The basin boasts a new state-of-the-art green sustainable centre launched at the Helderberg Nature Reserve last week.
The Helderberg Environmental Centre, which is described as a success story of how alternative construction methods and sustainable design thinking can be achieved, was showcased last Friday (3 June) ahead of World Environmental Day on Sunday.
“The new Helderberg Environmental Centre is truly a magnificent building and provides the perfect setting for the various environmental education programmes the City’s nature reserves offer schools and interest groups,” said Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
“This centre provides us with a practical example of what a green city facility can look like. The project as a whole has proved just how beneficial implementing green construction practices can be, especially if one considered the number of semi-skilled extended public work project (EPWP) job opportunities that were created to assist with material selection and specific green construction techniques.”
Eddie Andrews, deputy mayor and Mayoral Committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment, shared his excitement for the learners and various groups that will visit and benefit from the facility going forward. He said the message they want to get across in commemoration of World Environmental Day is to ensure the youth understand the importance of biodiversity and the environmental education at the Helderberg Environmental Centre is a beautiful example of a sustainable building.
“Cape Town has a wealth of nature reserves, green belts, parks and public open spaces,” said Andrews. “These are the green lungs of the city that need to be preserved, but this can be done only with assistance from our communities.”
The Helderberg Environmental Centre demonstrates green construction methods and sustainable designs. The design of this holistic sustainable facility considered a number of components such as waste, functionality, ecology, thermal impact, ground, waste and storm water impact, light pollution and reducing carbon emissions.
Some of the sustainability features of the new centre includes the impressive tyre retaining wall, eco brick wall and the integrated water treatment system, which includes the four chamber underground Black Water Treatment System.
This new facility is situated close to the parking and entrance of the reserve. It hosts a stage and has a clip-on Bedouin tent, which expands the covered usable area of the facility to accommodate larger functions.
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For more information, send an email to helderbergnature.reserve@capetown.gov.za.
