This project entailed the design of a 36 000 square metre office block combining elements which demonstrate the department’s commitment to sustainability. It also included devices designed to market the country to visiting tourists through sculptural and graphic interventions built into the fabric of the building. The project was designed to achieve a 4 star Green rating – it was the runner-up in a PPP competition.

The project was designed to a 4 Star rating based on the Green Star SA assessment tool The proposed design incorporated the following:

• Orientation
• Local climate and site conditions
• Thermal mass
• Optimising insulation
• Use of daylight
• Efficient lighting and HVAC systems
• Harvesting rainwater
• Minimising municipal water consumption by 30%
• 10% of buildings load using renewable sources
• Minimising greenhouse gas emmissions
• Minimising resource depletion
• Environmentally friendly material selection