The V&A Waterfront has been on an eco-friendly building mission for the past few years.

The soon to be unveiled ‘The Ridge’ is the latest in a string of bespoke developments in the 123-hectare waterfront, South Africa’s most visited destination.

According to the V&A Waterfront, the concept behind these new developments is an “ethical approach” that focuses on “sustainability and care for the people who will use the building”.

Moreover, they’re trying to set the tone for “sustainable green building”, something they’ve already achieved with the Silo District, home to the Zeitz MOCAA and The Silo Hotel projects.

Audit, consulting and financial advisory firm Deloitte seems keen to introduce some chill into their Cape Town offices, because they’ll be taking up residency in ‘The Ridge’ from October 2020.

David Green, the CEO of the V&A Waterfront, on the new building:

“The Ridge effectively offers an oasis in the city. Inhabitants will enjoy its inspiring views, its inner green spaces, including a groundbreaking ‘central street’ concept naturally ventilated with fresh air, breakaway zones and a reflective environment.”

…[It] is a custom-designed green building to accommodate the Cape Town offices of international professional services firm, Deloitte.  Construction began early in 2019 and the roof slab was completed in January 2020.

The site was previously a parking lot which serviced the renowned UCT Graduate School of Business Campus, the Breakwater Lodge building and other existing commercial buildings in the vicinity.

The new offices offer a number of ‘firsts’ for green building and sustainability. These include energy-efficient and passive climate control measures, renewable energy, sustainable water usage, and a significantly lower carbon footprint.

I guess the company could use some good PR.

It’s pretty much the most Cape Town building ever.

Marius Alberts, the regional leader at the Deloitte office in Cape Town says that the Deloitte journey of sustainability has been behind their move to such a green building on the Southern tip of Africa.

“Deloitte already occupies the Edge building in Amsterdam South, one of the highest rated green building in the world as confirmed by the British BREEAM rating standard.”

The Edge building uses IoT connectivity to optimise its energy efficiency and promote employee mobility and wellness goals. So we incorporated this approach into our new office at the Waterfront Ridge. We are driven by an overall corporate commitment to sustainability, demonstrated by our commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into corporate responsibility and sustainability vision”, he adds.

With four stories of office accommodation, three basement levels for parking, and an employee chill zone, I’m sure the company will be very happy there.

And, if the current traffic situation doesn’t calm down in the city, they’re going to need that oasis vibe more than ever.

[sources:v&awaterfornt]