Masholds eyes green infrastructure rating
RYAN CHIGOCHE
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed property development and management firm, Mashonaland Holdings (Masholds) says it is aiming to attain a 4-star green rating at its Borrowdale office park project as it seeks to reduce energy consumption
The company’s managing director, Gibson Mapfidza said Masholds will engage a South African architect to achieve that and reduce buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions through reducing energy consumption of their properties.
“About 42% of energy generated in any country is consumed within buildings and the idea going forward is to reduce that consumption rate,” Mapfidza said.
“As a result our office park along Borrowdale road is going to be rated under the green star rating which was started by Australia.”
Mapfidza said a 4-star rating the company’s office park is a commitment that “we have already made and our board is very much aware of this as well”.
He said while it is likely to cost more to build green, it reduces energy consumption in the long term.
“We want it rated 4- stars. Unfortunately we may be forced to go to South Africa for that rating because at the moment in Zimbabwe we don’t have a rating as yet,” Mapfidza said.
Speaking at the recent Architect Institute of Zimbabwe conference held in the capital Harare, Mapfidza said the main stumbling blocks in Zimbabwe towards attaining green infrastructure was lack of awareness and government leadership on adopting green buildings.
As a solution, he said, the government must lead the initiative of having sustainable infrastructure and he also highlighted the need to raise awareness.
“The government should take the leadership towards the construction of green buildings rather than using regulatory frameworks. The other issue is awareness which is very much limited and I think it’s very necessary going forward that we create awareness of the importance of building green and having sustainable real estate,” he said.
The government in partnership with the Green Building Council of Zimbabwe is working on developing green building standards for Zimbabwe as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions as well as to help mitigate the negative impact of climate change.
