FNB Umhlanga, Kwazulu-Natal

Acacia House is positioned at the highest and most visible point in Umhlanga with commanding views over Durban’s seafront and Moses Mabhida stadium, reaching all the way to the Bluff. A vibrant mix of cafes and restaurants occupy the ground floor of the building along with a new FNB branch, revitalising the street life in this rapidly evolving part of the city.

The development comprises of four parking levels, a ground floor and five office levels which will house 800 employees. The complex has a total construction area of 44,661m2 with a rentable office area of 16,000m2.

Acacia House observes best practice in terms of sustainability, visual impact, public space, climatic control, easy access, security and social responsibility as well as green building principles with a four-star ”by design” and ”as built” green rating.

From the outset, environmental sustainability was a non-negotiable component of the design process of Acacia House and the building meets the requirements necessary for a four-star Green Star rating. To achieve this rating, various strategies were introduced to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions while also including extensive green energy-saving efficiencies. Some of these strategies included hot water being produced from the waste heat from the air conditioning system; and the installation of programmable occupancy sensors to save electricity.

We ensured that there was no presence of any endangered fauna or flora on the site nor was it on or near prime agricultural land or a watercourse. 70% of all demolition and construction waste was recycled and re-used while building materials, such as reinforcing steel and timber, mostly included a percentage of recycled content.

As a Green Building – FNB Acacia House is a benchmark for other new developments in the area.