One Airport Square, Accra, Ghana

Overview

The project is located in the Airport Area of Accra and is a mixed-use development comprising primarily commercial office space over 8 floors above a double height entrance, coupled with retail development and exhibition space over the remainder of the ground level. Majority of the car parking is located over a 2-storey basement car park with some localised car parking facilities at grade. The exoskeleton structure and projecting floor slabs, which function as horizontal shading devices, add to the architectural identity of the development.

Key Design Features

The project’s key environmental features include:

Extensive environmental analyses were undertaken to evaluate different façade configurations relative to orientation, in which each orientation was individually optimised by varying the the extended floor slabs at every floor level. These horizontal shading devices became terraces and, in some instances, provide localised amenity spaces for the office occupants. No additional shading devices were required, thus enabling high levels of daylight availability to all floors. A total reduction of over 30% in active cooling was achieved through these passive design features;
The building incorporates a mixed-mode ventilation strategy, with all office floors fitted with operable windows on both the external and internal atrium facades, to enhance effectiveness of natural ventilation;
The office space is cooled by an underfloor air conditioning system using localised underfloor fan mixing units, drawing conditioned air from a pressurised floor void, enabling easy reconfiguration of the internal office layout;
The project was the first GreenStar certified building in West Africa (4-Stars).