The Bracken Nature Reserve Visitor Education Centre has received a five-star rating from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) for its ‘Public and Education Building Design’.
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The centre, located in Brackenfell, received the rating for its plans to redevelop its historic buildings into a community multi-purpose venue, which will be made with an industrial-type steel portal frame, brick infill walls and a facade comprised of face brick and plaster. Work on the project is scheduled to start in October this year.
The 36-hectare reserve is home to the critically endangered Swartland granite Renosterveld and Cape Flats sand fynbos vegetation types.
‘This recognition from the GBCSA signifies that our building design has met stringent environmental standards and demonstrated a high level of sustainability,’ says Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s acting mayor and mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment. ‘This is a fantastic achievement for the City. It shows the City’s commitment to reducing environmental impact, promoting access to efficient facilities, and leading by example in project planning and green building design. Well done to the team for coming up with such an innovative redesign.’
The GBCSA’s Public and Education Building Design criteria pertain to public buildings such as community centres, libraries, museum and gallery buildings, and basic education buildings, among others.
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Once complete, the redesigned centre will have the capacity to accommodate up to 100 visitors at a time, compared to the old building which could only accommodate small groups of 20 people.
Additionally, some of the sustainable building features of the redeveloped centre will include:
- Lighting that uses a motion sensor-controlled system and LED-efficient fittings;
- High-performance internal vision glazing designed to take advantage of natural daylight;
- Mechanically assisted fresh air ventilation systems that will filter fresh air to enclosed offices and multipurpose venues, using weather louvres and occupancy sensors;
- 50kWp Photovoltaic grid-tied system with two 25kVA inverters;
- 3kW backup element for 200-litre solar geyser;
- Rainwater harvesting;
- Waste recycling storage facilities for sorting and collecting operational waste;
- Blackwater treatment system and blackwater harvesting system;
- Water-efficient fittings will be fitted onto all taps; waterless urinals will be installed and toilets will be flushed using recycled water from the Blackwater harvesting system;
- No requirement for landscaped irrigation. The local weather-wise indigenous ground cover, plant and tree species will be watered during the winter months’ natural rainfall; and
- Access to water and energy consumption data by means of display screens for all occupants and visitors, which will offer insight into the sustainable operations of the building.
These design features support the City’s goal for all new and existing municipal buildings to be net-zero carbon by 2030 as outlined in the City’s Climate Change Action Plan.
As per the City of Cape Town, the centre is designed to encourage alternative modes of transport to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Specific parking bays have been allocated for fuel-efficient transportation, as well as secure bicycle storage. The site will also feature cyclist facilities such as showers and on-site lockers.
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Also read:
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Picture: Entrance to the Bracken Nature Reserve / Screenshot / Google Maps