Leading Architecture & Design February/March 2017

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

THE SILO

Thomas Heatherwick reinvents the Waterfront’s historic landmark HALLMARK HOUSE

Has David Adjaye designed Africa's most enviable address?

THE CITADEL

Robert Silke changes Claremont's architectural fortunes

The starchitects have arrived

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12/6/2016

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The transformation of Hallmark House is an opportunity to apply fresh thinking to urban communities and to create a new typology that reflects changing lifestyles and a more fluid approach to the way we inhabit cities.

FEBRUARY MARCH 2017

CONTENTS ON SITE

30 FLOORING Flooring solutions take in a wide range of materials, functions and conditions, inside and out, from luxury residential finishes to hard-wearing industrial settings, retail and office spaces. Specialist considerations abound. Design, pattern and finish are crucial to the effective finishing of any building.

p20

David Adjaye, architect of Hallmark House [p20]

FIRST DRAFT

40 WALLS AND CLADDING

08 THE BRIEF

BLUEPRINT

Editor’s note and book review.

10 INTERNATIONAL The new headquarters of Société Privée de Gérance, designed by the Italian architecture studio Giovanni Vaccarini Architetti, plays with light as its elusive outlines and shimmering main body produce a kinetic effect.

12 THE SILO

62 DRAWING BOARD

After a R2-billion expansion and refurbishment by BILD Architects and Terra Ether Architects, Menlyn Park Shopping Centre is now Africa’s largest shopping mall.

The Silo Hotel in the historic grain elevator at the Silo Precinct at Cape Town’s V + A Waterfront, by Brit design maestro Thomas Heatherwick, launches of the centrepiece of the precinct and a new architectural icon.

16 MENLYN PARK SHOPPING CENTRE

What’s new in the world of architecture and design.

p16

20 HALLMARK HOUSE Maboneng’s Hallmark House, designed by David Adjaye, applies fresh thinking to urban communities to reflect changing lifestyles.

22 THE CITADEL The soaring stone façade of The Citadel building in Cape Town’s Claremont, designed

by Robert Silke, represents a tipping point in the area’s architectural fortunes.

EDITORIAL

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A wall is no longer just a wall – its range of materials, surface treatments, efficiency, security and versatility have transformed it into a realm of design details and technical innovation – and that’s not even to begin on its aesthetic potential.

48 BATHROOMS No longer the small, functional zone of yesteryear, the modern bathroom has evolved into a high-tech retreat – a personal oasis and pamper zone where aesthetics and ambience are paramount.

The bathroom is without doubt the most rapidly evolving domestic zone.

61 INTERIORS An edgy, contemporary city feel and tranquillity co-exist at this high-end salon in the vibrant De Waterkant district of Cape Town designed by the team at ARRCC interior designers.

66 EVERGREEN A new office building in Waterfall City accommodating Schneider Electric South Africa is targeting a LEED Gold certification.

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THE BRIEF

BY E DI TO R G RAH AM WO O D

ED'S NOTE DATES TO DIARISE THE LOERIES Entries for the Loeries Africa Middle East are now open! As the leading creative awards for the brand communications industry across our region, the Loeries reward the most innovative work in all media, even architecture! Deadline for entries is 15 May. Entries received before 14 April get an early bird discount of 10%. www.loeries.com

VOLTEX CAPE TOWN Voltex Cape Town will be hosting a first-of-its kind Electrical Trade Expo from 7 – 8 March 2017. It will be the Western Cape’s largest gathering of technical specialists, market leaders and suppliers. Voltex Cape Town is a great opportunity to meet industry leaders, interact with international and local brands and technical specialists, and discover ground-breaking energy solutions. The expo will also include white paper talks and industry break-away workshops.

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continent they’re on. It has to be said, as The Silo Hotel opens in March and the Zeitz MOCAA plans its opening for September in the rest of the historical building, the buzz is palpable. And Hallmark House is billed as the most enviable address in Africa, generating quite a bit of attention.

The designs themselves are a breath of fresh air. There’s nothing else quite like them. The presence of such international architecture in South African cities might actually have a counterintuitive effect: rather than bringing the blandness of internationalism to our cities, they are landmarks, and might embolden even more local architects to take a stronger line, and not rely on imitating international styles themselves.

Graham

Erratum: In the last issue of Leading Architecture & Design , the interior design of Sasol’s new Sandton headquarters was incorrectly attributed to Paragon Interiors. The interior design was by Paragon Interface.

EDITOR’S >

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION AWARDS 2017 Nominations are open for the fifth Women in Construction Awards 2017.

They are open until close of business on 31 March. The shortlist will be announced ahead of the ceremony by mid-April, which will take place at Gallagher Convention Centre, Gauteng on 24 May. www.womeninconstruction.co.za

There’s always a debate when high-profile international architects are commissioned for local projects. Shouldn’t prestigious local projects be reserved for local firms?

Wouldn’t local architects have a better understanding of the way things work here, and do a better job, anyway? Aren’t so-called starchitects all about their own branding and style, and don’t they design and build with little regard for context?

When you look at the two of our featured projects this month by highprofile international architects – The Silo Hotel in the historical silo building in Cape Town’s Waterfront by Thomas Heatherwick, and Hallmark House in Joburg’s Maboneng Precinct by David Adjaye – it seems the common misgivings are unfounded.

Both buildings are bold, but beautiful; both rejuvenate old industrial buildings, reinventing them for exciting new purposes; both are involved in projects deeply committed to the life and aesthetics of the cities they’re in and the

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a comprehensive list of studios, workshops and potters, makers’ marks, and a wide-ranging essay on the history of this art form in southern Africa. It’s author, Wendy Gers is a former curator at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and now lectures at l’Ecole Supérieure d’Art et de Design de Valenciennes, France. Gers curated the prestigious Taiwan Ceramics Biennale 2014. She is a research associate at the University of Johannesburg and an associate advisor at The Design Cradle, Cape Town. She has written museum catalogues and published articles in journals including Art South Africa, Ceramic Review, Image and Text, La Revue de la céramique et du verre and African Arts.

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INTERNATIONAL

The new headquarters of SPG The new headquarters of Société Privée de Gérance, designed by the Italian architecture studio Giovanni Vaccarini Architetti plays with light resulting in a shimmering main body which enhances the quality of the work spaces inside.

PHOTOGRAPHY ADRIEN BUCHET

10 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

G E N EVA , SWITZE RL AN D

T

he Italian firm Giovanni Vaccarini Architetti has designed the new Headquarters of the Swiss Société Privée de Gérance (SPG), built on Route de Chêne, at the gates of the historical centre of Geneva. The work involved the reconversion and extension of the existing building, starting with the definition of a sophisticated architectural envelope which transformed the headquarters into a volume with vibratile materiality and seemingly elusive outlines: a device that promotes the energy efficiency of the building. The quality of the work spaces is a central theme of the project which, through the original system that can be seen on the façade, provides the cue for a new

architectural solution with strong aesthetic value and high energy sustainability.

The glass façade meets the twofold need of ensuring solar shading for the interiors and at the same time allowing maximum visual permeability for the surrounding environment. It also allows the acoustic and thermal insulation performances of the building to be improved: the double skin means the envelope can be naturally ventilated and the perimeter ventilation system combined with the internal forced ventilation system reduces the overall energy consumption. The steel structural elements on the façade create a modular rhythm and reflect on the glass shading panels giving material weight to the light reflections.

The façade system is defined by simple rules which, through their repetition, produce a complex design of elements that varies with time and with the light conditions.

The architect was inspired by the principles of Kandinsky, identifying the time variable and his capacity to achieve a scanning of the surfaces as capable of defining the compositional rhythm that shifts one’s perception of the architectural volume.

The envelope is comprised of a triple layer of glass (hot chamber) added to which is a fourth layer with a ventilated chamber containing the package of microperforated Venetian blinds to regulate the light. Brise-soleil screens made of screen-printed glass are anchored on the outside,

giving the façade’s external surface a variable modular pattern in terms of both the panel dimensions and the design on their surface. At night the glass panels are lit by white LED lights that bring the architectural block to life and make it shimmer in dialogue with the night-time urban landscape in which it is set.

From the outside, the architecture appears to dematerialise into a pulsating material entity sensitive to colour changes in the surrounding area. The effect of this is that our perception of the building is continuously transformed. The overlapping visions we have of it, from both the inside and out, produce a kinetic effect. www.giovannivaccarini.it

Above The spectacular glass façade of the new SPG headquarters in Geneva shades the building's interiors while at the same time allowing visual permiability

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grain With the

The Silo Hotel in the historic grain elevator at the Silo Precinct at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront opens this March, marking the launch of the centrepiece of the precinct and the animation of a new icon of Cape Town architecture.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

T

he Silo Precinct at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront consists of six buildings and an urban design concept surrounding an historical 1920s Grain Silo, home of the future Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) at the heart of the Precinct. When MOCAA opens in September this year, it will be the most significant museum of contemporary art in Africa, and the largest art museum built in Africa in more than 100 years. The buildings around the Silo have been thoughtfully designed by Van Der Merwe Misweski Architects (VDMMA) in association with various other firms, and include offices, apartments, retail space and a gym.

In their commentary on the buildings and the public realm around it, VDMMA describes how the design of the surrounding buildings in the precinct ‘gives significance to the existing, historical 1920s Grain Silo’, but also that much thought went into designing the spaces around and between the buildings (which VDMMA designed in association with London-based Heatherwick Studio, who were commissioned to design the reinvention of the silo itself for the museum, and MDL).

The firm says, “The view was taken that the fragmentation of the surrounding buildings would allow for variety, eschew

monotony and it is hoped, allow for the unexpected within the Public Realm.” The precinct plan works carefully to secure by design the ‘space’ around and encircling the buildings. “However, the intent which allows simultaneously for a neutral backdrop, against which any type of event may occur, was also taken into consideration. Space use anticipates temporary and fixed exhibitions, commuters going to and from work, office workers breaking for lunch, meeting or avoiding colleagues, apartment dwellers shopping for groceries.” Pedestrian access and movement has been prioritised over all other forms of movement and the front doors and addresses of each building are clearly identifiable and understood.

As well as the Zeitz MOCAA, the historic grain silo building designed

by Thomas Heatherwick, founder and principal of Heatherwick Studio, is also home to The Silo Hotel, which opens in March.

The grain silo complex was the tallest building in Sub-Saharan Africa at 57m when it was opened in August 1924. It closed in August 2001 after nearly 80 years at the heart of South Africa’s industrial and agricultural development.

The building has two parts – the elevator tower, which facilitated the mechanical bulk handling of grain,

12 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

and the adjacent storage annex of six rows of seven silos. While the Zeitz MOCAA is located in the silos themselves, the hotel is in the grain elevator portion of the grain silo, and occupies six floors above it.

Heatherwick Studio carefully retained the building’s cultural significance while creating a building that is already becoming as synonymous with the Cape Town skyline as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.

In the firm’s statement on the project, Heatherwick says, “Our first thoughts wrestled with the extraordinary physical facts of the building. There is no large open space within the densely packed tubes and it is not possible to experience these volumes from inside. Rather than strip out the evidence of the building’s industrial heritage, we wanted to find a way to celebrate it. We could either fight a building made of concrete tubes or enjoy its tube-iness.”

He continues, “The project became about imagining an interior carved from within an infrastructural object. The solution we developed was to carve galleries and a central circulation space from the silos’ cellular concrete structure, creating a cathedral-like central atrium filled with light from a glass roof.”

Continued next page

P ROJ EC T #1 TH E SI LO

Above and far left The top six floors of the elevator tower of the historic silo building is now home to The Silo Hotel, masterfully repurposed by Britain's Thomas Heatherwick Left The cross section of the silo building showing the hotel, a 'Cathedral-like central atrium' carved from the silo's concrete tubes and the Zeitz MOCAA Next page Pillowed glazing panels have been inserted into the geometry of the faรงade

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 13

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The other silo bins have been carved away above ground level to create gallery spaces for the Zeitz MOCAA permanent collection and international travelling exhibitions.

From the outside, the greatest visible change to the building’s original structure is the addition of pillowed glazing panels, inserted into the geometry of the façade, and which bulge outward as if gently inflated. By night, this will transform the building into a glowing lantern or beacon in the harbour.

P ROJ EC T #1 TH E SI LO

Behind them are the rooms and various facilities of The Silo Hotel.

Matt Biden of The Royal Portfolio, owners of hotel says, “There are 56 hand-cut panels of glass that form these incredible domes. Some of them are about five-and-a-half metres high, and they dome out about a metre. So when you’re standing up against the window you get this incredible vista where you can see down, up and to all sides.”

The hotel also includes a rooftop bar and restaurant, swimming pool

and sky terrace, and from level six, the hotel’s main public floor, connected to the Zeitz MOCAA sculpture garden via a weighbridge.

Each room in The Silo Hotel has been individually designed and decorated by Liz Biden, the founder and CEO of The Royal Portfolio. “We have really had to think carefully about the use of space, reinventing the classic formula for a hotel suite to showcase the magnificent views through the five-metre-tall glass windows which make up the

majority of the wall space in each room,” she says. “This has meant balancing the stark and industrial style of the architecture with aspects of classic glamour and modern comfort.”

She explains, “We didn’t want to change the look, so we have fitted luxury into the industrial building with a few modern pieces, and we have put lots of wonderful colours into it.” Throughout the hotel, colourful and eclectic pieces are juxtaposed with the modern, industrial architecture. “The geometric lines of the windows are very modern and almost masculine, which I have tried to temper with the use of texture and colour.”

In keeping with the emphasis on African art and design in the Zeitz MOCAA, she says that the rooms of The Silo Hotel have been designed to showcase the best of Africa while setting an international standard for luxury hotels. “Wherever possible we are supporting local industry and local manufacturers – insisting throughout on the highest quality materials and the highest standards of craftsmanship,” she says.

PROFESSIONAL TEAM ARCHITECT: Heathwick Studio, Van Der Merwe Misweski Architects DEVELOPER/CLIENT: V&A Waterfront PROJECT MANAGER/ PRINCIPAL AGENT: Mace Management Services ICA: Matrix Consultant Services LANDSCAPING ARCHITECT, ROOF GARDEN ONLY: Planning Partners CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Sutherland MECHANICAL & WET FIRE PLUMBING ENGINEER: Arup RATIONAL FIRE CONSULTANT: Solution Station ELECTRICAL / ELECTRONIC ENGINEER: Solution Station FAÇADE ENGINEER: Arup INTERFACE: Worley Parsons QUANTITY SURVEYOR: MLC LIFT CONSULTANT: Solutions 4 Elevating HERITAGE CONSULTANT: Nicolas Baumann Heritage INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE ADVISER: Industrial Heritage TOWN PLANNER: Neil Schwartz Town Planning EMP CONSULTANT: Ecosense Environmental Practitioners OCCUPATIONAL H&S: Eco-Safety Systems ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT: SRL DISABILITY CONSULTANT: Disability Solutions ENABLING WORKS / PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR: WBHO Security ENGINEERING: Diversified Security Engineering LAND SURVEYORS: David Hellig & Abrahamse

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P ROJ EC T #2 M E N LYN PARK

The biggest mall in Africa After a R2-billion expansion and refurbishment, Menlyn Park Shopping Centre is now Africa’s largest shopping mall. Bild Architects and Terra Ether Architects took on the challenge.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

The extension to Menlyn Park Shopping Centre includes Central Park, an open-air park in the sky flanked by restaurants and Pride of India trees

W

hen Menlyn Park Shopping Centre relaunched at the end of 2016, after a R2 billion expansion and refurbishment, it became the largest shopping mall in Africa. The expansion added 50 000m2 and 200 stores, bringing its total lettable floor space to over 170 000m2 and 500 stores.

Menlyn Park Shopping Centre was established in 1979. It had an award-winning refurbishment in 2000, which won The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Global Award for the redevelopment of a shopping centre. That refurbishment was considered ground breaking in many ways and became a benchmark by which many malls set their standards. Its lack of theming, a large tensile tent structure and the use of billboards

inside and outside were among its innovations, as was its vibrant colour scheme and patterning.

A decade later, however, conditions were ripe for redevelopment. Menlyn Park is at the heart of an emerging premier corporate node and Tshwane has the fastest growing GDP in South African, and one of the youngest populations – 63% of Menlyn Park’s shoppers are between 15 and 34 years old.

The developers were able to acquire a parcel of land to the west of the existing mall, which created space for an extension as well as an opportunity to re-examine the existing centre.

The focus of the redevelopment was to centralise the food and entertainment areas, as well as major extensions to the fashion

16 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

offering and upmarket grocery options. Relocating the existing Hyperama would free up a huge packet of land between the existing centre and the new land.

BILD Architects, who were also the architects of record for the 2000 refurbishment, were awarded the contract. Eddie Pretorius, director of BILD, explains that the expansion essentially involved ‘an extension in a westerly direction of the two main retail malls’ to create a ‘very large racetrack over two levels, linking old and new’.

He adds that BILD, as well as all the other project consultants involved on the project worked with emerging partners throughout the project. “We worked with Terra Ether Architects from Joburg, and it was immensely successful,” says Pretorius. “It was our fourth

collaboration and we will work with them again in future if we have the opportunity.”

Phase 1 comprised of the reconfiguration of the old events arena into the new food court, as well as the launch of the new fashion wing and Grocery Avenue, in June 2015. Phase 2, which started June 2015, included the partial demolition of the existing centre to link the retail extension completed in Phase 1 in the west with the existing retail in the east.

Pretorius says that to keep the scale manageable and navigable, the mall includes four points of interest where the lead in malls bisect the main mall. “Because the malls are visually linked through these keyhole malls, you can always orientate yourself,” he says.

Continued next page

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P ROJ EC T #2 M E N LYN PARK

The architects also increased the height and width of the malls and created pause areas to ensure that, even when it’s busy, the mall never feels overcrowded. While that was not possible in the existing sections, Pretorius adds: “I think the glimpses of natural light we introduced in the existing mall make it feel spacious and airy.”

The introduction of natural light represented a major change in the way malls are typically designed. In fact, an open-air piazza flanked by restaurants, and planted with Pride of India trees, creates an ‘a park-inthe-sky’ outdoor meeting point and an events area.

A large section of the exterior façade was updated, too. “Lastly, we added a new curved entrance building, because Menlyn never really had a front door,” says Pretorius. This entrance pulls the old and new together, and creates a sense of arrival and anticipation.

Of course, the tenant mix was an important aspect of the arrangement, and the grocery mall – key anchor tenants – ensure foot traffic to the new western section.

“Your customers don’t want to have to walk from one end of a shopping centre to another to tick off specific items on their shopping list,” says Olive Ndebele, general manager of the shopping centre, “which is why, for instance, at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre we’ve grouped all the large anchor grocery stores together in Grocery Avenue.

Left The refurbishment included the addition of two new malls including a fashion wing and an upmarket grocery mall

This ensures a very accessible, convenient experience for consumers who may want to visit two or three large retail grocery outlets to fill their exact needs.”

The same applies, says Ndebele, to the mall’s Fashion Wing, where cutting-edge fashion brands are grouped together over three levels; and the new spacious food and entertainment area, with popular eateries clustered together, offering a very wide choice within a pleasant space where customers can linger.

Once again, Menlyn Park Shopping Centre is at the cutting edge of mall design. The changes also reflect the evolution of the mall experience. As Ndebele says, “Malls are no longer primarily about simply shopping. When consumers visit malls, they’re looking beyond traditional shopping – they also want relaxing and entertaining experiences.”

The architects’ design is sensitive to the experiential aspect of mall architecture, creating an altogether happier experience.

Below Pause areas flooded with natural light ensure that the mall never feels overcrowded

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18 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

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>> B LU EPRINT

Joburg gem Maboneng’s Hallmark House, designed by international architect David Adjaye, applies fresh thinking to urban communities to create a new typology that reflects changing lifestyles.

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Above Hallmark House in Johannesburg's eastern CBD is British Ghanaian architect David Adjaye's first major project in southern Africa

aboneng’s Hallmark House, a 66-metre-high modular structure originally designed by Greg Cohen in the early 1970s to house a growing diamond-polishing industry, has been transformed into a striking glass-panelled tower designed

by British Ghanaian starchitect, David Adjaye. It is one of the two largest buildings on the East side of Johannesburg CBD, and represents Propertuity, the developer behind

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Maboneng Precinct and Hallmark House’s biggest undertaking in the area to date.

Hallmark House now houses expansive residential apartments, an all-suite luxury hotel, and a mix of health, entertainment and leisure facilities. Propertuity positioned the building to become the most enviable address on the African continent. The concept was to create a landmark building to appeal to a variety of lifestyle needs, but more

particularly to harness the changing urbanism of the Johannesburg CBD. Jonathan Liebmann, CEO of Propertuity, secured Adjaye, who oversees a global architectural practice with offices in London, New York and Accra, to transform Hallmark House with the intention, he says, of starting of a new chapter in the story of African architecture.

Adjaye designed the $360-million Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and

P ROJ EC T #3 HALLMARK H OUSE

Culture in Washington DC which opened last September.

“For me, Adjaye was a natural fit in the sense that he is a very important African architect, but also an international architect,” says Liebmann. “Aside from being a fellow African, David’s indelible trademark of allowing art, music, science and civic life to permeate his ability to transform disused buildings into architectural masterpieces, is what drove us to appoint him.

And it resonates with Propertuity’s core purpose of combining design in all forms with culture to enliven degenerated neighbourhoods.”

Adjaye said in a statement about his work on Hallmark House.

“This will be my first big project in southern Africa, and it’s really the vision that Jonathan has and the excitement that he has about the potential of the city that I found really stimulating.” He adds that that the regeneration Johannesburg’s Eastern CBD is perfectly in line with what is happening around the world, and points at Hackney in London’s East End and New York’s Meatpacking District as examples. He says that the reinvention of Hallmark House is intended to contribute to the ongoing regeneration and transformation of Johannesburg’s CBD. “The transformation of Hallmark House is an opportunity

Above The new glass-panelled tower is central to the architect's aim to create a contemporary African aesthetic at Hallmark House, making it appear at once local and international Left The building now houses residential apartments, a hotel and various leisure facilities. The interior design of the main show space by Malica Designs frames the environment, creating clarity and elegance

to apply fresh thinking to urban communities and to create a new typology that reflects changing lifestyles and a more fluid approach to the way we inhabit cities,” he says.

The original design for the building, formerly called Hallmark Towers, was flexible and modular in structure. It was versatile enough to house light-industrial, showroom

and office spaces. Its reinvention aims at once to give the appearance of an African building in an African city, but also to rival similar neighbourhoods around the world.

“I know there will be a double take with a lot of people because you’ll

look at this building and you’ll think it is some other city, and then you realise that it’s in Johannesburg, and it’s in Africa,” says Adjaye.

Central to the contemporary vision of an African aesthetic is the overall spacious, minimalist style with interior-exterior layouts that frame the surrounding cityscape and iconic Joburg skyline with floor-to-ceiling views. “In a world where there are so many options and so many possibilities, to be able to have clarity and elegance and a quiet, understated but really powerful environment as your frame is something that I always look for,” said Adjaye.

The building includes facilities designed to support and nurture the unique cultural identity for which Joburg is renowned through a combination of lifestyle offerings including a boutique hotel, a splash pool and gym.

The interiors of the building’s show space, by Malica Designs, pay tribute to the architecture by introducing a strong sense of African modernism throughout the space.

In addition to custom-designed furniture, the space was furnished with pieces from local designers Egg Designs and Dokter and Misses.

Distinctive patterned fabric was used throughout the space to extend this graphic sensibility.

Both Liebmann and Adjaye have personally taken space in the building.

PROFESSIONAL TEAM ARCHITECT: David Adjaye INTERIOR DESIGN: Malica Designs DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Rowan Lewis DEVELOPMENT COMPANY: Propertuity

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Soaring Stone The soaring stone façade of The Citadel building in Cape Town’s southern suburbs CBD, Claremont, represents a tipping point in the area’s architectural fortunes.

PHOTOGRAPHY MIKE WESSON AND ACTIONLENS

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PROJ EC T # 4 THE CITADEL

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ape Town’s new landmark building, the 6 000m2 new head office of wealth management business Citadel, is located in the heart of Claremont, next to Cavendish Shopping Centre.

Dubbed ‘The Citadel’, it comprises a six-storey, four-star green building, with four basement parking levels below, adding a further 6 000m2 to the gross built area.

The Citadel building design is unusual in its lack of adherence to what Robert Silke, architect and principal of Robert Silke & Partners, who designed the building, refers to as ‘the glass sheath school’. The reasons are manifold, related both to economy and climate control, as well as differences in architectural philosophy in a changing world order.

“A glass curtain wall is a bit of a capricious mistress in that you throw lot of money at her, and you don’t get much reward,” says Silke. He makes reference to the high price of glass and the difficulty of ultimately realising the transparency it is meant to represent. “I’m disillusioned with glass, so we decided to look at something different,” he says.

Continued next page

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BAT HQ, Cape Town

Bagatelle Mall of Mauritius, Mauritius

Randport Industrial, Germiston

Mall of Africa, Waterfall City

PwC HQ, Waterfall City

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Richmond Park, Cape Town

Shoppi, Serbia

From Africa, to Europe and beyond Over 22 years Atterbury has created more than 20 shopping centres and many other award-winning commercial developments. The company is proud of its heritage and business associations, cementing Atterbury as a leading name in property investment and development across the African continent and beyond.

24 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

atterbury.co.za

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York, but its soaring granite fins, reminiscent of Art Deco or 1930s Futurism have an almost futuristic impact.

“The contradiction, which I think makes it wonderful, is that you wouldn’t dream of having flying elements – curves and cantilevering elements – in stone,” says Silke. “We took the stone and we did all of the things you’re not supposed to do with it.”

Not a conventional office development, The Citadel provides a great deal of space for interface with clients who are encouraged to visit the building purely socially, to enjoy its hospitable facilities on the beautiful lower floors. Citadel CEO Andrew Möller adds, “The interior flow … draws people together and creates a constructive working environment.”

Previous page The Citadel features pale Namibian granite, a traditional solid material, employed in the service of a design inspired by 1930s Futurism and 'style-moderne' architecture Above Curved and cantilevered elements made from stone are central to the building's unconventional blend of classic and modern aesthetics

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© Infrastructure Photos

The thermal qualities of natural construction materials and the dignity of a stone façade suggested granite. “It just so happens that we have stone in South Africa,” says Silke. “We have the most amazing pale granite in Namibia, and it’s surprisingly cost effective.”

Silke also saw the opportunity to revisit this traditional, solid material to make an optimistic new edifice that is at once classic and modern, reflecting the company’s ethos of classic simplicity, quality and timelessness. “With it, we aim to convey the solid presence of Citadel – its heritage and its future,” says Silke. “Being the first stone panel building in Claremont, it is intended to be distinct.”

The design of the building evokes the ‘style-moderne’ architecture of mid-20th century cities such as New

PROJ EC T # 4 THE CITADEL

Collaborative engineering design Zeitz MOCAA, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town Arup worked closely with Heatherwick Studio to unlock the feasibility of key architectural design aspirations for the V&A Grain Silo by engineering the structures, services, façades and sustainability to concept stage. The V&A Waterfront subsequently requested Arup to do detailed design and monitor the construction of the mechanical services and complex façade.

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PROJ EC T # 4 THE CITADEL Robert Silke & Partners’ Jessica White carried out the interior design of The Citadel’s internal areas and most of its sub-tenancies. Picking up from the stone façade, marbles and warm metals on the public ground floor give way to an oak-treaded helical staircase up to a softer, warmer ‘club’ environment upstairs.

With predominantly wooden flooring, the first floor offers panoramic views of Table Mountain over the tree canopies. The area is intended to evoke a tree-house or club-house feeling, with a sense of belonging. A well-sized breakout area downstairs leads to a private entertainment courtyard and an impressive 140-seat raked

auditorium. The interiors are, like the façade, distinctively modern in form but traditional in material and substance. Leathers, marbles and coppers are used, while seating is svelte and sophisticated.

The Citadel functions as an extension of the company’s service, and a powerful marketing tool in its central position in Claremont where it will soon become a familiar sight to current and potential clients. While the business buildings of central Claremont are generally regarded as lacking majesty, The Citadel has already become something of a landmark, and may well create a tipping point for what many believe is a necessary makeover of Claremont CBD.

PROFESSIONAL TEAM DESIGN ARCHITECT: Robert Silke & Partners INTERIOR DESIGNER: Robert Silke & Partners QUANTITY SURVEYORS: De Leeuw Group PROJECT ARCHITECT: LKA Rawlins Wales Cape ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS Tel: +27 (0)21 674 0870 Email: cape@rwp.co.za www.rwpcape.co.za

ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT: RWP WET SERVICES: Dave Ronaasen & Associates FIRE & TOWN PLANNING: Neil Moir & Associates MECHANICAL CONSULTANT: Spoormaker Cape STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: DG Consulting Engineers GREENSTAR: Agama PROJECT MANAGER: Kiam Properties CONTRACTOR: Stabilid Cape

The main fields of expertise are the supply and installation of suspended & full plastered ceilings, bulkheads and drywall partitions.

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26 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

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What would’ve made this timeless beauty just a little more beautiful?

In 1889, the Eiffel Tower cost $1 495 137.43 to build. Since then, this iconic landmark has been painted every 7 years, (a total of 18 times), using 60 tonnes of paint, every time, taking 25 painters up to 18 months to complete the job. What is clear is that if the Eiffel Tower had been made from stainless steel, the maintenance of this global symbol of engineering ingenuity would’ve been easier, more cost effective and made it even more staggeringly beautiful.

Of course, in stainless steel, it would never have to be painted, but considering that stainless steel wasn’t even invented in 1889, we can forgive Gustave Eiffel this little oversight.

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Call 011 883 0119 or see sassda.co.za. Your complete stainless information source.

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 27

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On 31 March 1889, after workers had riveted the last of more than 18 000 iron pieces into place to complete construction of the Eiffel Tower, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel climbed its 1 710 steps to unfurl the French flag from its pinnacle. A hundred and twenty seven years later, at a Corrosion Seminar sponsored by the Southern African Stainless Steel Development Association and the Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa, I posed a question in my presentation on Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Whole Structure Life Cycle Assessment (WSLCA) regarding public structures such as monuments and bridges: “While wending his way to the top, did Gustave Eiffel take in his magnificent structure with its newly hand-painted reddish-brown finish and ask himself why he had not chosen stainless steel instead of socalled puddle iron?”

At the time, I thought the stainless steel Eiffel Tower question hadn’t been posed before, but I later learned that both the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) and the Nickel Institute had alluded

to the Eiffel Tower in their presentations on Life Cycle Costing some years before (respectively, ‘Why Stainless Steels?’ and ‘Sustainability of Stainless Steels’).

Only one seminar attendee, an executive from the Aperam company, knew the answer. Eiffel could not have questioned why stainless steel was not used. Stainless steel was not invented until 1913...

24 years after the Eiffel Tower was completed.

In 1889, the Eiffel Tower cost $1.5 million to build. Since then, this iconic landmark has been painted a total of 18 times.

If the Eiffel Tower had been made from stainless steel, its maintenance would have been easier, more cost effective and the Tower itself even more staggeringly beautiful.

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) LCC is a technique developed for identifying and quantifying all costs, initial and ongoing, associated with a project or installation over a given period. It uses the standard accounting principle of discounted cash flow, so that total costs incurred during a lifecycle period are reduced to present day values. This allows

28 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

BY GARY i. CRAWFORD, SOUTHERN AFRICA STAINLESS STEEL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

a realistic comparison to be made of the available options.

A full Life Cycle Cost analysis thus enables the materials specifier to consider the implications of future cost in terms of both actual monetary value and future maintenance and replacements. Future maintenance and associated downtime costs can far outweigh the initial material costs.

Stainless steel may not always be the cheapest candidate material for an application when considering upfront costs. However, its durability and ease of maintenance (there is no coating or painting requirement and normal maintenance would simply be occasional cleaning) compensate for the sometimes higher initial purchasing costs and it is often the least expensive choice in a Life Cycle Cost comparison.

How much would it cost to construct the Eiffel Tower in stainless steel? How much would it cost for annual maintenance of a stainless steel Eiffel Tower? And, what would the maintenance cost saving be ... compared to the

actual maintenance over the past hundred plus years?

With the development of its own Life Cycle Costing programme in the 1990s, the Southern African Stainless Steel Development Association (sassda) was able to determine the costs of using stainless steel in projects compared to alternatives based on realistic estimates of the total costs of products or structures across their full service lives.

Better yet, the recent launch of the programme as an App for Android and Apple devices would enable anyone to undertake LCC exercises.

Together the LCC App and the Eiffel Tower created a tremendous opportunity for a competition in which the determination of the Eiffel Tower’s cost in stainless steel (either a lean duplex or 3CR12) could reward entrants with a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to Paris.

Simply download the sassda Life Cycle Costing Mobile application free from the Google Playstore or the Apple App Store, then consult the sassda website or STAINLESS STEEL magazine (First Quarter 2017) for competition details.

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BELGOTEX OPENS NEW DESIGN CENTRE IN CENTURY CITY, CAPE TOWN

The newly-launched Belgotex Design Centre in Century City, Cape Town is an all-new concept offering the public and industry professionals a creative space where they can get an inspiring look at the full Belgotex range along with superior expertise from the on-site team.

The space will act as an inspiration hub, showcasing the brand’s flooring solutions and application possibilities in a design-led environment. It also provides a working space for professionals to meet with clients as part of the design development and specification journey. Additionally, Belgotex is developing a programme of trend talks and events for the public and industry in the space.

“We have always prided ourselves in leading by design and being the first to introduce the latest flooring technology to South Africa,” says Edward Colle, executive director of

Belgotex Floors. “The Design Centre is an example of innovative thinking, and is an exceptional, pioneering space in the South African flooring market. Unlike many traditional showrooms, the environment is welcoming and easy to navigate, allowing customers to rethink the way that they see and choose flooring.”

Designed by ITI, a Durban-based brand development and creative agency, the Belgotex Design Centre is just over 300m2 and includes a contemporary showroom area and elevated textile concept gallery, a coffee bar, boardroom and mezzanine office space for Belgotex’s Cape Town-based professional team. Architects, interior designers and other creative professionals are encouraged to either explore the space alone or meet with their clients at the Centre – where they can choose between the informal coffee bar or the boardroom,

30 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

which they can book for more formal meetings.

“The idea behind the new showroom was to put flooring first. It’s such an integral aspect of any space and it is often overlooked until the end of the design process,” adds Colle.

“Flooring has such a huge impact on the aesthetic and sensory impression of a space, that starting with it first is a more human, tactile approach.”

The space is inspired by life lived close to the ground as in Japanese culture. This informs a design concept characterised by horizontal planes and facets, where the flooring is elevated and honoured for its integrity.

The showroom has been conceived of as somewhere more like a public space, where you can pause and spend time being inspired, rather than just transacting. Because of this, the Belgotex products are displayed in such a way that they can be appreciated and can spark creativity – from the

‘gallery’ approach to textile concepts to the bespoke plinth displays showcasing the different ranges.

Once people have been informed and inspired by their experience at the centre, the Belgotex team will then refer customers to the best fitter for their needs. This makes the fulfilment process seamless for both professionals and the public, and removes the guess work of finding vetted suppliers. Existing Belgotex stockists can also bring their customers to the space to choose the perfect products for their space.

The Belgotex Design Centre can be found in the Matrix at Century City, adjacent to the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel. It is open from 08h00 to 17h00, Monday to Friday. Design professionals can book the boardroom by contacting Renee at the Design Centre on 021 763 6900. www.belgotex.co.za

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POLYFLOR PARTNERS WITH CARTE BLANCHE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT SEBOKENG HOSPITAL Sebokeng Hospital The Sebokeng hospital is an 800 bed, peri-urban, regional hospital situated in Sedibeng (south of Johannesburg) that historically served a population of well over one million inhabitants. In recent years, the hospital has had to adjust to the growing demands of a rapidly increasing population, as job seekers move to the area in the hope of finding employment. High mortality is a challenge facing the hospital on a daily basis, as the residents of the Sedibeng District continue to face diseases such HIV and TB amongst a host of other ailments. Malnutrition in patients from the area is often a compromising factor in achieving successful health outcomes.

With the only Neonatal Unit in the area, Sebokeng Hospital delivers vitally important service for the whole district.

This unit however, can only attend to children up to 28 days of age. Although designed for 36 babies, it has 60 infants at any given time. Historically, babies over 28 days old could not be attended to here, and

Carte Blanche Making a Difference Campaign Carte Blanche is South Africa’s longest running investigative journalism television programme. Eight years ago, it launched its Making a Difference Trust, which has since then raised well over R115 million for assisting paediatric units in government hospitals across the country.

Academic hospitals are intentionally targeted as beneficiaries to ensure that future doctors can be trained at these facilities that serve large numbers of the uninsured paediatric population.

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needed to be referred to the adult ICU or high care ward if a bed was available.

In response to this crisis, the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust (MAD), together with donor South 32, sought to address the critical demand for beds and equipment for infants over the age of 28 days old and children up to the age of six, by way of creating an Infant High Care Ward at Sebokeng Hospital.

Longstanding partner on several of MAD’s infrastructural revamps – Sakhiwo Health Solutions – were appointed as the MAD Trust’s Developers to overhaul a third of the Ward 3 bungalow, and to create a modern facility capable of responding to the needs of the children from community. The Hospital Design Group was tasked with the architectural design and coordination of all the specialist elements required to turn this project into a reality.

Polyflor’s Involvement Rudolf Roos of the Hospital Design Group was the architect in charge of the renovation project, and he selected Polyflor’s

Homogeneous Mystique sheeting for the unit. A modern-looking vinyl floor that was aesthetically pleasing was high on the project coordinator’s wish list.

“Modern healthcare design is about creating homely, relaxed environments for patients, staff and visitors. The choice of floor covering can have a major impact on the ‘feel’ of a hospital. Vinyl flooring not only looks beautiful, but also offers one of the best environmentally sustainable options in flooring.

Because it comes in a sheet form, it provides a hygienic, impervious surface which is critical in the healthcare environment,” Tandy explains.

The installation of the donated floor by Polyflor was facilitated

by Turner Pierson at a special rate.

“Looking at the finished project and seeing what a difference this project has made, we are immensely proud of being associated with a group of South Africa’s leading businesses who believe in the future of our country and don’t shy away from the opportunity to do good,” Tandy concludes. www.polyflor.co.za

Picture courtesy of M-Net

Polyflor SA was once again in the privileged position to assist Carte Blanche with their ‘Making a Difference’ campaign by donating a 780m2 vinyl floor for use in the creation of an Infant High Care Ward at the Sebokeng Hospital.

According to Tandy Coleman, CEO of Polyflor SA, this was the eighth year that the company has been involved in this campaign, which aims to equip and renovate Paediatric Operating Theatres, ICUs and High Care Wards in selected state academic hospitals throughout South Africa.

“Supplying hospitals and healthcare facilities with top quality and specialist vinyl flooring solutions is one of our areas of expertise. For this reason, we were very excited to partner with the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust the first time they approached us for a corporate sponsorship many years ago. We saw it as an ideal opportunity to give something back to the community and to help make a lasting and tangible difference where it was most needed,” Tandy says.

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AN EXPRESSION OF STYLE

KBAC SUPPLIES FLOORING FOR MAZARS NEW GAUTENG OFFICES KBAC Flooring has supplied and installed the flooring for the new Gauteng offices of Mazars at 54 Glenhove in Melrose Estate, Johannesburg.

The new Glenhove Road development by Alchemy Properties was designed by Paragon Architects, with the interiors for the two floors – occupied by leading auditing and accounting company, Mazars – specified by another member of the Paragon Group, Paragon Interface.

Kirstin Cavanagh, Associate at Paragon Interface – who was in charge of the interior design of Mazars’ impressive new corporate premises – selected flooring from three KBAC Flooring suppliers for the 2480m2 carpeted area: • 650m2 of Interface Composure field carpet tiles with 75m2 of Interface Heuga 530 colour tiles strategically placed to provide the bright yellow inserts • 1 600m2 Belgotex Berber Point carpet tiles in two different shades of grey for the office areas • 230m2 FloorworX Forbo Marmoelum Real vinyl sheeting in bright colours for the refreshment and catering areas.

Kirstin says the interiors and graphics designed for the Mazars premises were inspired by the surrounding landscape and trees of the Killarney Golf Course and the trees of Melrose Estate. “We chose the Interface Composure range for the client meeting suite of the Mazars offices because the combination of the light and dark grey colours provided a rich, luxurious base palette.

The carpet tiles are also very serviceable for an area that needed elegance as well as durability to withstand high foot traffic. The bright yellow gold inlay areas of Interface Heuga 530 were specified to elevate the focal areas within the space and complement the green and blue hues used in the furniture and wallpapers.

“The interior architecture complements the tone of an auditing firm such as Mazars to showcase the company’s corporate values and brand identity,” Kirstin added.

Lesley Fidrmuc, KBAC Interface Consultant, says Interface Composure carpet tiles are ideal for creating tranquil contemporary interiors. “The range mimics the subtle varying elements of nature to create adaptable, non-directional surfaces suitable for large areas.

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Interface Composure is available in 21 neutral colours and the range’s ability to blend darker shades and light tones to naturally enhance any space is very popular with creative interior designers,” Lesley explained.

Interface Heuga 530 is available in 24 beautiful shades to provide exceptional design possibilities, particularly when used in the classic carpet tile ‘checkered’ inlay style as in the Mazars head office. ‘’This tufted plain textured loop-pile range is ideal for commercial space and has for many years been widely used by specifiers to infuse office floors with stunning colour inlays while also providing outstanding durability.’’

Interface’s renowned focus on sustainability has also become an important factor in South African interior design, Lesley adds. “Interface uses 100% recycled yarn and KBAC employs a ‘green’ method of installation to all the floor plates, applying the tiles with an adhesive with zero volatile organic compound (VOC) content,” she added. www.kbacflooring.co.za

To those who know them, Ceramic Industries have always been the ‘creators of style’. Now more and more customers and homeowners are learning about the brand’s dedication to design and innovation, which spans four decades.

CEO Lance Foxcroft says the company’s new tag line, ‘Creators of Style’, embodies their commitment to using the most innovative techniques and technology to create beautiful products that delight customers.

“Since inception, some 40 years ago, we’ve always had strong relationships with customers and homeowners.

We benchmark our success on the pride homeowners have in their homes improved with our products.”

Ceramic Industries has extensive design capabilities and researches international trends and develops innovative styles in their in-house studio. This means South Africans have easy access to world-class, contemporary design and a brand that can be trusted when it comes to style.

As ‘Creators of Style’, Ceramic Industries is well positioned to capture the imagination of the public.

What’s more, it reaffirms the sense of purpose and identity the designers, engineers and artisans at the company have. “We have a new tag line, but really we’ve always been focused on innovation and style. That’ll never change,” says Foxcroft. www.ceramic.co.za

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PERFECT SYNERGY Employ Loop offers a great wall-to-wall appearance and Employ Lines has an exciting linear design that can be used on its own or as a transition.

Interface dealer, South Africa:

www.interface.com

www.kbacflooring.co.za | info@kbacflooring.co.za | JHB: 011 608 4270 | CPT: 021 464 4320

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SIKA UPLIFTS BENCORRUM TOWERS February 2016 marked the start of an estimated 15-month restoration project on one of the largest apartment blocks in the Southern Hemisphere. The site was the T-shaped Bencorrum Towers in Durban’s beachfront precinct, comprising 334 units and housing over a thousand people. Built in the early 1930s, the once well-maintained Bencorrum Towers had deteriorated to a state of total disrepair. Sika’s Technical Sales Consultant, Mark Duckham, is advising onsite.

With the scope of works, which includes moderate to severe concrete repair, refurbishment and protection, Curasure KZN, a building maintenance consulting company, specified products

from Sika’s renowned MonoTop range of ready-to-use mortars.

Sika MonoTop-610, a cementitious, polymer-modified, one-component bonding slurry and primer is applied for protection of the reinforced steel. Active corrosion inhibitors in Sika MonoTop-610 meet international standards for corrosion protection while its excellent adhesion to concrete and steel provides high resistance to water and chloride penetration. Sika MonoTop-612 is a cementitious, polymermodified, low permeability mortar, and is used as a high strength repair and reprofiling system. For thick layer concrete repairs, Sika MonoTop-615 HB was used. This is a high build, cementitious, polymer-modified,

36 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

one-component repair and reprofiling mortar containing silica fume.

For thin layer rendering on horizontal and vertical surfaces, Sika MonoTop-620 was the product of choice. A cementitious pore sealer and levelling mortar containing silica fume, it provides excellent adhesion to mortars and concrete. All Sika MonoTop products are sprayable by the wet spray method and provide several advantages including adjustable consistencies,

excellent workability characteristics and good mechanical strengths.

Every window in the block will be sealed with Sikaflex-11 FC, a one-part, moisture-curing elastic joint sealant and multipurpose adhesive based on polyurethane. Solvent-free and odourless, Sikaflex-11 FC provides high quality adhesion, bubblefree curing, good mechanical resistance and importantly, high quality weathering and ageing resistance. www.sika.co.za

DRIVEN TO

STAND OUT

POLYFLOR

One of a kind.

Polyflor’s business is all about ensuring that our clients get the most suitable flooring and wall protection solution for their specific need; this means always going beyond product and focusing on the end result. It’s this service, alongside consistent technical support, risk mitigation and solution-driven expertise that sets us apart from the rest.

polyflor.co.za 011 609 3500 info@polyflor.co.za

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 37 Penquin/9031/Standout

>> O N SITE

WALL S AN D CL AD D IN G

UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA RELEASES ENERGY USAGE STUDY OF WALLING

TECHNICRETE ENVIRO-WALL SOLUTION Technicrete’s Enviro-Wall is a cost-effective and simple gravity retaining wall system that is suitable for earth embankments, bridge abutments, cut slopes, landscaping of cut and fill areas around buildings, a protection for steep channels and river banks as well as culvert inlets and outlets.

Constructed from dry stacked interlocking, precast blocks, the simplicity of the EnviroWall design enables the blocks to be easily and quickly laid to form an effective retaining wall system. Opening or closing the spacing between the blocks means that the Enviro-Wall structure configuration can be altered so that in the open arrangement cavities between adjacent blocks can be filled with soil, enabling the moisture in these spaces to promote rapid plant growth. It can also be installed as a solid engineering structure.

Differing visual effects can be achieved by a reversal of the block which gives a smoother or textured face, or a combination of the two.

Due to the extensive mechanical lock, as a result of the profile shape between blocks in the Vertical plane, Enviro-Wall is the preferred option for walls requiring reinforcement in the form of horizontal Geogrids.

Suitable for supporting a wide range of embankment heights, the wall is able to accommodate both concave and convex alignments down to a small radius of curvature and the Enviro-Wall can accommodate moderate ground settlement. With the custom designed Base Block, the angle of the inclination of the wall can easily be set at 70 degrees, but can be varied should site conditions require different angles.

The Enviro-Wall blocks are available in 275mm x 300mm standard sizes with a block mass of approximately 23kg. www.technicrete.co.za

The University of Pretoria has released results of its Thermal Performance Study that assessed the operational energy usage of structures built with six different walling materials across six South African climate zones.

Annual Operational Energy is the sum of all heating, cooling and ventilation electricity costs accumulated over one year.

Measurements were based on the residents living in reasonable 'thermal comfort' between 19 and 25˚C. By referencing this study, architects can make informed decisions about walling material specifications and design highperformance structures that reduce reliance on expensive electricity.

Methodology of the study Because the size of a building influences its thermal performance, three building types were analysed: • A large 2000m2 commercial building • Middle-income residential home of 130m2 • A low-income home of 40m2 (with heating fuelled by paraffin) • Variables such as floor, roof, windows, doors and occupancy patterns were kept constant.

Wall Types Six wall types were analysed: • Double (internal and external) clay brick solid wall (220mm thick, plastered)

• Double clay brick cavity wall un-insulated (270mm thick with 50mm air cavity) • Insulated double clay brick wall (280mm thick, 30mm insulation in the cavity) • 140mm hollow core concrete block (150mm thick, plaster/bagged) • Light steel frame, externally clad with 9mm fibre cement board to SANS 517 (145mm thick with vapour membrane, strand board and internal gypsum board with insulation) • Timber frame to SANS 10082 clad with external weatherboard (145mm thick with strand board and plasterboard internal cladding).

Analysis of the Results Best (lowest) Energy Use: • Residential Buildings (all climate zones): Thermally insulated 280mm clay brick cavity walling • Non-residential building (climate zone 1): 140mm hollow concrete block walling • Non-residential building (climate zones 2-6): 220mm solid clay brick walling.

Worst (highest) Energy Use: • Residential Buildings (all climate zones): 140mm hollow concrete block walling • Non-residential building (climate zone 1): Timber frame walling • Non-residential building (climate zones 2-6): Light steel frame walling. www.claybrick.org

Annual Energy Usage – 130m2 House by region KZN

GT

WC

FS

LM

NC

280mm cavity clay brick + insulation

322

1164

872

1855

45

2228

270mm cavity clay brick

619

2023

1618

3251

78

3682

220mm clay brick

909

2797

2242

4405

787

4762

140mm hollow concrete block

1337

3986

3166

6285

2739

6314

Light steel frame (SABS 517)

1358

2492

2104

2650

1199

3908

Timber frame (SABS 10 082)

1332

2537

2152

2902

1102

4085

38 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

DEKTON. UNLIMITED.

PRIVATE VILLA SWEDEN

by HÃ¥kan Widjedal

10 W

The large-format surface Dekton opens a new world of possibilities for design and architecture projects.

Dekton offers multiple possibilities of colors and finishes in thicknesses of 8, 12 and 20 mm. Indoor or outdoor, Dekton shows an outstanding resistance and durability to make your projects unlimited.

DEKTON IS UNLIMITED.

COSENTINO SEDE CENTRAL: T: +34 950 444 175 / e-mail: info@cosentino.com www.cosentino.com / www.dekton.com WWW.DEKTON.COM COSENTINO SOUTH AFRICA Tel: +27 11 974 8914 e-mail: amkhwanazi@cosentino.com www.dekton.com F DektonSA

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>> O N SITE

WALL S AN D CL AD D IN G

COROBRIK’S FACE BRICK CREATES NEAT, UNCOMPLICATED LOOK FOR 01 ON LUNAR DEVELOPMENT Through the clever use of materials, including Corobrik’s range of low-maintenance face bricks, the immaculate 01 on Lunar building on Umhlanga Ridge emanates a clean, neat façade welcoming workers and visitors to the office space.

“The popularity of Corobrik’s clay face brick range is evident across the newly developed Umhlanga Ridge because of its numerous beneficial qualities,” explained Corobrik director of sales, KZN and Border, Allin Dangers. “Besides the notable aesthetics the product brings to any building, its long-term cost-saving aspects ensure that no further maintenance expenses are incurred with regards to plastering and painting. In the warm, coastal climate, the clay face brick’s inherent thermal properties also mitigate costs by reducing the need for artificial cooling on hot, summer days.”

Dangers added that, with the increasing number of developments on the highly sought-after ridge area, the sound insulation properties that accompany Corobrik’s face brick range make for a pleasant working and learning environment.

01 on Lunar project architect, Matt Salvesen of TC Design Group, reiterated that the 75 000 Bergendal Blend Satin face bricks were chosen for their low maintenance and thermal insulation properties as well as the ‘uncomplicated’ look inherent in the design.

“We wanted a brick that would stand out from the norm,” explained Salvesen.

“We needed something that is different from the standard Roan Satin colour brick which has been used predominantly in the precinct. Corobrik’s face brick allowed for a clean, low maintenance façade which we feel will date very well.”

He said the use of flush joints also added to the clean, simple nature of the façade. This was a key driving factor in the design of the 4 800m2 building which will be used for a tertiary institution and call centre.

“The Bergendal Blend Satin face bricks formed a major part of the building’s façade,” said Salvesen. “The brickwork is supported at first-floor level simply by a concealed, galvanised metal plate, portraying the feeling of a ‘floating’ façade. This creates a great, light juxtaposition to the heavy nature of the material itself.”

Construction of the development – contracted

by WBHO and developed

40 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

by Kantey and Templar Consulting Engineers and Namandla Investments Proprietary Limited – began in December 2014. The building consists of a series of lecture and seminar rooms as well as offices on the ground, first and second floors with a canteen on the ground floor level and office space on the third floor. There are also two levels of basement parking. www.corobrik.co.za

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 41

>> O N SITE

WALL S AN D CL FLO AD OD RIIN NG

VITAL ANTI-GLARE ROOFING TECHNOLOGY NOW IN SA MARKET

TRILIUM, DEKTON® BY COSENTINO’S ECO-FRIENDLY RANGE

A leading multinational steel supplier has recently introduced an innovative coated steel roofing material to the African market, which reduces specular reflection and minimises disturbing glare from a coated metal roof.

BlueScope Steel’s regional manager for Africa, Arno Hanekom says, “Architects, designers and developers are delighted with the launch of premium products, Clean COLORBOND® MATT and Clean COLORBOND® ULTRA MATT steels.”

The product is available in a range of durable and attractive colours that closely resemble the standard Clean COLORBOND® range.

However, that is where the similarity ends, since Clean COLORBOND® MATT (AZ 150) and its ULTRA version (AZ 200) incorporate a new unique performance coating, specially designed to reduce the problems of glare caused by today’s high-gloss steel roofs.

Daylight reflectance – the pros and the cons Modern green building trends make it preferable to have a roof of high solar reflectivity so that inbound solar infrared

radiation is not absorbed into the building, but simply bounced back into the atmosphere. This reduces the temperature of the roof, hence a cooler building inside.

“With continuous improvements in construction technology and material science, the demand for more aesthetically pleasing and unique structures with low specular reflection has increased,” says Hanekom.

“Users are able to mitigate the issue of daylight reflectance without compromising our products’ aesthetic beauty and quality, and minimal change to our legendary the high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) performance offered by Clean COLORBOND® with THERMATECH™ .

“Still incorporated into these products is our legendary THERMATECH™ technology, which allows the steel to achieve greater thermal performance with no compromise to quality. So, apart from its low daylight reflectance feature, the product also provides high dirt resistance, chalk resistance and gloss retention. It is able to help the

42 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

building owner to save energy from costly climate control measures while it mitigates the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect,” he explains.

New first for South Africa First made available to the Singaporean market in 2014, Clean COLORBOND® Matt was brought to South Africa to support the prestigious east extension project of the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The new product aims to provide a gloss rating of 7 +/- 3 units.

Speaking about the use of the new product at the CTICC extension, Rudolf Estyerhuyse of architectural firm Stauch Vorster said: “The specification makes perfect sense considering BlueScope Clean COLORBOND® MATT ULTRA’s aesthetic and technical qualities. The Matt finish provides an elegant textural appearance as an alternative to the standard gloss finish.

The Matt finish also reduces reflective glare, a critical consideration in terms of the impact of the relatively low light coloured roof on neighbouring highrise developments and the

adjacent freeway. BlueScope Clean COLORBOND® MATT ULTRA was specified because of its excellent corrosion protective qualities and long term durability.”

“Our matt product has set a new standard for steel roofing and cladding with stylish matt finish, suited to address the issues of glare from sunlight common in urban areas. Since the CTICC project, it has been specified on several other important projects,” says Hanekom.

On the domestic housing front, the product was recently used in cladding an extension to a heritage home close to the sea in Kalk Bay, Cape Town. Says project architect, Thomas Leach, “We were very pleased with the result, the Clean COLORBOND® MATT steel cladding allowed us to achieve a crisp form with clean lines that speaks about contemporary design and roots the project in the present day. The Victorian profile links it with the past and its sensitive context.

The steel cladding creates a waterproof sheath that performs well, is maintenance free and looks great!” www.bluescope.co.za

THE

SECURE

SAVE

SUSTAIN

STYLE

VO

IC EO

Y F THE CLA

B

RI

CK

CLAY BRICK

IN D U S T RY

THE SMART CHOICE FOR LIFE

CUT YOUR HEATING COSTS

COOLING

Clay Brick is naturally cool in summer & warm in winter

Clay brick is nature’s solar battery. Brick masonry absorbs and stores heat during the day and then releases that warmth when it is needed most – at night. This keeps indoor temperatures comfortable without air-conditioning or heating.

■ reduced electricity use ■ maximum fire ratings ■ superior thermal & noise insulation ■ tough, safe & strong ■ beautiful & versatile ■ low VOCs & emissions ■ superb investment ■ low maintenance

011 805-4206 | www.claybrick.org WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 43

I15445

Your architectural masterpiece should always have the perfect finishes - from paving & garden kerbs, to enhancing surrounding landscapes.

Technicrete has expanded its wide range of industrial and infrastructure concrete products, and today has the most comprehensive range of concrete products across multiple industries. From paving to kerbs and retaining walls, the Technicrete range takes any architectural design, refurbishment and investment to perfect completion. Occupying a unique and significant place in the precast concrete products market, Technicrete is poised to make your investment, perfect.

Paving for:

Retaining walls for:

• • • •

• • • •

Driveways Roadways Pavements Walkways

www.technicrete.co.za Technicrete is a subsidiary of ISG, a leading supplier of innovative infrastructure products to the construction and mining markets in Southern Africa.

44 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

Earth embankments Steep channels Slopes Bridges / river banks

paving | mining | masonry | erosion protection retaining walls | drainage | kerbs | precast products Tel: 011 674 6900 Maxi call: 0861 266 267

WALL S AN D CL AD DIN G

IRDP HOUSING GETS FACELIFT WITH CRB BLOCKS

>> O N SITE

Retaining walls are often used to create more usable, durable areas for building homes and roads on land that would otherwise be inaccessible. They also work well as a cost-effective and versatile method for creating building platforms, access steps and road support for low-cost housing, or as in this case, relocating informal settlers to new IRDP houses.

In 2014 Dassenberg Retaining was approached by the Theewaterskloof Municipality to provide a solution for storm water management, access steps and erosion control between constructions levels at a new IRDP housing site in Botrivier, Western Cape.

During construction of the site, various levels were cut and services installed, creating exposed embankments, that would erode and undermine the aprons around the houses. This required several Terraforce L12 retaining walls between one and two metres in height, all 20 metres long, with footing and subsurface drains in front and behind the walls.

A number of one metre wide steps, using the Terraforce 4x4 Step block and L12 blocks as end stops, were also added to provide pedestrians with access between the levels. In addition, cut off drains were added to some areas of the housing site, with Terracrete permeable pavers, to manage water run-off during the rainy season. The one metre Terracrete channels were placed on A2 filter material, and the blocks

filled with excavated material.

The retaining blocks used at the Botrivier site were pioneered by Terraforce – a Cape Town based pre-cast concrete licensor – almost 40 years ago, and represents one of the most energy efficient segmental retaining wall systems.

Says Georg Brand of Dassenberg Retaining, “What makes this product so popular in the industry is that the blocks require low hardware input for manufacture, low transport costs and low inventory requirements at sales outlets. They are hollow, yet strong enough, and require less concrete to do the job when compared to solid block systems, which of course saves money.�

He adds, “Concrete retaining walls constructed using the Terraforce system are easily formed into complex curved shapes or into walls in which the upper and lower profiles are continuously changing, while the system also allows you a choice between round face, (plant supportive) or flush face (smooth or split version) to suit specific requirements. Above all, they present a closed vertical surface structure that provides maximum amount of soil mass within the wall, which prevents backfill spillage, while at the same time offering uninhibited permeability.�

In total 6 905 Terracrete, 8531 L12 and 1 030 4x4 Step blocks were installed on site. www.terraforce.com

Find a supplier www.terraforce.com

Tel: 021 465 1907

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 45

>> O N SITE

WALL S AN D CL AD D IN G

TRILIUM, DEKTON BY COSENTINO’S ECO-FRIENDLY RANGE Once again showing commitment to sustainability, The Cosentino Group has created Trilium, the first environmentally-friendly colour option made from recycled materials in the Dekton® range of ultracompact surfaces. Trilium is the perfect combination of the best aesthetics and technical performance with a truly ecofriendly side.

Dekton® Trilium is made with recycled materials from its own production process, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability.

Inspired by aged stainless steel, Dekton® Trilium has an extremely realistic oxidised effect based on a mix of volcanic colours – deep greys and blacks – in which the

attractive contrast between light and dark tones really shines out. Its metallic finish also gives it a subtle, delicate texture that is extraordinarily smooth and pleasant to the touch.

Trilium is part of Dekton®’s Tech Collection, a line of colours that offers modern and functional options to designers and architects around the world. Other beautiful colours such as Keranium, Kadum, Strato, Keon and Blanc Concrete are also available in the Tech collection.

Dekton® is a sophisticated mixture of the raw materials that is used to manufacture glass, porcelain materials and quartz surfaces. The Dekton® surface can recreate any type of material with a high level of

ALCOBOND SOLE IMPORTER OF FIRE RETARDANT PANELS

Alcobond Industries South Africa is the sole South African importer and distributor of Alcofort™ Aluminium Composite panels which are manufactured by Alcobond Composite Industries LLC

located in the UAE. Their core business is the supply of Alcofort™ Aluminium Composite Panels, extruded aluminium edging and aluminium substructures into the high-end architectural

46 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

quality. It is manufactured in large format (up to 320 cm x 144 cm) and thin thicknesses (0.8 cm, 1.2 cm and 2 cm).

It has superior technical characteristics: resistance to UV rays, scratches, stains, thermal shock and very low water absorption.

All of these characteristics unique to Dekton® are present thanks to the technology used in its production, which has

been developed exclusively by the Cosentino Group’s R&D department. Dekton® is a completely revolutionary product; it is durable, very easy to maintain, and has potential for both indoor and outdoor uses including flooring, façades, wall cladding and worktops.

Dekton XGloss has obtained Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016. www.dekton.com

facia markets. They also offer technical assistance to architects, quantity surveyors, shopfront fabricators, shop fitting fabricators, signage companies, installers and aluminium letter cut out companies.

As a direct result of the December 2015 fire at The Address Downtown Dubai Hotel, it is now a requirement in the UAE that all Aluminium Composite Panels being distributed must comply with strict UAE Federal Government legislation.

Certified fire-rated metal composites are safe for use all over the world and all world leaders in the Aluminium Composite Panel field, solely manufacture fire-rated panels. Aluminium is a good thermal conductor and, as the aluminium skins of ACPs are very thin, heat from a fire source will

conduct quickly to a PE core.

Products that are readily combustible (ACPs with cores that are 100% polyethylene, or PE, melt at relatively low temperatures and are highly flammable). Products with a core of mineral fibre and some PE, are less combustible and products with a core of almost all mineral, plus a small amount of PE to bind this to the Aluminium have limited combustibility.

The perception in the market is that the Fire Retardant panels are more expensive than the original LDPE core panels and as a result, has often lead architects to steer away from specifying the Fire Retardant panels.

The good news is that Alcobond will be supplying the new standard Fire Retardant panels at no additional cost to their customers. www.alcobond-industries.co.za

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 47

>> O N SITE

5

BATH RO O MS

MOST BEAUTIFUL TILE FLOORS IN THE WORLD

Before now, floors might not have seemed like an important aesthetic feature of your home or business, but the new global #IHaveThisThingWithFloors craze that is sweeping Pinterest and Instagram. You’ve no doubt noticed some of these snaps – of only feet and floor – during recent scrolling sessions. This is what has inspired us to put together a collection of the most popular international tile floor trends that you and your guests won’t be able to resist taking a few #footsies with.

1

The I Have This Thing With Floors Instagram account, curated in Amsterdam, has a pretty impressive following in the high hundred thousands.

So, when they say monochrome is here to stay, you can take them at their word. A black and white checker masterpiece like this one is especially great in cafes, kitchens and bathrooms.

It creates an optical illusion to mask the mess that comes as a trade-off for good cooking, and will naturally look less worn than monotone tiles in high traffic areas. It’s also a simple way to bring some personality into the bathroom, where the white ceramics can make things look a bit clinical at times.

2

If you haven’t heard of Mad About the House, a blog

by UK interiors doyenne Kate Watson-Smyth, you need to take a look around. But first, have a peek at this little nugget we found on her Pinterest page. Wood always brings some warmth into a room, and looks especially great in restaurants and showroom floors, but the perception is that it can be a bit boring… and expensive too!

You might want to consider wood-look tiles instead. They’re just as pleasing to the eye, but are more affordable and versatile. Plus, they don’t require a lot of upkeep and are more resilient to wear and tear.

48 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

3

Courtesy of Instagram’s well-travelled @summer crush, this pretty picture from the streets of Lisbon flaunts one of our favourite new tiling trends, stone mosaic. It’s not just limited to the outdoors either, and looks great in the kitchen or bathroom. The best part is that you can create your own design – though our style consultants are always here to help, of course.

4

Hexagon tiles are high up on the hotlist too. This shot from @tilesofspain shows off the different effects of various types of hexagon tiles. On the small side, they’ll give your floor a bejewelled, elegant look; or if you want a young and funky look, go with bigger tiles for a unique and trendy design. You might even want to mix and match to create a sense of greater dimension in the room.

5

Every step in South Africa is an adventure – and even more so when there are beautiful floors like this one, found at Remo’s Liberta in Sandton, which shows what a few patterned or coloured tiles can do.

More and more local businesses are realising that what your business looks like is just as important as what it does, so it might be time to take a look around – and down – at what you can change to get your guests and their smartphone cameras glued to the floor. www.tileafrica.co.za

USING YOUR MARBLES Much of the pulse in bathroom design lies in the vital element of marble, with trend-setting interior architects and designers relentlessly seeking stone that will complement their created spaces. Sangengalo Marble & Granite confidently assists in these endeavours, with strong global sourcing capabilities. Whether it is the delicate veins of Lilac New York marble, the bold colours of Black Cloud Onyx, the subtle tones of Bianco Gioia marble, or a myriad other possibilities, they deliver slabs from around the world with the passion your project deserves.

Sangengalo’s team of craftsmen skilfully transform beautiful marble slabs into precision fabricated vanity tops, floor slabs, and wall cladding according to design specifications. In order for this to be possible, they remain leaders in the field of stone processing machinery and pride themselves in their advancement in this area.

This includes laser-guided bridgesaws, automated mitre machinery, automated line-polishers, and machinery for step-bull-nosing, ogees, and other complex work.

Sangengalo’s strength in sourcing and fabrication enables them to successfully complete local, national and international commercial projects, which remains an integral part of their portfolio.

Every project is expertly installed by Sangengalo’s own teams and facilitated by a comprehensive management team.

The net result is a quality product with certainty of supply and value for money with minimal risk.

Sangengalo’s clients include export projects, hotels, restaurants, commercial developments and private residential projects. www.ske.co.za

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 49

>> ADVERTO RIAL

BATH RO O MS

BATHROOM TRENDS 2017 We spoke to Karen Robyn, general manager, Duravit South Africa, about the most influential trends in bathroom design for the year ahead.

What are the stand-out bathroom trends for 2017 in terms of colours, shapes, textures and materials?

In 2017, technology will still play an increasingly important role in the sanitary industry, whether in the form of products designed to make the bathroom more comfortable and smarter, or optimising a home’s impact on hygiene. In a world where high living can be afforded more and more easily, topics such as health and hygiene become more important. Since health goes hand-in-hand with hygiene, the number one product meeting this trend will be SensoWash. Be it SensoWash Slim or c – all models guarantee maximum hygiene and therefore better health. Combined with the Rimless technology and HygieneGlaze, there is no better way to keep your toilet easily clean, free of bacteria and therefore super hygienic.

Are there other global trends that influence bathroom design?

Urbanisation is one of the most rapidly evolving processes in the last few years, and is a trend that tremendously affects

50 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

the building industry and therefore also interior design.

Since space is a limited resource in today’s cities, new and smart concepts of living are necessary. Use of space needs to be perfected.

With our smart bathroom solutions we perfectly match smart houses. Especially when it comes to small bathrooms, Duravit offers a wide range of products to choose from: If it’s OpenSpace B, the shower enclosure to give extra space or our compact models for toilets, washbasins and furniture like for DuraStyle and Darling New which are suitable for any space requirements needed. All these products are reduced to minimal space capacity with a maximum in comfort.

What are the latest developments in materials?

The material used in the bathroom plays an essential role due to its permanent contact with water. Duravit is committed to employing innovative, practical materials that are both sensuous and inviting. Ceramic materials are still the durable, robust and long-lasting choice for the bathroom. They are absolutely reliable in quality and attractive to look at.

There are now ceramic masses available, like our DuraCeram that are extrahard and therefore allow new and thinner design possibilities, particularly with washbasins. DuraSolid, a proven cast mineral material, makes it possible to form completely new design products. Exact edges that are normally difficult to achieve by thermoforming are easy to complete with DuraSolid. It is even possible to connect three-dimensional parts. The result: flowing lines without any visible joints or seams.

And colours?

In terms of colours and materials, we will meet a Nordic colour palette. www.duravit.com

Flooring & Shower Wall: BETON Silk Wal Cladding & Vanity Top: ESTATUARIO Silk Benicàssim (Spain) designed by Francisco Roselló

CONTACT INFORMATION TheSize Surfaces South Africa.

Gavin Gilbert: gavin@neolith.co.za +27 71 672 6459 www.neolith.co.za

Sintered Stone.

Interior and Exterior applications: Cladding, Flooring, Countertops and Furniture.

Resistant to stains, chemicals, extreme temperatures. Light and 100% natural.

Maximum format, minimum thickness, different finishes. More than 20 selections available.

Design, Durability, Versatility, Sustainability.

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 51

>> O N SITE

BATH RO O MS

NEOLITH CALACATTA GOLD SPECIFIED FOR HILTON HOTEL IN MILAN Cool, elegant, contemporary but ultimately classic, Milan is without a doubt Italy’s design capital. Therefore, it is not surprising that the interior refurbishment of the Hilton Milan, located in the heart of the Centro Direzionale, was to reflect the quintessential Milanese aesthetic. Interior designers The Hickson Design Partnership (THDP) specified Neolith® Calacatta Gold to meet the client’s design brief and create a look that reminds guests of an upmarket Milanese residence.

THDP found inspiration in Villa Necchi Campiglio, a 1930s building designed by architect Pietro Portaluppi.

While the exterior is rather severe and rationalist, the interior is rich and indulgent.

Neolith Calacatta Gold perfectly fitted the narrative as Calacatta marble is synonymous with luxury.

In comparison to the original stone, the Neolith decor has the added bonus of combining exclusive

and delicate design that provides the look and feel of marble from Carrara with the inherent high-tech properties of Sintered Stone.

Using Neolith Digital Design (NDD), a ground-breaking digital decoration technique, Calacatta Gold offers a rigorous marble-like decor with bold dramatic veining that resembles nature at its closest, with a hint of gold for a sophisticated design.

52 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

Being conscious of the man-made vs. natural products issue, THDP was pleased to have found a sustainable alternative to real marble. The extensive marble extraction industry in Italy modifies and imbalances the natural environment, while Neolith’s Calacatta Gold allowed THDP to create the authentic look of deluxe marble without the issues relating to sustainability, availability, maintenance and costs associated with the real deal. Furthermore, genuine marble by its very nature can be an impractical material for architects and designers to work with when it comes to renovation projects; Neolith is lightweight, easy to handle and can also be conveniently placed onto already existing surfaces.

Another benefit of Neolith Calacatta Gold is its outstanding property in terms of compaction and durability. Resistant to scratches, impacts, abrasion, frost, high temperatures, and UV-exposure, it is suitable for areas with high footfall, such as hotels. Specified

to clad the reception pods in the hotel lobby and the fireplace hearth area, the Neolith Calacatta Gold décor was book-matched, and the edges mitred at a 45° angle for a seamless effect. The end result was a sophisticated and luxurious design which complimented the metallic brass and bronze finishes that THDP used in the colour palette of the lobby. www.neolith.co.za

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BATH RO O MS

CAST VS ACRYLIC BATHS In the acrylic bath industry, two major additives feature in production, namely cast and capped acrylic. These fundamental components have significant differences even though at first glance they might appear very similar.

The cast acrylic sheets used during production are manufactured from 100% Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), compared to Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) known as capped ABS that is made up of an acrylic and styrene mix.

“The effect of acrylic measure in the sheets used to manufacture sanitary ware determines the actual thickness of the acrylic in the finished product,” explains J.J De Waal, general manager at Libra Bathrooms, part of the GROHE DAWN WATER TECHNOLOGY (GDWT) and Lixil Group. “In short, the thickness of the cast acrylic in bath and bath tray products ranges from 3 - 5mm. Capped acrylic products only reach

0.3mm to 0.5mm thickness.

This in turn has an immense influence on quality and durability of the finished items. Cast acrylic products are far superior and last much longer, due to the excellent chemical, UV and weathering properties it contains.”

According to J.J, besides the premium finish and lasting durability of cast acrylic baths there are many other advantages.

• Cast acrylic does not discolour over time • Cast acrylic has a much higher tensile strength (capacity of a material to withstand loads tending to elongate) • Cast acrylic has a higher resistance to crazing (when a network of very small cracks form) and when exposed to solvents • Cast acrylic has a much higher scratch resistance

BEITOU: THE NATURE OF TRANQUILITY

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• Cast acrylic can be repaired and polished back to its original glossy finish • Cast acrylic has a superior glossy surface finish • The quality and standard of cast acrylic products simply exceed any other.

Libra Bathrooms only manufactures acrylic sanitary ware using Perspex® Cast Acrylic sheets. www.librabath.co.za

The Beitou™ collection from KOHLER® strikes a balance between architectural forms and the stunning displays of nature. The result is a peaceful interplay of invention and appeal that speaks to quiet moments of sanctuary. The calming movement of water lies at the heart of the Beitou™ range. The effortless flow of the design mimics the natural cascade of the water over the length of the spout and into the sink. Seen in this light, the mixer becomes a stage for water delivery whose shape and sound resembles a serene river. www.africa.kohler.com

Contact us or visit our website to find a store near you 010 450 0500 | www.grohe.co.za

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Our specifying expertise makes us the partner of choice for big brands in the hotel, hospital and shopping mall industry.

List of projects Vaal Products have been specified in: 1.

Fire & Ice Hotel, Menlyn

2.

Century City Hotel, Conference Centre

3.

Protea Hotel, Sea Point

4.

Raddison Blue Hotels

5.

Mediclinic, Centurion, Thabazimbi, Potchefstroom

6.

Melomed Hospital, Tokai

7.

Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital

To view our products, please visit our website www.vaalsan.co.za

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Telephone: (016) 360 6000 Facsimile: (016) 362 1167 Email: vaalsan@dawnltd.co.za • Web: www.vaalsan.co.za Sales Office: Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.

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>> O N SITE

E N E RGY MANAG E M E NT

NEW ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING “One of the most important elements of interior design, is the selection of suitable light fittings to create the desired ambiance in a home, office, restaurant or hotel. Quite simply, lighting needs to be functional, yet also enhance the mood, aesthetics and style of the décor,” states Sheldon Payne, national sales manager – SLV. “Global lighting trends are constantly changing, with advanced features for energy efficiency, illumination, materials and design developments. Through the Magnet Group’s SLV ProPartners, the local market has access to an extensive range of lighting products with the latest technologies and lighting solutions.

“There are over 3 500 products in the Germanengineered SLV portfolio, all with a contemporary design and new illumination technology. SLV lighting fixtures have elements which

are individually adjustable to enhance the aesthetics and area illumination of any environment. Surface mounted and recessed profiles and fittings and decorative lights and lamps can be styled personally with a selection of designs and colours to suit specific lighting and décor requirements. The latest LED solutions and dimmable products with retrofit lamps are also available, as well as devices with integrated dimmable LEDs.” SLV’s wide range of pendant fittings includes the MEDO range of ceiling lights, which combine decorative and functional features necessary for homes, retail spaces and offices.

These MEDO 40 fittings have an elegant material contrast of aluminium, steel and acrylic glass construction and can be installed individually, or in combination with different size luminaires

in various colours.

MEDO 40 surface ceiling mounted luminaires are available in black, white, silver, grey and wine red. The LED module, with four bulbs, gives a pleasing lighting effect and the integrated LED driver allows direct connection to the 230 V mains supply.

Other features of this ceiling light include an A+ energy efficiency class, maximum consumption of 31 W, a luminous flux of 640 lm, direct light distribution curve 1 and rotationally symmetric light distribution curve 3.

SLV lighting products are available in South Africa through the Magnet Group’s SLV Pro-Partners and also through the recently established SLV online store. www.slv-lighting.co.za

REMOTE, SIMULTANEOUS, RECORDABLE WIRELESS TEST TOOL SYSTEM

The Fluke CNX is a customisable, troubleshooting tool-set of wireless test tools that work together, recording live measurements remotely and simultaneously on a single screen.

CNX Modules measure AC voltage, temperature and AC current with a standard clamp or flex clamp.

Possible applications include: detection of power interruptions; single phase measurement; determining current imbalance; measurement of incoming current.

A wireless multimeter displays readings from up to three wireless modules, plus the meter measurement at the same time, on the same screen, from as far as 20 metres away. To get a

holistic overview of the situation, readings from 10 tools measurements can be reviewed simultaneously on PC View. Users are able to mix and match the wireless-enabled modules to suit their unique measurement needs.

The CNX system can record up to 65 000 sets of min/max/avg readings in either single or multiple logging sessions. CNX isolates intermittent events or records signal fluctuations automatically, using the module’s log function. Measurements can be viewed in a location separate from the point of measurement, for safety purposes, as well as be viewed repeatedly from either remote locations or on-site. www.comtest.co.za

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E N E RGY MANAG E M E NT

NEW APPROACHES TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF HVAC EQUIPMENT NEIL CAMERON, JOHNSON CONTROLS AREA GENERAL MANAGER, BUILDING EFFICIENCY – AFRICA HVAC is a long-term investment.

Chillers are big-ticket items that are meant to last the lifetime of a building – about 25-30 years.

In fact, a recent demolition of one of the first four star hotels in Dubai led to the retirement of three YORK® YT Chillers after nearly 34 years of service.

These chillers were one of the first centrifugal chiller installations in the region. While scheduled maintenance may keep the equipment ticking over, condition-based maintenance ensures promised performance and energy efficiencies are achieved. With eco- and cost-conscious mindsets steering buyers’ decisions, HVAC companies are increasingly aligned to sustainable maintenance practices. They offer a number of attractive condition-based maintenance approaches to suit the risk and investment stance of companies and property owners.

The reality is that chillers can and do last a lot longer. There are chillers that are over 50 years old that are still pulling a full shift in industrial and commercial environments. The machines that make it to this age are in various states of repair but the best have had a dedicated team attending to maintenance. These chillers are often only retired when replacement parts become difficult to source, or advancing technologies begin to make strides in efficiency that they cannot hope to emulate. With longevity now a key factor in HVAC vendors’ roadmaps, the sophisticated, digitallyenhanced machines being built today can reach four decades and more.

What is condition-based maintenance?

Quite simply it is the ability to continuously monitor, assess and refine the performance of plant equipment. Monitoring may include vibration analysis, use of real-time performance data from sensors on and within the machine, and analysis of the chiller’s alignment or deviation from its published operating ‘signature’ – the frequency and rate at which the machine functions at designed conditions.

The major vendors have all released such signatures to support equipment maintenance and care.

Specialised service providers can make use of published signatures to provide condition-based maintenance services for a broad array of HVAC equipment.

The value of a 24x7 monitoring is significant: • It enables early detection of out-of-sync operation and identifies precursors to failure.

These are errors that can be corrected with a tweak if caught in time. The alternative is that the machine may run to fail, resulting in expensive replacement of parts and downtime. Compressors and impellers will, for example, last the lifetime of the chiller if well maintained.

• Monitoring and analysis also enables efficient servicing of equipment. Service providers arrive onsite fully equipped to deal with the challenge – with pre-knowledge of potential problems, they can bring along the right spares and equipment needed to fine-tune or repair the machine.

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• Energy and operational savings can be optimised with condition-based maintenance based on optimising levels of performance to meet budgets.

Condition-based maintenance approaches For equipment at different life stages, and for owners with different HVAC priority levels, there are different conditionbased maintenance models that can be applied.

• For owners of newer machines, built-in features such as performance monitoring, an always-on connection to the cloud or Internet of Things (IoT), as well as self-identification of potential operating issues, offer a big advantage. It allows the machine to be remotely monitored, its performance to be benchmarked against a vendor database and a global peer set, standard reports to be issued and in-house maintenance teams or outsourced solution providers to be alerted immediately to errors or potential issues.

This augments scheduled maintenance, adding significant value.

• For owners of older machines, specialised HVAC condition-based maintenance teams can conduct scheduled analysis, providing basic reports (e.g., regarding consistency, levels or potential contamination of oil and gas; pressure and temperature; or even vibration analysis) and helping plant owners to create maintenance

schedules and strategies that improve on scheduled maintenance and break-fix efforts, and are aligned to operating requirements and budgetary constraints. For example, providing suitable planning for downtime or part replacement, or ensuring regular checks in periods of high performance.

• For owners considering making use of generic condition-based maintenance service providers – don’t.

HVAC equipment is complex, it requires more than a generic review.

The future of conditionbased maintenance?

Condition-based maintenance has been around for about 10 years but the reality of what can be achieved with the performance data that is being collected is only just becoming apparent. I believe that within five years’ condition-based maintenance will become the norm. The functionality will be built into HVAC equipment and plant equipment will ‘talk’ to the building, automatically finding optimal solutions to performance issues in conjunction with other connected systems, and automatically scheduling needed maintenance.

Do you have a long-term plan to maximise your HVAC investment? The IoT, improved ability to use available data intelligently and proven condition-based maintenance approaches make it easy to do, no matter the age or sophistication of your equipment. www.johnsoncontrols.com

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I NTE RI O RS

LUME BEAUTY ATELIER The team at ARRCC interior designers created a space where an edgy, contemporary city feel and tranquillity co-exist in a carefully planned juxtaposition at this high-end salon situated in the vibrant De Waterkant district of Cape Town.

PHOTOGRAPHY ADAM LETCH The unique concept of a high-end fashion hair salon and nail bar combined with a treatment spa challenged the designers to combine elements that can create both excitement and a sense of serenity. The energetic rhythm of the graphic on the outside shop front reveals a glamorous reception foyer where monochromatic tones were used to bring calmness to the interior, complimented by luxurious textures and a richness created by the layering of finishes.

French oak, rose gold, brass and white veined marble with accents of black throughout creates a sense of luxury that enfolds you as you enter the spa. Incorporating a hair salon, nail bar, three treatment rooms, a medispa and colour lab, clever and innovative design was

needed to optimise the small space of 217m2.

Mirrored walls and reflective surfaces were used to achieve an illusion of openness without compromising on luxury, making the interior sparkle.

French oak panelling and screens cleverly placed throughout creates the perfect balance between just enough privacy and being seen.

The hair salon features premium Italian leather embossed lounge chairs at the wash basins and plush Italian Minotti furniture.

Clever lighting solutions were used to give definition to the area and display products.

Axor Starck glass taps and stone basins are just some of the elegant finishes used to entrench the feeling of being surrounded by luxury.

Curved glass panels and a cutting-edge colour scheme lend a futuristic look to the colour lab. A focal water feature facilitates the seamless transition from the vibrancy of the hair salon and nail bar to the serenity of the treatment rooms. Each treatment room has an on-suite private cabin, including bathroom and

steam shower.

Without the luxury of space, storage and product display throughout the salon presented a big challenge which was addressed with innovative custom made shelving and display cabinets, locally designed and manufactured in Holland. www.arrcc.com

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DRAWING BOARD

DORMAKABA GLASS - OFFERING UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES FOR YOU TO CHOOSE The transparency of glass façades renders buildings particularly bright, friendly and inviting for users and visitors alike. With the glass reflecting the surrounding structural fabric, such a façade imparts a unique character and appearance. Within a given set of boundary conditions, the range of glass façades that can be applied is as wide and varied as the choice of entrance solutions. The latter may take the form of manual swing doors within a fully-glazed set, an automatic door system or a revolving door, depending on the requirements of the operator/client and the building usage profile.

Façades and entrances of glass characterise

contemporary architecture.

Aside from our natural desire for light and warmth, glass constructions used in façades and entrances also nowadays need to meet high technical and ecological requirements. Of course, the importance of cost can also not be neglected.

Individuality is in demand. As a rule, however, this previously required complex and cost-intensive planning for each customised application.

With dormakaba, the user can be sure of planning reliability right from the initial drafting phase. Pre-dimensioned diagrams ensure that the structural components are always correctly designed and combined – with glass type and thickness recommendations

also provided. This in turn provides a basis for minimising work input and cost at the installation planning stage.

Simple glass preparation, firm fixing dormakaba glass has long experience with constructional glass, and has developed the fittings so that

the glass preparation is reduced to the quick and easy drilling of a few holes. Reliable operation quality materials and robust construction are their own guarantee of an unsurpassed standard of durability and reliability.

Contact glass.za@dorma.com

EMPERORS METCOURT EXTENSION IS FASTEST-TRACK CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN GAUTENG SMEC South Africa is on schedule with the extension of the Metcourt Hotel at Emperors Casino for client

Peermont. The project is believed to be the fastest-track construction project underway in Gauteng.

The Urban Development division of SMEC South Africa was tasked with the full design of the civil and structural components of the project, followed by site supervision and project management, function manager – buildings, Marius Mostert explains.

The R112 million expansion to the select-services, three-star Metcourt will see a further 100 rooms added to the popular hotel. This will boost the hotel from a 248 to a 348-key facility, extending the capacity of Emperors Palace to 757 rooms in total.

SMEC South Africa began working on the project in July

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2016, in conjunction with Boogertman + Partners as principal architect. “The main challenge is that client Peermont had already taken bookings for December 2016, its busiest trading period.

Therefore the project had an unmovable deadline,” comments lead structural engineer Brian Seston.

The consulting engineer focused on completing all of the necessary construction drawings for main contractor Boutel to begin the build as fast as possible. The main challenge associated with the design process was to match up seamlessly with the existing structure. “The aim is for there to be no visible distinction between the new and old sections, so it resembles a continuous structure.”

Seston elaborates, “The design was fairly straightforward. We were locked in by the fact of the existing structure, which meant we have had to match all of the slab levels. We had to redesign some of the ground-floor items in order to speed up the construction process.”

The 5 166m2 extension includes an addition to the existing F.L.A.G. Café, an additional lift, enhanced access to the rest of the complex, a new façade opposite the Metcourt Suites, and a 24-hour gymnasium.

“While our main appointment is the hotel extension itself, we are also involved with some of the smaller works associated with these extra elements and features,” Seston concludes. www.smec.com/en_za

ALT 92W Lodestar Floodlight Natural White 50 000 hours

Ivela 27W Ground Light Warm White 50 000 hours

Ivela 22W High Bay Natural White 50 000 hours

SG Outdoor Coastal Quality 5 Year Warranty

Ivela 3W Footlight Warm White 50 000 hours

ELT LED Modules 3000K, 4000K & 5700K 50 000 hours

EUROLUX PROJECT SOLUTIONS

Enhance your commercial and industrial environments Eurolux Project Solutions offers a variety of energy efficient lighting solutions. Recent projects include Caxton Publishing House, Namibia Breweries, Hyundai Showroom, the River Club, the renowned Hotel Verde: The greenest hotel in Africa; as well as the Agulhas Marine research vessel.

Eurolux offers a comprehensive lighting design and specification solution to its customers – all completed by a qualified lighting engineer.

• • •

A project begins with the initial site inspection and customer briefings.

A detailed lighting design, with full 3D simulation and energy efficiency report, to comply with SANS and OHS, is then presented to the client.

Detailed cost-of-ownership and lifecycle cost analysis is presented to the client, thus allowing for informed easy decision making.

Cape Town: 9 Racecourse Road Milnerton 7441 South Africa Tel: +27 (0)21 528 8400

Johannesburg: 10 Milkyway Avenue Linbro Business Park Sandton 2065 South Africa Tel: +27 (0)11 608 2970

Email: admin@eurolux.co.za Web: www.eurolux.co.za

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>>D RAWI N G BOA RD

INDUSTRY FIRST CUSTOM GREEN STAR CERTIFICATION FOR MENLYN MAINE CENTRAL SQUARE

A Green Star SA Custom Mixed Use rating for Menlyn Maine Central Square has been awarded to WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Africa. It is an industry first in South Africa, that a project has been certified using a custom tool – and a testament that the company is leading developments in the Green Building space.

According to Alison Groves, HOD: sustainability consultant, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff in Africa: “This is an exciting and important move for the industry towards having one overarching tool that can be customised and used to accredit all types of building models.”

The Green Star rating and accreditation system has provided excellent guiding principles. However, existing Green Star tools only allow certification of single building types – i.e. commercial office, retail, multi-unit residential, and

public and educational buildings.

To achieve the Custom Mixed Use rating for Menlyn Maine Central Square, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Green

by Design team assessed all the current available ratings tools before deciding to make use of the Public and Education (P&E) Buildings Design Rating tool – as its structure offered the greatest semblance for what was required. The P&E tool offered added flexibility for adapting certain criteria to focus on different morphologies – and define how credit should be allocated for the Green Star rating that would more accurately reflect the building.

In addition to adapting the necessary criteria, the custom tool also allowed the company to incorporate aspects such as ‘green leases’ to ensure that tenants can be held responsible for their own energy use – and particularly where this may

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be outside of the landlord’s control or influence. Groves says, “Green leases are growing in importance as the first step in changing mind-sets towards sustainability and getting buy-in from tenants for retail, commercial or residential use, alike.”

“Green building design or building for sustainability has become integral in the design and construction of buildings – regardless of their use – and especially with the global design movement towards new urbanism or green urbanism,” she continues.

“This progression towards having a custom tool will create so many more possibilities for different building models to be rated and accredited in the future, including things like: health facilities, hotels and/or conference venues, etc., which up until now – using existing tools – was thought impossible.”

Each time the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) reviews the rating tools and identifies attributes that previously haven’t been rated, and look to incorporate these, the criteria becomes harder.

“This also means that the industry is adapting and moving forward as it learns more. As such, I expect that the GBCSA will continue to review all the existing tools and available information to explore what is truly meaningful in the context of building for sustainability. In the next few years, it is likely the council will look to launch one custom tool that to be used across the board for different building models, different morphologies and different ratings. We are very proud to have lead the groundwork for the development of such a custom tool,” concludes Groves. www.wsp-pb.com

AFRICA’S FIRST GREEN CITY

BROUGHT TO YOU

BY WSP | PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF

Menlyn Maine is being dubbed as Africa’s first green city – striving to stimulate a paradigm shift in how South Africans live, work and play through the single biggest development project in Pretoria. It was with this philosophy in mind, and given our solid reputation for innovation and expertise in structural and civil engineering as well as sustainability that WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff has been a key partner to bringing this vision to life.

As one of the largest engineering consultancies in Africa, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff plays an important role in our country’s sustainable development. We aim to future proof our projects, helping our clients to achieve their sustainable development goals and approaching everything we do with passion and caring.

36 700

500

40

EMPLOYEES

OFFICES

COUNTRIES

Learn more about this and other projects on www.wsp-pb.co.za

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>>EVE RG R E EN

New Green Building benchmark for Waterfall

A

new office building in Waterfall City accommodating Schneider Electric South Africa, Wisetech Global and Trans Africa Projects is targeting a LEED Gold certification (Internationally recognised green building certification). With approximately 15 000m2 of lettable area, three basement levels of parking and four office levels above ground, the Schneider Electric building was designed as a perimeter building with a central, enclosed, quadruplevolume atrium at its heart.

Morne Whitehead of developer Attacq says, “Our intention was to deliver a world class building on an extremely visible site. We aim to be at the forefront of sustainable development in order to provide offerings that attract multinational tenants.”

The site is located adjacent to the recently completed Novartis Head Office and diagonally opposite the Mall of Africa. Luke Chandler, Design Architect from Aevitas Group, notes that attention was paid to all edges of the site to ensure that the building is integrated into the urban fabric.

“All five sides of the site are visible and had to be treated accordingly, with four sides facing onto roads and pedestrian entrances leading onto public open spaces.”

To avoid excessive excavation, a podium was created to deal with the site’s slope, which also elevates the building and gives it a strong presence and sense of entrance.

The star-shape generated by the five-sided site defined the shape of the atrium, which is enclosed with internal shopfronts between the tenant spaces and atrium itself in order to control the temperature and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the tenant spaces more effectively.

Large skylights flood the atrium with natural light, which result in a reduced need for artificial light but increased heat gain – so the performance, positioning and ratio of skylight glass were all carefully considered. The atrium has also been landscaped with feature planters that double-up as public seating.

The building has been designed with maximum flexibility in mind, with a single vertical circulation and services core for each of the northern and southern wings.

These centrally located cores, together with internal walkways linking every level, ensure easy sub-division of space.

A full energy model of the building was carried out to analyse thermal loads on the building. Accordingly, the façades are either single glazed, double glazed or clad in insulated

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aluminium panels to optimise façade performance. According to green building consultant Solid Green’s Gavin Westbrook, “The building has been optimised in terms of systems and building elements – such as performance glazing, insulation, high SRI roof coatings, and lighting controls – to reduce energy consumption by 54% compared to baseline. A solar PV installation on the roof also provides 21% (by cost) of the building’s energy needs.”

Other sustainability features include low flow fittings to reduce water consumption by over 30%; efficient drip irrigation systems that reduce water consumption by 55%; landscaping and light coloured paving to reduce the urban heat island effect; and the specification of low VOC paints, floor finishes and adhesives in the interior to improve indoor environmental quality and occupant health. In addition, detailed waste management and site

pollution plans where implemented during construction to reduce the amount of waste to landfill.

A third party commissioning agent, Ecolution, was appointed to optimise the design and ensure that commissioning of the renewable energy, hot water, lighting control, BMS, daylighting control and HVAC systems was carried out according to ASHRAE guidelines.

Having been through the LEED process on this building, Whitehead says, “We believe LEED to be the right rating tool to be used on buildings of this nature. The LEED system is rigorous in terms of ensuring that actual performance objectives are met through the commissioning of building. It focuses on the construction process as well as the end result, so it’s a reliable system all round in terms of ensuring quality control and a superior end product.” www.solidgreen.co.za

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