CTICC to be countries greenest

27 October 2008 No Comment

cticc A R1.4-billion expansion of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) will aim to make the building the country’s greenest and, according to the CEO of Convenco Rashid Toefy, a city icon.

Convenco, the CTICC’s holding company, said the building would be one of the most technologically advanced of its kind, and that due to the past successes of the centre the expansion was the “logical next step”.

“In the context of climate change, sustainable business development and being in a competitive industry, CTICC’s focus must be on minimising its carbon footprint and the environmental impact of any planned expansion,” Toefy said.

While negotiations have been ongoing with the department of public works, Toefy said he was confident that it would not be much longer before the deal was sealed.

The new six-star green convention centre will replace the Customs House on Table Bay boulevard and will follow the standards set by the Green Building Council of South Africa.

The 30 000 square metre development will use 40 percent less energy per square metre than the existing CTICC building, and will have 95 percent less potable water and 25 percent less waste to landfill.

The recycling of rainwater and an on-site water treatment system will help reduce the potable water while sufficient space for on-site sorting and recycling will reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill sites.

Housing an exhibition space of 9 500m2, the building will make use of water and energy saving technologies including special wind turbines to harvest electricity while simultaneously ventilating the parking garages.

The building will also have a seawater cooling system, photo-voltaic glass facades and a grey and black water treatment facility.

The passive energy design and provision of extensive daylighting as well as renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, will all contribute to the reduction in energy.

The centre could also become the first building in South Africa to have a planted green roof.

Convenco board chairperson Andrew Boraine said only minimal parking would be made available so as to facilitate travel on the bus rapid transport system to and from the CTICC.

According to a UCT Graduate School of Business study, the centre, and the hotel and offices which would form part of the project, will result in direct spending in Cape Town of R2.27-billion over the next three years of development.

The City of Cape Town, provincial government and SunWest, all Convenco partners, will be expected to cough up at least two thirds of the capital needed for construction of the new building.