Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects (MSSA)
MSSA is a radical architectural practice pushing the boundaries of what sustainability means on the African continent. They remain the only architectural practice in South Africa to have designed and certified buildings in all four GBCSA Net Zero categories, namely Carbon, Water, Waste & Ecology. They specialise in leading interdisciplinary teams in solving “wicked” African problems in contexts such as informal settlements, rural healthcare and urban wildlife migration.
Fast Facts
Building location: Standarised design to be built across South Africa.
Client: Infrastructure South Africa.
Outcome: First Net Zero Carbon – Level 1 (Base Building) public building for South Africa, certified by the Green Building Counicil of South Africa.
Key sustainability features
- Pioneers an innovative entry system, “pre-entry triage”, which splits visitors into clinical service streams before they enter the building, prioritising pedestrians and the disabled.
- Green building best practise was used for all energy related infrastructure from lighting to air movement. Over and above the specified best practise energy and water efficiency technology, operational targets were also formulated for the first time for clinics of this scale.
- A security fence is integrated into the building’s façade in order to anchor it as a community asset. This security layer functions as a green wall for the growing of traditional medicinal plants, building a bridge between Western and African healing approaches.
