WSP celebrates 1 million m2 of Certified Green Space in Africa

WSP in Africa, one of the largest multi-disciplinary engineering consultancies on the continent, is celebrating a milestone million square metres of Certified Green Space in Africa.

WSP sustainability consultants and engineers worked for over a decade; setting benchmarks and contributing to transforming the built space across Africa to become more resilient, sustainable, efficient and toward contributing to lower carbon economies.

“The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) was formed in 2007, to lead the way and providing guidance to green South Africa’s commercial property sector. At that time, we were trading as GreenByDesign, as part of the WSP group in Africa, and were working on the designs for the second phase of the Nedbank head office in Sandton. In 2009, this building was the first in South Africa, and Africa, to be certified and achieve a Green Star rating,” says Alison Groves, Regional Director, WSP, Building Services, Africa.

Groves notes that by 2011 there were already 15 Green Star rated buildings in South Africa. “Since then the industry is doubling exponentially every year and, as the GBCSA introduces more rating tools, the uptake for green buildings is sky rocketing. The green building uptake can also be seen throughout Africa where Green Building Councils have been established in Namibia, Zambia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana.”

WSP teams of experts have played an active role in 50 Green Star rating certifications for 33 buildings in South Africa, and Africa.

Mathieu du Plooy, Managing Director for WSP in Africa, said: “This is a remarkable milestone that we are exceptionally proud of. This achievement speaks directly to our commitment and ongoing contributions to the green building and sustainability space. It is also a demonstration of our uncompromising determination for excellence – to deliver complex and sustainable projects that contribute to impactful legacies for a future where society can thrive.”

Some of the prominent projects that WSP sustainability consultants and engineers have been involved with and that contribute to the 1 million m² of certified Green Star space include:

Nedbank Phase II, in Sandton, Menlyn Maine Central Square, in Tshwane, FNB Namibia Holdings’ @Parkside building, in Windhoek, Nobelia Office Tower in Kigali, City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) new Council Chamber, in Johannesburg, Agrivaal refurbishment and new Batho Pele House, Tshwane, Vodafone Site Solution Innovation Centre (SSIC) in Midrand, Standard Bank campus, in Rosebank, WSP’s African headquarters in Knightsbridge, Bryanston. 

WSP teams are also working on a number of exciting projects currently – including but not limited to, the Rosebank Towers that achieved a Four Star Green Star SA Design and As Built rating, Rosebank Link targeting a Four Star Green Star As Built rating, as well as Education buildings, a corporate office campus in Waterfall and, The MARC, state-of-the-art mixed-use development in Sandton. Each of these developments will contribute to the continuation of green certified urban spaces on the continent.

Additional information from Elaine Porter, T: +27 11 300 6095 /E: elaine.porter@wsp.com