Nedbank gets top award for green building

NEDBANK Namibia’s head office in central Windhoek has received a six-star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) for its environmental impact.

This was announced by the managing director of Nedbank Namibia, Martha Murorua, in a statement yesterday.

She said the office is the first building in Namibia to receive the accolade, as one of about 75 members of the World Green Building Council.

According to the statement, the building, completed in 2022, was designed with sustainability and environmental impact in mind.

“With a highly efficient approach to technological energy consumption, the campus features several energies – and water-saving solutions, including a solar panel roof structure and rainwater harvesting systems,” said the statement.

Murorua said the accolade is not only excellent news for Nedbank Namibia, but it is also a first for the country and a significant feather in Namibia’s cap, as it showcases the quality of Namibian workmanship.

“Our hope is that it will inspire other businesses in Namibia to adopt more sustainable practices. As one of the major players within corporate Namibia, we are constantly looking for ways to do good for Namibia and achieving such a rare milestone provides great sustenance for our efforts,” said Murorua.

She said the new head office is also a symbol of the bank’s commitment to supporting the local economy and creating job opportunities for the people of Namibia.

“With 97% of the contract value allocated to Namibian companies and 100% of our professional teams being Namibian, this building showcases the collective positive impact we can have on empowering and supporting local capacity development.

“The employment of roughly 400 people, with up to 300 on site each day, is a further testament to our commitment to making a difference in the lives of Namibians,” said Murorua.

According to Nedbank, the building incorporates 92% of strengthening steel and a substitution of 47% cement with fly ash, while an impressive 93% of waste generated during construction was recycled.

Added to that, double-glazed windows consisting of etched glass were integrated into the facades, allowing for increased internal thermal comfort, as well as reduced noise pollution – all resulting in a reduction of the energy load required for cooling, which is the primary energy consumer in a building of this nature.

Transformational energy and water efficiency were achieved through the installation of 100% LED lighting throughout the building, in combination with an advanced building management system.

The bank said low-flow fixtures were installed to optimise usage, while abundant external views and natural light decreased reliance on artificial illumination during daytime hours, at the same time creating a more inspiring environment for employees and clients.

Motion-detection-enabled lights switch on only when spaces are occupied, and solar PV panels paired with low volatile organic component materials help deliver emission reductions of 90%.

All of these features make the Nedbank campus six-star rating a representation of ‘world leadership’ in sustainable building practices, and it stands to provide inspiration for others as the benchmark of progress, said the bank.

Elri Syfert, a Namibian sustainability consultant, emphasised that green building measures must be evaluated by independent assessors to be awarded such an honour.

Namibia Construction (Pty) Ltd was the principal contractor on the project, while the Emcon Consulting Group was part of the design team which managed the building project.

– Email: matthew@nambian.com.na

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