Tradition with a modern twist and design features to reduce carbon emissions earned the new visitor’s centre at Bracken Nature Reserve a five-star green rating for public building design.
The announcement came on Friday, two months ahead of the scheduled commencement of the R34,2 million project in October.
The project has been in planning for years, and will see the complete redevelopment of the site, in which the old historic buildings in the reserve will be restored to a multi-purpose venue that can house up to 100 people at a time. According to a statement made on Friday by the City of Cape Town’s Spatial Planning and Environment Department, the design illustrates the City’s goal for all new and existing municipal buildings to be zero-carbon by 2030.
Introduced by the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), the internationally recognised rating system measures a building’s overall environmental impact.
Situated on top of an old quarry and landfill site, Bracken Nature Reserve is a 36-ha piece of protected land that preserved threatened Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and Swartland Granite Renosterveld vegetation.
More than 160 plant species are found here, among which 10 occur only in Cape Town and are in serious danger of extinction. That includes the cowslip, canary yellow vygie and carrion flower. The park is also home to a variety of small mammals, reptiles, frogs and a range of bird species.
green-friendly features
Planned for completion in July 2025, the centre will be constructed with an industrial-type steel portal frame, brick infill walls and a facade that will be a combination of face brick and plaster.
Building features include LED-efficient lighting controlled with a motion sensor, and internal vision glazing designed to take advantage of natural daylight.
Mechanically assisted fresh-air ventilation systems will filter air to the building using weather louvres and occupancy sensors. Water-efficient fittings will be fitted onto all taps; and toilets will be flushed using recycled water from a black water harvesting system.
Other features include a 50 kW photovoltaic grid-tied system with two 25 kVA inverters and a 3 kW backup element for a 200-litre solar geyser.
In addition the grounds will house a waste recycling storage facility for sorting and collecting operational waste.
To boot, visitors to the centre will be offered an insight into the sustainable operations of the building by means of display screens with water and energy consumption data.
The centre will boast facilities to encourage alternative modes of transport such as cycling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes secure bicycle storage and showers and lockers on site.
Mayco member for the City’s environmental directorate, Eddie Andrews, said this recognition signified the building’s design has met stringent environmental standards.
“This is a fantastic achievement for the City. It shows the City’s commitment to reducing environmental impact and promote sustainability.
conserving heritage
In an earlier statement to TygerBurger, Andrews said the development is centred on heritage renovations. “Two existing heritage structures located in the reserve have received approval from Heritage Western Cape to undergo renovations. The entire site’s heritage significance was considered during the project planning, and reviewed by a heritage consultant to ensure the building integrity and restoration methods are aligned with the required heritage processes.”
Ward councillor Marian Nieuwoudt said the centre had been on her wish list since 2006. “We have a unique biodiversity in the area, specifically Bracken Nature Reserve and Haasendal,” she said. “Red data and extinct species such as the Kraaifontein Spider Protea are being cultivated in the reserve. The education centre will be an asset for our community to get together and enjoy the beautiful environment.”
