Nexus building 01
Waterfall City, the award‐winning 2 200-hectare lifestyle precinct, is setting a benchmark for sustainable premium office space with the launch of Nexus Building 01, its first net zero carbon level 1 building.
Developed by Attacq, the P-Grade space is located on Magwa Crescent, Waterfall City, and has a commercial area of 7 363m².
The four-storey building features an advanced, sustainable design and is currently targeting a Net Zero Carbon Certification, in addition to a 5-star Green Star Office v1.1 Design and As-built and Interior v.1 certification.
Lourens du Toit, Head of Sustainability, Infrastructure and Land at Attacq, explains that the building, designed by LYT Architecture, was built to be stylish and appealing, while also meeting the highest environmental standards.
“Our brief was for the architects to design a building that boasts a distinctive and desirable architectural style that also met a 4-star Green Star rating as a minimum requirement,” said du Toit.
Seeking net zero certification
As with the other buildings in the Nexus Waterfall mixed-use precinct, Nexus Building 01 features alternating glazed and solid façades. The building, which consists of two basement levels, a ground floor, three office levels and an entertainment terrace on the third floor, was designed to provide plenty of natural light to tenants. It is also built to enable easy sub-division into tenant suites. In addition, the building features a host of advanced features to deliver best-in-class environmental sustainability. “We pursued net zero carbon level 1 certification to demonstrate our commitment to developing environmentally friendly and sustainable spaces for our clients as well as a broader commitment to a sustainably built environment in general,” adds du Toit.
Nexus 01’s sustainable features include:
- Sub-metering of major energy-consuming systems to monitor energy use.
- Photovoltaic panels to reduce peak electricity demand.
- Highly energy-efficient lighting with a limit of 1.5W/m2 per 100 Lux.
- All fire suppression systems and insulants have an ozone depleting potential (ODP) of zero to eliminate any contributions to long-term damage to the earth’s ozone layer.
- A specific Waste Management Plan was developed and implemented to reduce the impact of any waste produced.
- Water-efficient fittings limit the occupant’s water usage to 0.56L/day/m2. Sub-metering of major water-consuming systems is in place.
The construction phase itself followed the most stringent sustainable standards. A project-specific Environmental Management Plan was developed and implemented throughout the duration of construction to establish guidelines to minimise the environmental impact associated with construction activities.
An impressive commitment to sustainable development
Elri Syfert, sustainability consultant at Solid Green, noted Attacq’s commitment to making a positive environmental impact in a commercially sustainable way. “They were able to reduce their carbon footprint while also reducing the occupancy costs,” says Syfert.
Syfert explains how Nexus 01 sets a benchmark for sustainability. An energy model devised during the design stage of the project compared the building to a notional building design.
“Compared to a comparable modelled SANS 104000 building, the Nexus Building 01 showed an improvement of more than 100% in carbon emission reductions – from 163.3kg CO2/m2/year to -2.4 CO2/m2/year,” Syfert adds.
Waterfall City’s ethos is about creating a green environment that benefits residents and businesses operating within the precinct. Waterfall City has adopted an environmentally conscious approach to planning and development. The Nexus 01 building is a milestone in the precinct’s sustainable development path.
