Nyarutarama Plaza, Rwanda

Nyarutarama Plaza

First Green Certified Completed Commercial Building in Rwanda

Location:

In the nation’s first, Nyaraturama Plaza is Rwanda’s premier environmentally sustainable-certified commercial building, with attainment of the BCA Green Mark Award (Singapore). With numerous sustainable features, the Nyarutarama Plaza is advancing the green building and sustainable development agenda of Rwanda.

A mixed- solutions approach, which includes synthesizing knowledge in alternative green building, research, and data collection, was used for the green building design of the five storey + 2 basement floor commercial building.

The Nyarutarama Plaza is estimated to achieve annual savings of:
▪ Energy Savings - 15% : 184, 515 kWh/year
▪ Water Savings – 47% : 1, 183 m3/year ( 47.38% )
▪ Carbon Reduction : 92.26 tonnes/year

Building Envelope and Energy
Utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation, as part of natural science and environmental engineering inflow design for optimizing natural ventilation, the Nyaraturama Plaza is kept cool and well ventilated. Taking into account the climate and steadywind speeds year-round, this passive design feature ensures lowered energy demand through natural and mechanical ventilation techniques.

The building designed with minimum direct west-facing façade and windows – this means that the façade is designed to allow for as little heat gain as possible, to reduce the usage of air-conditioning.
This double feature also optimizes as much natural daylighting as likely to stream into the windows.

Coupled with the use of selected LED lights 61% energy savings are achieved . LED are more efficient than traditional incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen options, energy is conserved and used efficiently. This helps keep operations cost of the Nyarutarama Plaza substantially lower in both the short and long run.

All lifts are installed with Variable Voltage Variable Frequency (VVVF) Lift Drive that uses frequency inverter technology which regulates input voltage and frequency throughout the journey, drawing much less current during acceleration and deceleration.

Indoor Air Quality
Air quality has now become more of a concern with the recent COVID, the good natural ventilation of the building assisted in the flush out of the internal space.

All wall paints are water based reducing the exposure to volotaile organic compound (VOC) which contributes to respitory illness and other health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; and damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system.

The building started its green initiative mid-way into construction. With skilful green value engineering there was zero green incremental cost.

Editorial by: Farizan, Senior Partner, GreenA Consultants