The Radisson Red Hotel became the first new hotel in South Africa to receive a five-star rating from the Green Buildings Council of South Africa (GBCSA).Â
A plaque was handed over at a ceremony at the Silo District’s Silo No 6 building, which houses the hotel, on Thursday September 17.Â
The award was the Best “Other” Development, making it the first new hotel to receive a 5-Star Green Custom Hotel Design rating. It has also received a 5-Star Green Hotel As-Built rating.
The Green Star is a points-based green building rating system that evaluates buildings according to global best practice in sustainability. The system allocates points across nine categories including management, indoor environmental quality, energy, transport, innovation and water, materials used, land use and ecology and emissions. As no Green Star existed for hotels, a customised tool was developed for the project.
GBCSA’s Georgina Smit said there had been no locally available green building certification tool for hotels when No. 6 Silo had been conceptualised.
The Waterfront’s executive manager for development, Vusi Nondo, said the team was very proud of the accolade. “As a business we are pragmatic and commercial, but it is also our responsibility to ensure that the legacy we build today does not negatively impact on the future.”
Leonie Andereya, Radisson Red’s general manager, said: “We are super chuffed about the award.”
The opportunity to install district-wide services for the various buildings in the precinct was identified early in the planning of the Silo District, with initiatives such as the centralised district sea water cooling and heating plant being among the most high-profile interventions. Other simpler initiatives such as the shared potable water and fire sprinkler water tanks cut down on the amount of water required to be stored as well as reducing the space in the car park taken up by multiple individual tanks.
The building’s close geographical position to Cape Town’s MyCiTi bus service and a secure bicycle parking facility, as well as various amenities within walking distance, promote the use of sustainable public transport.Â