By Lindsay Dentlinger
The R1,4-billion expansion of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) could become the country's "greenest" building by the time it is completed in 2012, exceeding all targets set by legislation across the board for new business developments.
Unveiling details of the new building on Thursday, Rashid Toefy, the upbeat CEO of Convenco, the CTICC's holding company, said the building - which would replace Customs House on Table Bay boulevard - would be one of the most technologically advanced of its kind.
He said the successes of the CTICC to date made it a "logical next step" to expand.
Despite protracted negotiations with the department of public works over the past two years, Toefy was confident that it would not be much longer before the deal was sealed.
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Convenco board chairperson Andrew Boraine said on Thursday that the negotiations involved "complex issues" such as the valuing of the site and shareholding.
Customs House would be totally demolished to make way for a six-star green building, according to standards set by the Green Building Council of South Africa.
It will be designed to use 40 percent less energy per square metre than the existing CTICC building, 95 percent less potable water and 25 percent less waste to landfill.
The 30 000 square metre development, of which 9 500m2 will be exhibition space, will incorporate water and energy saving technologies including special wind turbines to harvest electricity, simultaneously ventilating the parking garages.
It could become the first building in South Africa to have a planted green roof.
It would also boast a grey and black water treatment facility, a seawater cooling system and photo-voltaic glass facades.
Toefy said Convenco wanted the new building to become an iconic one for Cape Town.
"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.
The reduction in energy would mainly be through the building's passive energy design and provision of extensive daylighting as well as renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
Potable water would be reduced mainly through recycling rainwater and an on-site water treatment system while the amount of waste being sent to landfill sites would reduce mainly through the provision of adequate space for on-site sorting and recycling.
Boraine said it was the intention to provide only minimal parking and that the CTICC would be highly dependent on the bus rapid transport system to bring people to the centre.
A UCT Graduate School of Business study indicated that the expansion of the CTICC and the hotel and offices which would form part of the project, would result in direct spending in Cape Town of R2.27bn during the anticipated three years of construction.
Convenco partners - the City of Cape Town, provincial government and SunWest - would be expected to cough up at least two thirds of the capital needed for construction of the new building.
- This article was originally published on page 4 of Cape Argus on October 24, 2008
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