GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF INFRUSTRUCTURE

DEVELOPMENT

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

FOR THE

78 FOX STREET BUILDING

August 2014

Preliminary assessment of the environmental status of : 78 Fox Street – Johannesburg :

corner of Fox Street and Sauer Street

CURRENT STATUS A 34 storey building covering 49 250 sqm, with an interesting construction history :

The tower was built from the top down, meaning that after the central core was built, the floors were

suspended from three cantilevered arms with the top floors added first, followed by each lower floor.

Structurally, the building frame is in a fair condition, however the layout is not conducive to a modern

open-plan office environment.

Architecturally, and in terms of interior design, the building can benefit from a revamp.

The office of the Gauteng Department of Community Safety currently occupies the building, however

a number of floors are currently being renovated.

The façade is intact and in a fair condition, but requires a good clean, and the windows requires high-

pressure cleaning.

The building boast an open, double-volume glassed entrance with a few small trees growing on each

side of the entrance hall.

Currently, a Contractor has been appointed to remove all the old dysfunctional electrical equipment

from the building. A significant amount of equipment is currently piled in a demarcated area.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Natural Environment : Observation / Recommendation : The open, double volume entrance lobby displays a significant natural environmental element. The space and light available to this position holds potential for a dramatic architectural feature with plants and water. Elsewhere on a number of floors, a few potplants are present, but are unfortunately not well maintained.

The sunny window spaces lends itself to successfully incorporate a few impressive plant & water features, which will significantly contribute to the tranquillity necessary in an office environment. The vision of the Architect is to incorporate an environmental element in the design, and can be achieved by introducing innovative environmental ideas, as per the principles of the Green Star SA (but will be governed by the restrictions of the Heritage Assessment). See Architect’s Report for more information.

Built / Working Environment : Observation / Recommendation : The working environment of the building is significantly affected by the current renovation and clean-up activities. This building is constructed within the built environment of Johannesburg city, which refers to the structures and infrastructure made by man. Built environments provide the basic necessities for human life as we know it, and therefore must be functional and healthy for all.

The building will benefit from the current upgrade of outdated technology.

Outdated electrical infrastructure has a high impact on the overall energy consumption, and old fashioned air-conditioners significantly contributes to Greenhouse gasses.

Ineffective wet services (toilets and washbasins) can cause considerable water losses.

Poor ventilation negatively affects the working environment and performance.

Ineffective work space and interior layout will

A natural feature in the entrance lobby adds to a tranquil ambience.

A ‘built environment’ includes all structures created by people, including infrastructure elements like streets, sidewalks, water and sewer lines, and electric and other utilities.

negatively affect work satisfaction.

Heaps of dysfunctional equipment is scattered all over

the building

Socio - Economic Environment : Observation / Recommendation : Currently, there is no socio-economic value relevant to the building, however, the potential to develop this building into a new, modern, comfortable office space, will have a very significant socio-economic impact on the building. On a broader scale, the location of the building represents a very significant economic environment, due to the established surrounding landuses and accessibility from the main arterials servicing the city centre. Having the support of the Municipality with regard to the proposed landuses earmarked for the area, will aid in the establishment of a supportive and sustainable economic precinct, significantly improving the economic environment of the area. The current floor layouts are not conducive to modern open plan layouts. It is recommended that the a space planning design be carried out for each floor to revise the layout and allow for the efficient use of space. This action would result in replacing most of the existing internal finishes

The building structure and layout offers potential to introduce a level of Social interaction in the building.

A preliminary design for winter heating, summer cooling, fresh air ventilation and domestic /sanitary hot water requirements will further aid to a comfortable working environment. The upper most levels are in a fair condition and will require minor refurbishments. However, wall finishes, floor finishes and ceilings will need to be replaced if to be kept in line the refurbishments that are necessary on the lower levels. Carpets and tiled areas are dated and in poor condition on most levels, and will require replacement. Ceiling systems to be replaced throughout the floors. It is proposed that the old coffer - styled ceiling system be replaced with a new 600 x 600mm suspended ceiling system.

Health and Safety Aspects Observation / Recommendation : Currently, the health aspect of the building is questionable, since all ceilings were ripped off and on certain floors the air-conditioning and ventilation ducts are left exposed. During the current process of renovation, the temporary storage and the removal of the electrical equipment poses a significant safety risk. Waterleaks in the basement is of concern.

With reference to the Fire Safety Investigation, the implementation of those recommendations are encourage to ensure compliance with the relevant safety regulations of the building.

Recommendations from the Mechanical Engineer regarding the installation of effective cooling and circulation equipment are supported.

Subsequent to the replacement of all air-conditioners, it is important to ensure the accurate removal and safe disposal of these electrical units, as per the relevant legislation.

Relevant Legislation : Currently, the onus is on the Land Owner to ensure that the building complies with the relevant By Laws

of the Johannesburg Municipality, regarding :

safety and security aspects,

prevention of pollution,

prevention of fire hazards,

prevention of vandalism and unauthorised destruction,

preventing the occurrence of illegal and criminal activities.

Should the decision be made to continue with the refurbishment of the building,

the following (not limited to) important legislation (environmentally related) must be considered and

adhered to :

Ensure the zoning requirements and development controls relevant to the property are in

accordance to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, as per the Zoning Scheme.

With regard to Fire Prevention and Fire Protection measures, all requirements of the CoJ

Emergency Services Bylaws (published in provincial gazette extraordinary no 179 dated 21 may

2004 under notice no.826) must be adhered to - refer to Specialist Report.

The removal and safe disposal of any general waste / electrical waste and hazardous

substances are subject to the regulations of the National Environmental Management : Waste

Act.

Implementation of the National Environmental Management Act, (107 of 1998) is largely governed by

the set of Listing Notices, detailing a number of Activities for which formal Authorisation from the

Provincial Environmental Department (GDARD) is necessary.

Considering that this building is existing, and no additional ‘transformation’ of pristine environment is

likely to occur during the re-instatement / refurbishment / upgrading of the building, the activity is not

subject to formal authorisation. The activity will be exempt from obtaining authorisation due to the

following definitions contained in the legislation :

"construction " means the bui ld ing, erection or establ ishment of a fac i l i ty , s tructure or

infrastructure that is necessary for the undertak ing of a l is ted or specif ied activ i ty but exc ludes

any modif ication , a l teration or expansion o f such a fac i l i ty , s tructure or infra structure and

exc luding the reconstruction of the same fac i l i ty in the same location , with the same capacity

and foo tpr int .

“Expansion " means the mod if ica tion, extension, a l teration or upgrading o f a fac i l i ty , s tructure

or infrastructure at which an activ i ty takes place in such a manner that the capacity of the

fac i l i ty or the footpr in t o f the activ i ty is increased;

Heritage Assessment

With reference to the findings of the Heritage Consultant, this building offers a wealth of

opportunities to enhance its cultural heritage.

RECOMMENDATIONS : Based on the findings of the Consulting Engineers and the Architects, it is understood that the building’s physical structure is still intact, and that only minor renovation and restoration work is necessary to re-instate the building to a potentially functional workspace. The proposal to restore and renovate is supported. A few recommendations regarding the improvement of the working environment :

With regard to the removal of old dysfunctional electrical equipment Possible hazardous waste, such as old diesel generators/equipment, broken air-conditioning

systems, etc. will require special attention to secure the safe removal and disposal of that waste. Any construction / restoration activities will be strictly governed by the provisions of the relevant

Building Legislation.

External walls usually form the biggest area of the building envelope, therefore having a big impact on the heat loss of a building. Additional thermal insulation of external walls can be made in a number of different ways. Two main categories suggested by the Consulting Architects are (i) additional external thermal insulation and (ii) additional internal thermal insulation. See Architects Report for more information.

The proposed introduction of energy efficient installations and the possibility of generating electricity through a number of methods, will be encouraged. It will be necessary to determine whether the total capacity of the (combined) energy features

exceeds the limits of the relevant Listed Activities of the NEMA Legislation, in which case a Basic Assessment Report will have to be submitted to the GDARD for authorisation.

The necessity of diesel storage to facilitate any of the new energy devises must be determined and storage regulations must be adhered to.

The necessity of gas (LPG) storage to facilitate any of the new energy devises must be determined and storage regulations must be adhered to.

It is highly recommended that a representative Waste Management System be incorporated into the final product before implementation. An effective waste Management System distinguishes between :

Paper waste

Plastic waste,

Glass waste,

General domestic waste,

Wet waste,

Electronic waste,

Hazardous waste, (batteries, cleaning materials etc.)

(The addition of a secure shredding facility for confidential documents will be suggested.)

Waste management also includes the safe disposal of all the different waste streams, and encourages the recycling of material where feasible. A demarcated area must be provided to ensure the successful sorting of waste.

Prior to any construction or restoration work commencing, it is a requirement that a Health & Safety Plan be formulated in accordance to the regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1993 - Construction Regulations 2003 and Client Health and Safety specifications, ensuring the protection of the health and wellbeing of personnel during worksite activities and ensuring that safety is the prime consideration during the project execution. On all levels of building construction, albeit electrical, mechanical, general etc, and during the operational phase of the building, the principles of a safe working environment for all employees and the public sector, must be adhered to.

INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Lured by the prestige of meeting the Green Star SA requirements, the refurbishment of a building

provides a unique opportunity to implement a few innovative ‘green’ ideas to raise the awareness of

‘green building benefits’.

The categories in the GREEN STAR SA rating tools range from :

Management / Energy / Transport / Water / Material / Emissions /

Innovation / Landuse and Ecology / Indoor Environment Quality.

While the implementation of efficient energy resources, glazed window fittings and an effective waste

management system should be a standard consideration for the building, the following innovative ideas

could be considered :

Upgrading to include sufficient external and internal thermal insulation by means of the

following:

Thermal insulation of roofs Additional thermal insulation is viable for a flat-roofed building, especially since the waterproofing of the roof needs to be replaced. In this case, the additional insulation can be made either by adding insulation thickness, or switching the insulation material from mineral wool or polystyrene insulation to more effective polyurethane insulation. Another option is to add insulation on top of the existing waterproofing. Thermal insulation of the base floor Additional thermal insulation of base floor can be done either by adding layers of insulation material on top of the existing floor, or by replacing the existing insulation material with a more effective insulation. It also reduces the risk of frost damages for a building. Window replacement and improvements in air-tightness The windows represent about 10–15% of the total area of external walls. Even though the window area is relatively small, the heat losses through windows can be of the same order of magnitude as that of external walls. The reason for this is that the thermal conductivity of windows is significantly higher than that of walls. The glass technology has undergone significant development in the last decade and it has created possibilities to bring the insulation properties of windows to a new level. The heat insulation is best improved by replacing the windows. However, installing an additional front glass or insulation glass to complement the existing window frame, or completely replacing the window glasses with new ones, will be beneficial from a green design point of view. Increasing the air tightness of the building envelope Increasing the air-tightness of the building envelope reduces unwanted air infiltration and energy-losses. Air leaks can be caused by gaps in joints between building components, due to holes in structures for building services installations and lack of insulation. The building should be renovated in a way where the external facade layers are removed and the visible seams can be re-sealed. This improvement is based on increased air-tightness of the internal envelope.

Roof Gardens are very popular

and small scale container

gardening can be maintained

at a low cost, but will

significantly add to the social

character of the building if a

few small benches are

incorporated to provide

seating.

The installation of water tanks to harvest rainwater / storm water, to be used for flushing toilets,

or it could be used for the irrigation of vegetation on site.

The subtle introduction of alternative wall cladding, such as natural stone or slate, will

compliment a green (vegetative) focal point, and more so the inclusion of a water feature to add

to the atmosphere.

The installation of a Grey-water system. Grey water is water that has been used in one or two

applications, but is still of sufficient quality to use for another purpose, usually toilet flushing or

irrigation, for example, water from your hand basins.

The establishment of ‘green living

walls’ is a significant statement

with regard to environmental

consciousness and should fine

water misters be incorporated in

the design, it provides a very

effective cooling appearance.