The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) recently awarded Nedbank Namibia’s ‘green’ head office in Windhoek’s central business district a six-star rating.
It is one of approximately 75 World Green Building Council members, making it the first building in Namibia to receive this honour.
The ‘Nedbank campus’, completed in 2022, was designed with sustainability and environmental impact in mind. The campus features several energy- and water-saving solutions, including a solar panel roof structure and rainwater harvesting systems, as well as an approach to technological energy consumption.
“The GBCSA was established in 2007 to spearhead the greening of South Africa’s commercial real estate sector,” the council describes itself, adding that they provide tools, training, knowledge and networks to spread green building practices across the country.
In a media statement issued on Monday, Martha Murorua, Managing Director of Nedbank Namibia, stated that it is a significant feather in Namibia’s cap as it showcases the quality of Namibian workmanship.
“We hope that it will inspire other Namibian businesses to adopt more sustainable practices. We are constantly looking for ways to do well for Namibia as one of the major players in corporate Namibia, and achieving such a rare milestone provides great sustenance for our efforts in this regard,” she said.
According to Murorua, the head office is also a symbol of the bank’s commitment to supporting the local economy and creating job opportunities for Namibians.
“This building exemplifies the collective positive impact we can have on empowering and supporting local capacity development, with 97 per cent of the contract value allocated to Namibian companies and 100 per cent of our professional teams being Namibian,” she said.
Approximately 400 people, with up to 300 on-site each day, were employed, added Murorua.
According to Pewer Fourie, a representative of the Emcon Consulting Group who was part of the design team and managed the building project, some Windhoek buildings have received a five-star rating, which represents national excellence.
“Global and social pressures around sustainability will undoubtedly lead to more building owners adopting green designs – not only for sustainability, but also for lower operational costs and more appealing funding,” he said.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency
