+IMPACT MAGAZINE ISSUE 26

GBCSA MILESTONE
GBCSA MILESTONE
1 000
steps
FORWARD
Green Building Council South Africa recently celebrated its 1 000th green building
certification – the Visual Arts Building at Stellenbosch University – signalling exponential
growth for South Africa’s green building sector.
WORDS & IMAGES GBCSA
SINCE 2007
Above, from left: Prof Stan du Plessis (Stellenbosch University); Dannica Pedro
(Stellenbosch University); Lisa Reynolds (GBCSA); John de Wet (Stellenbosch
University); Leane de Wet (Imbue Sustainability); and Oliver Bumstead (Imbue
Sustainability) with GBCSA’s 1 000th certification plaque awarded to the Visual
Arts Building at Stellenbosch University.
Right, from left: Taariq Fakier, Robert Todkill and Aloma Fourie, all of
Stellenbosch University.
Opposite page, from left: Dr Kathryn Smith of Stellenbosch University shares
some interesting facts about the Visual Arts building during the building tour;
the Stellenbosch University subterranean library.
Green Building Council South Africa’s (GBCSA)
1 000th green building certification is
a milestone that’s been 15 years in the making,
and is reflective of a growing appetite for
sustainable and resilient green buildings in the South
African built environment sector. Notably, the certified
structure – the Visual Arts Building at Stellenbosch
University – is a heritage building constructed in 1905,
and epitomises the transformational capacity of the green
buildings’ movement.
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH
As the saying goes, a journey of 1 000 miles begins with
the first step. The first step towards 1 000 certifications
started in 2009, explains GBCSA CEO, Lisa Reynolds. At
the time, no one knew how long it would take to get to
1 000 certifications, but the growth has been steady, and then
exponential. “It is an amazing place to be in, to pause and
reflect on how far we have come, and to look to the future
to see that there is still much to be done,” says Reynolds,
emphasising that there is still more work needed to mitigate
the effects of climate change.
“When GBCSA started [in 2007], it was primarily focused
on the office environment, and we were doing 20 to 30
certifications per year,” says Georgina Smit, GBCSA Head
of Technical. “We have evolved to processing approximately
100 certifications per year, and engaging with industry
leaders who want to demonstrate their green commitment
in the residential, industrial and tertiary spaces.” In 2022
alone, the organisation certified 165 buildings.
Reynolds adds: “GBCSA’s vision is to be a vital part of
the transformation of the built environment to a place
where people and planet thrive. The global goal is to
halve carbon emissions by 2050. Achieving both goals
requires ramping up our efforts. Certifications serve
as both a means and a measure to assist in achieving
a greener and more resource-efficient future. The 1 000th
The 1 000th certification is the perfect
place to promote a paradigm shift in
the built environment.
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