+IMPACT Magazine Issue 25

PROJECT
PROJECT
roots may go back well over a century,
but we’re always looking forward. We
know from experience that that’s how
“Our
we can grow our positive impact on
people, climate, and nature – all in line with our purpose
of bringing progress to life.” Such is the vision statement
of dsm-firmenich, a leading global company that delivers
sustainable solutions in the spheres of nutrition, health
and beauty.
With sites located in nearly 60 countries, the company’s
South African office in Midrand, Johannesburg, has
recently brought progress to life by becoming the
first GBCSA-certified, Net Positive Ecology Level 2 –
Operational Ecology (Measured) project in the country.
Through the planting of over 4 000 individual plants and
close to 140 different species, all locally indigenous to this
endangered ecosystem, the project is paving the way for
urban ecological regeneration.
SOWING THE SEEDS
“I was contacted by green building consultancy Solid Green,
who had been appointed to perform three other Net Positive
certifications for dsm-firmenich,” says managing director
of Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects, Marc Sherratt.
“They asked me to support them in achieving Net Positive
Ecology for the existing building and site. This project
excited us, as our company mission is “reversing local
extinction through sustainable architecture”. Landscaping
is essential to achieving this goal, and so we’ve built
a landscaping division into the company’s service scope.”
According to Sherratt, the site’s original native
landscape was discovered to be Egoli Granite Grassland,
which originally covered most of the northern suburbs of
Johannesburg. “This is the most endangered vegetation
type in the city and so this project, with its lofty Net
Positive goal, was a perfect candidate to test how many
plants from this vegetation type we could ethically source,”
he says. “This approach breaks with a widely held belief
that there are not enough indigenous plants in commercial
The landscape of a city is part of its
identity as much as its architecture is.
production for indigenous landscaping to be interesting.”
The design process started by positioning the new
landscaping correctly on the site, with the rating requiring
about 15% of the site to be regenerated. In this case, it
equalled an area of just over 1 500m 2 . Work then began on
removing the existing exotic kikuyu lawn, and planting
the carefully sourced plants from reputable indigenous
nurseries. Adequate irrigation was installed to establish
the landscape in its first year, after which it will be
rain-fed. In total, the project took about 10 to 12 months
from concept to completion.
“Engaging with the landscape is done via an interactive
sensory pathway where specific species have been
highlighted using insect hotels with integrated signage
noting their scent, taste and medical properties. This links
with the site’s core business of flavours and fragrances,”
says Sherratt.
“South African grasslands have a unique look and feel.
Many species die back in winter, so it was important that
the client understood this visual change,” he continues.
“The focus of the landscape design was on diversity above
aesthetics. Perhaps surprisingly, these landscapes need
intensive maintenance due to their small size. Specifically, it
means making sure weeds don’t overgrow them, as they are
usually surrounded by exotic species. This is an important
aspect over which the client assumes ownership.”
A BLOSSOMING SUCCESS
Ashley Sams, Workplace Manager Sub-Saharan Africa
Region at dsm-firmenich, says that they had thought that
this accreditation might be the most complex of the four,
but after working through everything, it presented fewer
challenges than expected. “The additional birdlife that
The “Journey of Taste and Smell”
is an informative pathway that
links to the site’s core business.
The project showcases the variety of indigenous
plants available and how landscaping can be used
to reverse local extinction in urban areas.
Using the important taxa of Egoli Granite Grassland, the team
tried to match the vegetation composition ratio of the new
landscaping to this threatened ecosystem in terms of the
ratio of grasses to herbs, geophytes, trees and succulents.
The Net Positive Ecology Level 2 – Operational Ecology (Measured) GBCSA
rating requires about 15% of the site to be regenerated. In the case of
dsm-firmenich’s South African office, it equalled an area of just over 1 500m2.
We have a collective responsibility
as the most dominant species on the
planet to care for our local species
in need of protection.
has already been observed in the indigenous space is a real
highlight,” he says. “There is an authentic beauty in an
indigenous garden, bringing what should have been [there]
back to life. We are also very pleased with the informative
pathway, titled “Journey of Taste and Smell”, which links
directly to the site’s core business.”
Gaining this rating means that the site has achieved an
independently verified, measurable improvement of its
native ecological system. Sherratt says that at the time of
the project he was also part of the technical team writing
the Ecological Regeneration credit for Version 2 of the
Green Star New Build rating tool. “This project was a
good pilot to test if the thinking we developed for this
credit was achievable, especially around how to practically
measure and report an increase in landscape diversity.”
The word “regeneration” is used in this context rather
than “restoration”, as the latter means to bring back the site
as it originally was, which is near impossible in many urban
settings. Regeneration is about using the site’s original
vegetation type as a reference, but with the freedom to
adjust the design in order to achieve the highest possible
biodiversity that the site can manage. It also means taking
into consideration new local anthropogenic systems like
afforestation or climate change.
“The importance of regenerating endangered vegetation
types in cities is a vital discussion. The landscape of a city
is part of its identity as much as its architecture is. You can
tell a lot about which nations and cultures have influenced
a city by what has been planted historically. Looking back
is one thing, but as designers we also need to question
what the future city should look like. Cities should be seen
as a part of the natural realm, having wildlife corridors
through them, having safe spaces for migratory animals
like birds, and increasing their locally indigenous planting
to provide food and shelter for many species that have
been pushed out of their natural home ranges. Much of
the work we do focuses on how to practically do this in
an African context,” explains Sherratt.
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POSITIVE IMPACT ISSUE 25
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