 cubic metres of “green concrete.” It has employed motion sensing activation for lighting, which only activates when people are nearby. The exterior scallops of the building are designed like fins that mimic the natural movement of the sun to provide natural daylighting inside as well as ensure natural shading. This reduces the need to cool down the building with airconditioning, saving on electricity and maintenance costs.
The construction of the building was carried out by a WBHO-Tiber joint venture, and took 22 months to complete. The Alexander Forbes building will accommodate about 2 500 of the group’s employees.
