Construction World November 2018

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

A CORE VALUE Construction World asked Candice Manning, AECOM’s Practice Area Lead, Sustainability about sustainability and green building in the global, but specifically the South African context.

Candice Manning, AECOM’s Practice Area Lead, Sustainability.

How do you define ‘sustainability’ in the construction world? Sustainability is the preservation of natural, social and economic resources which is done through innovative construction methods and conscious decisions throughout the lifecycle of designing, constructing and operating a project.

energy, our commitment to sustainability drives innovation, resiliency, reduces risk and provides attractive project life cycle returns on investment”. How has sustainability in the South African built environment been received? A positive return on investment encourages and reinforces the need for sustainability. It has thus far been a challenge for some and an absolute must for others. Generally it has been received positively. Some say that green building certification is a mere ‘tick box’ and has little to do with true sustainable construction. How do you respond to this? A green building certification scheme is not merely a tick box tool but it is up to the client and project team to ensure the best sustainable technologies and designs are adopted and implemented, not just the bare minimum required for a green building certification. These tools promote better design, construction and operation and ensure best practices are adopted. The South African Green Star tool has influenced much change in the industry, and it is time for a new version to be released to challenge the market again. What advances in the context of construction, consulting and planning in terms of sustainability have there been in recent years? There has been a remarkable interest and shift towards achieving net zero status for new and existing developments. An integrated approach to achieving these targets is required in the planning process. The entire project team must work together to achieve these stringent requirements. Our Building Information Modelling (BIM) has advanced drastically in the last few years. We have a strong BIM team that can analyse a project’s carbon emissions associated with the energy consumption, thermal comfort of the occupants as well as daylight modelling. We can interrogate the design of projects until they perform as required. 6D BIM is and incorporated into our offering, whereby performance/value engineering and return on investment is offered to our clients. How are these advances incorporated into your offering?

We are in the process of high level implementation of 7D modelling in the healthcare sector. Has AECOM conducted independent research into is offerings for sustainable building? What research has been conducted? AECOM continuously keeps up to date with latest technologies, methods, approaches, and materials. When do you think the perception that sustainable construction is a nice-to-have will be changed in South Africa? When we provide our clients with sustainable development solutions which has a strong cost benefit analysis and positive return on investment, it is no longer just a nice-to-have but rather a sound business decision that makes economic sense. The AECOM Sustainability report describes 2017 as one of the most costly years, in both lives lost and property destroyed, that our world has experienced in decades. Resilience is an essential step forward on the path to sustainability and sustainable development is no longer a nice to have. It is imperative that we adopt these principles now. I believe legislation and accountability needs to be a key driver in ensuring sustainable principles are incorporated in all projects. Corporate companies such as Absa have already realised the risk of not addressing sustainability in their new and existing building stock and have shown commitment to certify new and existing projects in line with best practice sustainability initiatives. How has sustainable construction been received in the African countries where AECOM has a presence? Our design, whether in South Africa or other African countries, is in line with our core value of sustainability. We educate project teams based in African countries and we work with local materials and practices to form sustainable solutions. We have just been part of a successful project in Mozambique using sustainable construction practices which achieved the first LEED rating in the country. 

How does South Africa fare in the ‘sustainable construction’ stakes – compared to the rest of the world? In some developed countries, the

construction materials market is possibly more advanced with a greater range of available materials that have considered and developed sustainability certifications. The South African construction industry has developed positively in the last few years, but there is still a lot of room for growth and needs to commit to more sustainable technology and practices. How does AECOM include sustainability in its offering – what do you offer a developer wanting to build a sustainable project? Sustainable Development practice is integrated into all disciplines. There is sustainability consciousness in the design mind set of AECOM professionals. As Sustainability Consultants, we will work with the client to understand exactly what they want to achieve and establish a plan to achieve the end goals. We design efficient sustainable building services, and manage the process up until Green Star certification through the Green Building Council of South Africa. Our Green Star offering includes detailed energy, daylight thermal comfort and CFD modelling. “Whether we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions, developing new ways to conserve water or promoting renewable

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD NOVEMBER 2018