Johannesburg, 27 Nov 2012
Softline VIP, a leading supplier of payroll and human resource management solutions, is starting the holiday season on a high note when the company moves into its new office space, in Menlyn Maine, at the start of December 2012.
Menlyn Maine is set to be Africa's first green city, designed for better living and a more dynamic, healthy lifestyle. Located in Pretoria's Eastern suburbs, Menlyn Maine offers offices, residential, shopping and entertainment facilities situated in the heart of the new business district. Softline VIP will take up residence in the Sage VIP Building, which is situated on Aramist Road, the second building to be developed within the precinct.
The move into the new office premises is just in time for Softline VIP's planned name change to Sage VIP Payroll & HR, early in 2013. "This will align us with the brand of our parent company in the UK, Sage, which acquired us in 2005. Our clients will still be dealing with the same VIP Payroll that they have known for the last 27 years, but we will reap the benefits related to Sage's global brand, especially in Africa, where we are expanding our operations," says Anton Van Heerden, Managing Director of Softline VIP, part of the Sage Group.
"Our new building will be extremely energy efficient and environmentally friendly," says Van Heerden. "The Sage VIP Building was designed to be simplistic in nature and to limit maintenance costs by integrating sustainable design principles into all aspects of the structure. Our building will have a four star rating according to the Green Star SA - Office v1 rating, which recognises the best practice principles that the building project demanded," explains Van Heerden.
The following green principles were incorporated into the design of Softline VIP's new home:
Harnessing natural light
The building uses external shading devices in the form of aluminium louvers as well as overshadowing by balconies to shade windows from direct sunlight. In addition, care was taken to limit glass windows on the east and west facade, as it is more difficult to treat the low angle of the sun on these facades.
Building management system
The Sage VIP building will boast a building management system (BMS) that monitors the electrical demand, temperature and water usage in all areas of the building. The information gathered will be analysed and compared with historic data and will alert the facilities manager when something is awry. The system will highlight areas where energy or water consumption is wasted, allowing for faster response times to resolve issues. The BMS system also monitors the lifts, fire protection, CO2 levels in the basement and landscaping systems.
External lights
Highly lit buildings have a devastating effect on the behavioural patterns of nocturnal creatures. As a result, all lights on the facade will be dimmed to minimise light pollution and will also be positioned to avoid upward light spillage into the night sky.
Vegetable garden on the roof
When stepping out onto the roof, visitors may be surprised to find an operational vegetable garden that will be utilised to stock the Softline VIP canteen and client restaurant. The mini farm on the roof further expands the building's green footprint by focusing on sustainability.
Occupancy sensors
Motion detection sensors will automatically switch lights on when there is movement. The sensors are also linked to the air conditioning system to avoid unoccupied space cooling. The result is a comfortable and controlled environment that saves on energy consumption.
Recycling
Close to 80% of waste produced in the office is recyclable, and recycle bins will be placed in the pause areas and central points to enhance recycling efforts. A waste chute has also been incorporated into the cafeteria and kitchen that will accelerate the recycling process.
Transport
Softline VIP has gone the extra mile to encourage employees to utilise environmentally friendly transport alternatives. Prime parking bays will be reserved for employees that carpool and motorcycles. Menlyn Maine boasts its own cyclist sidewalk, offering convenient bike racks where bicycles can be stored, in addition to change rooms with showers and lockers that cyclists may use. Gautrain and taxi bus stops are also conveniently close to the Softline VIP building to encourage the use of public transport.
Volatile organic compounds
All the paint, adhesives, sealants and carpets used in the Sage VIP Building comply with Green Star South Africa's standards. It effectively eliminates the eye, nose and skin irritation that gases and vapours from new buildings may cause. The carpets are also 100% recyclable and extremely hardwearing.
Water efficiency
Rain water will be captured on the roof and stored in massive 100 000 litre storage tanks in the basement. It will be utilised for general water usage, such as flushing toilets and irrigating the gardens and roof garden. Water flow will be established by means of the earth's gravity. Hot water will be heated on the roof by means of insulated tanks, in addition to being instantly accessible due to an insulated closed loop circulation system. The irrigation system's water will also be captured and circulated back into the tank, with all efforts saving a massive 4.5 million litres of water a year.
Building material
The concrete used inside of Softline VIP's new office is much stronger, while using 30% less cement that is combined with fly ash and GGBS (waste products from electricity production and steel furnaces). The steel used in the building are 95% recycled, which significantly reduces the impact on the environment. All timber used in the building comes from a certified forest that promotes responsible forest management. The use of any ozone depleting gases have been minimised, while the use of PVC has been reduced by 60%.
Air conditioning and heating
The air conditioning unit will use a refrigerant that has a zero ozone depleting potential. Each area is monitored with sensors, which has automated the control of the environment. Heating is also gathered from the atmosphere on the roof and the heat from the hot water pipes.
"We are extremely impressed with the results. I am looking forward to moving into Softline VIP's new home and am confident that the workspace will reflect the unique and innovative style that is synonymous with Softline VIP," concludes Van Heerden.
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