Issue 29, may 2017
Featuring the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital
AFRICAN DESIGN
MAGAZINE
+11 PROJECTS FROM AFRICA
Africa’s premier digital, interactive architecture and design magazine
Editor’s view
Africa report 2017 – a positive outlook
Here’s some good news for architects, developers and built environment professionals; Africa’s property markets are continuing to develop, despite recent challenges faced by some of its commodity-driven economies, this according to Knight Frank’s Africa Report 2017. However, a divergence between the growth rates of commodity-exporting and commodity-importing countries has created wide variations in the strength of occupier and investor activity across the continent.
CREDITS
Did you know that Africa’s strongest economies over the last two years have included commodity-importing East Gregg Cocking African countries Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda, while the West African economies of Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal have also emerged as star performers? Or that a growing volume of capital is targeted at Sub-Saharan Africa real estate investment and development, with a series of new investment vehicles being launched in recent years. South African funds are increasingly prominent as they seek to diversify away from their domestic market. Interesting... click the below bar to read more and enjoy our showcase of the best, latest African projects in this month’s issue.
Click here to read more Published by African Design Magazine (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 9802, Edenglen, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1613 Editorial Gregg Cocking T: +2782-870-6390 E: gregg@africandesignmagazine.com Advertising Lesley Shapiro T: +2782-508-7338 E: lesley@africandesignmagazine.com Cover photograph:
While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of its contents and information, neither the editor, publisher, or its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom. All rights reserved. © African Design Magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, photocopying, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.
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Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital by Tristan McLaren: www.tristanmclaren.com
OUR PARTNERS
ontents
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Mashambas Skyscraper, Sub-Saharan Africa
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Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (Architecture), SA
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Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (Landscaping), SA
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Preschool of Ouled Merzoug, Morocco
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Le Belle Vue, South Africa
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Wangari Muta Maathai House, Kenya
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Piza e Vino, South Africa
Pearl Valley Hotel, South Africa
ontents
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ECD&F Centres, Rwanda
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Seattle Coffee, South Africa
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Paediatric Cancer Centre, Rwanda
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New National Cancer Institute, Egypt
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Woman’s Centre, Tanzania
Flooring in 2016
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Brutally brilliant brick
Architect profile: Adjaye Associates
T +2721 442 5420 F +2721 448 9132 E arno.hanekom@bluescope.com
www.bluescope.co.za
SACAP News
the latest from SACAP The South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) announces that from today, its registered Professional Architectural Draughtspersons, Professional Architectural Technologists and Professional Senior Architectural Technologists can gain access to its Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme by applying to register for the online self-assessment phase – the first such online platform developed amongst SA’s Built Environment Professional Councils.
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he purpose of RPL is to redress past imbalances and asses previously acquired skills, knowledge and experience, with the view to providing an opportunity to articulate to the next level of professional registration. The RPL programme allows only for access to elevated professional registration and is not an academic qualification. Articulating within the profession will uplift the professional status of successful applicants and is expected to help them unlock more lucrative work opportunities. The highest registration category is that of Professional Architect.
Practical redress for the “Missing Middle in Architecture” Through its research, SACAP estimates that a significant portion of the register across the country, commonly referred to as “The Missing Middle in Architecture”, need access to equal opportunity and practical redress for past imbalances and are eager to take their first steps on SACAP’s innovative RPL online platform. Each will have to demonstrate a portfolio of work from the last three to five years, depending on their registration category. Who is eligible? To be eligible, the individual must be registered as a professional in any registration category Pauline Fisher, Professional Senior Architectural Technologist, was today’s first applicant logging on and testing SACAP’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme. Here she is at SACAP’s offices with Munetsie Chiunda, SACAP’s senior Manager ICT, together with Nita Schmidlin, Manager of Registrations and CPD.
Click here to read more
A vertical marketplace for new agricultural communities in SubSaharan Africa wins competition among 444 Entries. Source: V2COM
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Volo Magazine is pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Skyscraper Competition. The Jury selected 3 winners and 22 honourable mentions from 444 projects received. The annual award established in 2006 recognizes visionary ideas for building high- projects that through the novel novel use of technology, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organizations, challenge the way we understand vertical architecture and its relationship with the natural and built environments.
The first place was awarded to Pawel Lipiński and Mateusz Frankowski from Poland for the project Mashambas Skyscraper. The design proposes a modular and scalable skyscraper conceived as an educational centre and marketplace for new agricultural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The design seeks to increase farming opportunities and reduce hunger in these regions. Mashamba – Swahili, East Africa An area of cultivated ground; a plot of land, a small subsistence farm for growing crops and fruit-bearing trees, often including the dwelling of the farmer. Over the last 30 years, worldwide absolute poverty has fallen sharply (from about 40% to under 20%). But in African countries, the percentage has barely fallen. Still today, over 40% of people living in sub-Saharan Africa live in absolute poverty. More than
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African project Mashambas Skyscraper – Sub-Saharan Africa
moveable ducational CENTRE africandesignmagazine.com
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African project Mashambas Skyscraper – sub-Saharan Africa
half of them have something in common: they’re small farmers. Despite several attempts, the green revolution’s mix of fertilizers, irrigation, and high-yield seeds – which more than doubled global grain production between 1960 and 2000 – never blossomed in Africa, because of poor infrastructure, limited markets, weak governments, and fratricidal civil wars that wracked the post-colonial continent. The main objective of the project is to bring this green revolution to the poorest people. Giving training, fertilizer, and seeds to the small farmers can give them an opportunity to produce as much produce per acre as huge modern farms. When farmers improve their harvests, they pull themselves out of poverty. They also start producing surplus food for their neighbours. When farmers prosper, they eradicate poverty and hunger in their communities. Mashambas is a movable educational centre, which emerges in the poorest areas of the continent. It provides education, training on agricultural techniques, cheap fertilizers, and modern tools; it also creates a local trading area, which maximizes profits from harvest sales. Agriculture around the building flourishes and the knowledge spreads towards the horizon. The structure is growing as long as the number of participants is rising. When the local community becomes self-sufficient it is transported to other places. The structure is made with simple modular elements, it makes it easy to construct, deconstruct and transport. Modules placed one on the other create the high-rise, which is a form that takes the smallest as possible amount of space from local farmers. Today hunger and poverty may be only African matter, but the world’s population will likely reach nine billion by 2050, scientists warn that this would result in global food shortage. Africa’s fertile farmland could not only feed its own growing population, it could also feed the whole world. AD
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preserving madiba’s legacy
UK-based architecture firms Sheppard Robson and John Cooper Architecture (JCA) collaborated in 2009 to win an international design competition for the new Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Johannesburg. The facility – which employs 150 paediatric doctors and 450 nurses – opened last year. Sheppard Robson and JCA, responsible for the concept design of the hospital, were joine G GAPP Architects and Urban Designers and Ruben Reddy Architects. GA Designers were responsible for the development of the facade and p a the hospital, whilst Ruben Reddy Architects were the local lead ar that included the design development of the clinica facilities of the building.
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African project Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital architecture – South Africa
ed by local architects GAPP APP Architects & Urban public spaces within architects rchitects with a scope al and operational
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he team drew together specialist design skills with local experience and expertise to deliver the vision for the new hospital, which centred on creating a modern state-of-theart paediatric tertiary facility located on the University of the Witwatersrand’s education campus in Parktown, Johannesburg – a central position allowing it to service the needs of the region’s populations.
The design is a 200-bed, eight-theatre facility, with advanced diagnostics and future plans for expansion to 300 beds. It will operate in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School as a primary base, and will engage with all medical training facilities across the region. The hospital includes specialist facilities for the treatment of: cardiovascular, neurological, haematological, oncological, endocrine, metabolic and renal diseases. The project also includes facilities for paediatric surgery, whilst supporting paediatric academic research and training. A key element of the brief was to construct a hospital that provides highquality child healthcare in a natural healing environment. This focus on
Click here to watch a video on the launch of the hospital
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African project Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital architecture – South Africa connecting to nature would go on to shape the design of the project and be a starting point to creating a welcoming, safe environment for both children and parents. The design The competition-winning design broke away from housing all departments in a single ‘box’ building, which often leads to deep floorplates where the patients and staff have little contact with the outside world. After extensive consultation, it was clear that long, institutional and windowless corridors should be avoided in favour of a plan that connected to its natural surroundings. The design concept revolved around creating six wings, each with its own specialism. These were connected by a ‘street’ that ran through the centre of the project. This ‘street’ was vital for connectivity, with three main junctions that enable efficient flow of people. The separation of floors of floors avoided crossovers and assisted wayfinding. By breaking down the mass of the building into six elements, the design has a domestic, human scale that reassuring and familiar to children. Further moving away from a feeling of institutional design, each wing has subtle twists of the common design language to give it a distinct identity; for example, the colour of the solar shading walls – formed from
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African project Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital landscaping – South Africa
THERAPEUTIC NDSCAPE DESIGN
ling through contact with nature
elson Mandela Children’s Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
e with therapeutic value is designed with the specific purpose of encouraging patients and to interact with nature, in order to aid the process of healing, explained landscape architect Comrie of GREENinc. Science has proven that patients who have a view of greenery and ces, allowing the influx of light, from hospital beds recover more quickly. The design of the spaces at the The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital enables visual and direct contact providing therapy that will invariably mean faster recovery for patients of all abilities, and will e emotional strength to their families and to the staff of this facility dedicated to children in cialist paediatric care. These are children who cannot be treated at local clinics but need the attention of expert medical staff.
ng architectural competition entry by Sheppard Robson of the United Kingdom stepped away from the stereotypical hospital with peripheral ‘green’ spaces contributing little to the vironment ironment or experience. The landscape was conceptualised as the centre of the building’s d took into careful consideration the need for people orientated, functional spaces. Comrie the architects for their provision of generous, well-positioned, open spaces for landscaping ndows that gave the landscape architects every opportunity to bring nature into the building, y and to provide for therapeutic activities in the open air. She said “... the landscape binds ything together... the journey through the building is guided by landscape spaces”.
of this hospital was envisioned by Nelson Mandela and has relied solely on donor funding. e being raised by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust. Comrie related with fervour t comprised a group of inspirational women with humility, who showed an excellent grasp of the nurturing value of therapeutic landscapes.
based on interview with landscape architect Annamari Comrie of GREENinc e Architecture; with additional comments from landscape contractor Ida-Marie m of Life Landscapes and horticulturist Gail Dreyer of Tshala Plant Brokers.
y Carol Knoll, with written input from Annamari Comrie. Photographs by Carol Knoll and courtesy of GREENinc Landsape Architects.
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eople confined to a healthcare facility lose control over their daily lives. They cannot make their own decisions but need to follow those of their caregivers, usually because they are too sick or too weak to do otherwise. The power of choice is taken from them and this can be demoralising. Comrie, who has done significant research on the subject over time, comments that therapeutic landscapes should allow for freedom of choice, so that a sense of control can be brought back into the lives of patients. Initially by just being able to look out of the window at highly colourful gardens and play areas and, with time, to go outside into those spaces. The choice to connect with nature will involve physical exercise and social interaction, along with the sensory benefits of being in a garden where many discoveries are to be made. This will provide patients with a sense of control, at a time in their lives when their health and well-being are in the control of others. The simple ability of being able to choose serves to reduce stress and ultimately leads to quicker recovery times and, generally, to better health. The importance of play cannot be over-emphasised in the lives of all children and particularly children in recovery. Children who don’t involve themselves in physical play activities are subject to such conditions as obesity. Comrie, who has also researched educational landscapes, observed that although surveillance and safety needed to be taken into account, particularly when sick and mobility impaired children were involved, there was no need to be overcautious with children or to over-regulate play activities. She commented that risk taking was good for children. Security cameras have been considered necessary in many areas of the therapeutic landscapes at the hospital and
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African project Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital landscaping – South Africa the water in ponds is shallow. Water is particularly therapeutic, providing an uplifting and calming effect. A precaution taken with the choice of plants was to ensure that no harmful plants were included in the palette, such as species that are prone to drop their thorns; and that in spaces where children are at play, the vegetation is low or see-through to enable ease of surveillance. Comrie drew attention to four key principles of successful therapeutic landscape design: specifically, visual and physical accessibility to the landscape; ease of mobility for people with movement difficulties; a variety of quality functional spaces that meet different needs; and the provision
of positive sensory stimulation. She explained: “The knowledge and understanding of these principles, along with consultation with our client and other design professionals, guided us in all aspects of the therapeutic design process at this referral hospital. We also explored the relatively new concept of Horticultural Therapy and hope that our efforts will result in this programme being offered by the hospital. The success of the design, of course, also depends on the people who use the spaces.” The objective of the design, both soft and hard landscaping, was to meet within reason every possible need that those utilising the hospital facility – patients, their families and staff – would have while on the premises. Comrie maintains that the needs of people are more important than perfect aesthetics in all landscape design. The intention was that there should be at least one place where every person coming to the hospital could have a positive sensory or emotional experience. “The joy experienced in nature is wellknown and children respond so well to flowers almost from the day they are born,” she added. There are five ‘internal’ courtyards on two levels at the hospital and five external garden spaces. All of these have specific functions that relate to the programming of the hospital, including psychological, physical and play therapies. The selection of almost entirely South African indigenous plants was made by consultant landscape architect Dr Erika van den Berg based
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African project Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital landscaping on a simple brief from GREENinc, known for their indigenous landscapes, that the plants should emphasise the playful, happy children’s spaces; requiring only a certain level of privacy made possible by permeable screens of plantings to enable surveillance. The plantings in the courtyards designed for quiet reflection, set aside for visitors and staff, create a different ambience with the natural growth patterns of plants encouraged through maintenance that avoids manicuring. The ambience of being in a wild landscape is important. Van den Berg’s choice has ensured that there will be plants flowering in every season. Amongst the many flowering species, largely with sparse leaf cover or low growth, chosen for general plantings in courtyards are Bauhinia natalensis (Dainty Bauhinia), Bauhinia tomentosa (Yellow Bauhinia), Rotheca myricoides (Blue-flowered Tinderwood), along with Barleria repens Rosea (Small Bush Violet), Ochna serrulata (Carnival Bush), Chlorophytum bowkeri (Giant Chlorophytum), Agapanthus inapertus (Drooping Agapanthus), various cultivars of Asaparagus densiflorus (Emerald Fern), Pavetta lanceolata (Forest Brides Bush), Cineraria saxifrage (Wild Cineraria), Jasminum multipartitum (Starry Wild Jasmine) and Rhoicissus rhomboidea (Glossy Forest Grape). The first impression of the facility is formed in the Arrival Court where the landscape design aims to create a welcoming experience, for both children and their families, to alleviate the stress usually related with coming to a hospital. The elements include colourful signage and eye-catching flowering plants, soft green lawn on the central island along with a grouping of locally indigenous trees – Celtis africana (White Stinkwood), Combretum erythrophyllum (River Bushwillow) and Kiggelaria africana (Wild Peach). On the lawn nearby is an artificial tree with discs in bright colours that repeat the colours of the blinds on the building and acknowledge by name each of the major donors. More artworks may be positioned on the lawn with time. Comfortable benches are placed next to the flowerbeds in which, amongst others, the bright orange Crocosmia aurea (Falling Stars), Gladiolus dalenii (Papegaaiswardlelie), and dark and pale blue hybrids of Agapanthus species, flower in their turn. The Visitor Garden which leads from the indoor reception areas, aims to provide a continuation of this heartening experience. It includes a cafe terrace overlooking a circular bubbling pond, bright yellow benches and a square lawn area that can be utilised for fund-raising events. A narrow water channel, planted with marginal and aquatic species, is defined by a geometric pattern of granite set in a pathway and shaded by a pergola which will, in time, be covered in the exotic purple-flowering Wisteria creeper. The channel connects the café terrace with the Children’s Garden at the far end of the courtyard. In this colourful space, young visitors will have the opportunity to release pent-up energy away from the controlled hospital environment. The channel feeds into another circular pond with a reflective surface. africandesignmagazine.com 23
The play elements include a natural timber climbing structure with a slide, swings, a climbing net and a chalk-board, as well as a bird-bath and a mounded lawn. Two ride-on toys are mounted on a colourful mosaic base depicting insects and animals. The mosaic is by artist Bronwyn Findlay. Playful sculptures of animals by artist Winston Luthuli are waiting to be discovered between the plants and under the climbing structure. The Sensory (Horticultural Therapy) Garden and Occupational Therapy Garden will provide an outdoor venue for the programmes offered by the hospital. Horticultural therapy gives a child the opportunity to participate in the cycle of nature and to substitute the role as patient for the role of caregiver, through activities such as planting, re-potting, weeding, pruning and ‘harvesting’. These activities reduce boredom and stress, resulting in happier children that recover more quickly. The client immediately grasped the value of this therapeutic garden. The three raised planters in the Sensory Garden will allow children (standing or in wheelchairs) to see, touch, smell, taste and harvest the plant material with relative ease. The plants have been carefully selected for their sensory properties. There are edible plants that provide the patients with an opportunity to taste, such as cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrots, celery, fennel, strawberries and the indigenous scrambling Carpobrotus edulis (Sour Fig). Fragrant herbs are plentiful, amongst which are lemon grass, basil (Sweet Italian), thyme, rosemary and sage; along with the sensory experience provided by the crushed leaves of scented species, such as Pelargonium capitatum (rose scented), Pelargonium citronellum (lemon scented), Tulbaghia
African project Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital landscaping – South Africa
Implementation of certain hard and soft landscapes at hospital Ida-Marie Strydom of Life Landscapes who was the contract manager for the landscaping at The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital spoke about the need to keep the internal landscaping as lightweight as possible on the ground floor level and about the laying of the rubberised surface for the play areas. The construction of the metal clad leaf-shaped ponds was explained by landscape architect Annamari Comrie. The plant growth at the hospital has been exceptional because of the good rains Gauteng has experienced this season but this prolific growth has also been ascribed to the excellent quality lightweight soil mix supplied by Varing Nursery. Strydom described the soil medium as containing plenty of bark and having good drainage capacity. (The more water the mix absorbs, the heaver the soil will be.) To further ensure that the weight above the lower ground facilities was not more than safety measures required, layers of high density polystyrene blocks were utilised as ‘void formers’ under the raised areas of the ground floor courtyards: under floor surfaces, steps and ramps, for example. The main contractor, Group 5, was responsible for all the waterproofing of the planted courtyards. The highly colourful rubberised floor surfaces, installed to increase the safety of children at play or occupied with physical therapy, were laid by the sub-contractor Seamless Flooring. The mix comprises coloured granules and a bonding material which is poured onto the concrete screed of the floor area and smoothed over with a trowel. Strydom explained that to separate colours so as to create very clear definition, flexible steel edging was placed along the margin of one colour and the mix allowed to dry, before the edging was removed and the next band or circle of colour was placed. This enabled shapes such as the ‘monster’ in the Family Garden to be created for the pleasure of the children. Water from the rubberised floor surfaces drains into the planters and then into the drainage channels around the periphery of the courtyards which were installed by the main building contractor. Comrie said that Truestyle Hard Landscaping Solutions had custom-made the leaf shaped metal ponds in the Healing and Quiet Gardens, which provide a green refuge for family members and staff. She said that designing, installing and maintaining these metal vessels had been a learning curve for all involved, commenting that the maintenance had become easier since the ecological system in the ponds had stabilised somewhat. The metal inside the ponds was sealed, while the outside of the vessels was acid washed to encourage rusting, which provided the more natural look that Comrie required. She explained that there was a large volume of water in the deep ponds which helped to keep the water cool, while as the tree canopies thickened with maturity, the water temperature would drop further. Aquatic plants, including the lovely pale blue of the indigenous Nymphaea nouchali (Blue Waterlily), make a splendid showing above the base of pebbles in the ponds. A gravel layer on a metal grid under the pebbles halfway into the volume of water provides filtration, while a pump circulates the water for aeration purposes.
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African project Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital landscaping – South Africa
Plant material sourcing for hospital Gail Dreyer of Tshala Plant Brokers spoke about the commercial availability of South African indigenous plant species, saying that there were many more growers becoming aware of the escalating demand for more unusual indigenous species, particularly within the landscaping industry. The value of indigenous species is being recognised. Tshala Plant Brokers sourced all the plant material for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, saying that there were some plants on the plant list that were challenging to find but that Dreyer had called on her ‘mentors’ in the indigenous nursery industry for suggestions of alternatives, in cases when there were not enough plants in stock at nurseries or an unusual species could not be found. She remarked that there were not that many plants that proved to be impossible to find, once she had called on her vast network of large and small specialist growers, nationwide, as Dr Erika van den Berg’s list had been obtained in advance. She said the people she could rely on for suggestions of alternatives, along with Annamari Comrie of GREENinc Landscape Architects and Ida-Marie Strydom of Life Landscapes, were the remarkable growers that had been in the indigenous plant industry for a lengthy period: such as, Mandy Fick, Linda De Luca, Dr Johan Wentzel, Gretchen Grenville and Lucy Drake. The ideal is that nurseries should have enough time to grow-on species that are required for projects, when necessary. If there is contract growing required, the list should be available well in advance so that the seed can be sourced at the right time and the plants reach a reasonable size. “Those plants that were not available at the time the order was placed for the hospital could, fortunately, be supplied to the hospital at a later stage, as the planting was done in pockets: plants such as the Phygelius spp, commonly known as River Bells or Wild Fuschias. Aside from the latter marginal species, which was utilised in the main stormwater grassland swale, the water plants were not difficult to source as they were not required in large quantities. “We have a few excellent water plant nurseries that have a good variety of indigenous aquatic and marginal plants. We sourced plants for the water features such as Kniphofia fluviatilis (River Poker), Crinum campanulatum (Vlei Lily), Cyrtanthus breviflorus (Yellow Fire Lily), Aponogeton distachyos (Waterblommetjie), and Spiloxene aquatica (Watersterretjie) – something which we had not been asked to source, previously,” Dreyer related. She said that some of the Osteospermum and Alstroemeria (exotic) spp that were unavailable at the time of installation were substituted by appropriate alternatives; along with specific Plumbago and Agapanthus cultivars which had to be replaced with the more common cultivars or natural species, matching the colours as closely as possible to those requested on the plant list. Dreyer concluded that there was a marked increase in availability of South African indigenous species that had not previously been grown for the commercial market.
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landscape architecture supports life...
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African project Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital landscaping – South Africa violaceae (Wild Garlic), Hermannia pinnata (honey scented) and Mentha suavolens villosa (Apple Mint). Herbs and vegetables can be picked and washed in a basin at a work bench which also provides storage space for gardening tools. The small seating area with tables and chairs can facilitate structured activities in relation to horticultural therapy and provide an informal meeting space. General plantings for visual enjoyment and providing interesting tactile experiences in this garden include, again amongst others, a selection of Aloe hybrids, Eriocephalus africanus (Wild Rosemary/ Kapokbossie, with its woolly seeds), Dierama pendulum (Hairbell – with its mauve pendulous flowers), Aristea ecklonii (Blue Stars), Lathyrus odoratus (the exotic Sweet Pea), Zantedeschia aethiopica (White Arum Lily), Alstroemeria (with its sharply defined
roject team
Click here to READ more Client: Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust Architects: Sheppard Robson International, GAPP Architects, John Cooper and Ruben Reddy Architects Landscape architects: GREENinc Landscape Architecture Planting design: Dr Erika van den Berg (landscape architect) Main landscape contractor: Life Landscapes Hard landscape construction: Hard Landscape Enterprises Play structures, steel and wood elements: Truestyle Hard Landscaping Solutions Steel screens: Spiral Engineering Laying of rubberized flooring: Seamless Flooring Plant sourcing: Tshala Plant Brokers (all trees sourced from Just Trees) CONTRIBUTORS TO LANDSCAPE Art in the landscape Art curator: Bongi Dhlomo Project manager art installation: Bié Venter Artists Exterior landscape Animal sculptures: Winston Luthuli Sensory Garden interactive water feature: Usha Seejarim with Bronwyn Findlay Mosaic panels: Bronwyn Findlay Interior Landscape Interactive train: Mary Sibande (manufactured by Alan Epstein) Umlabalaba play pieces and Abacus pieces: The Coloured Cube Movable flower shaped seating: Spitfire Furniture & Design Story Screen steel vignettes: The Coloured Cube in partnership with Assemblage Paper Prayer mosaic panels: Soweto Art Ladies Mosaic Co-op. Wayfinding Signage: Vincent Truter – Creative Direction and Wayfinding Strategy; Carina Comrie – Creative Direction and Graphic Design; Lou Louw – Project and Production Management; Io Makandal and Zelé Angelides – Wallpaper Design; Jenny Hattingh – DTP
vernacul
African project Preschool of Ouled Merzoug – Morocco
a new lar style The Preschool of Ouled Merzoug in Morocco, designed by BC Architects, comes from a holistic architectural design, incorporating community dynamics, bioclimatics and a new vernacular style.
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n need of educational infrastructure, Goodplanet foundation aims to install a preschool with bioclimatic functioning, as an extension to the existing school building.
The building is inspired by a new vernacular from local typologies, materials and techniques, with a contemporary look, performant bio-climatic functioning and earthquake proof design. The preschool of Ouled Merzoug has foundations of locally sourced nature stone, with adobe walls, a wood-and-earth flat roof. The exterior finishing is done with a “tamelass” render, a mix of two earths, straw and sand, while the interior finishing is made of polished “nouss-nouss”, a “half-half” of earth and gypsum to create a breathable interior plaster which diffuses indirect sunlight. The southeast and north-west façades which have harsh lowsun impacts are protected by tree or courtyard shadows, while the south façade has a cavity wall for insulation and a big thermal mass, making the building cool during the day, but warmer through the night until the morning. africandesignmagazine.com 33
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The classroom links to two courtyards, one on each side. Both courtyards can be read as the playground for the smaller ones (3-6 years) but can be used as an external classroom for storytelling and other activities. These courtyards are elevated due to the topography of the site and link to a bigger front garden giving access to the rest of the school. AD PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Bio-climatic Preschool LOCATION: Ouled Merzoug (a village in the province of Ouarzazate, in the region Souss-Massa-Daraâ), Morocco CLIENT: the community of Ouled Merzoug and the Goodplanet Foundation ARCHITECTS: BC Architects EARTH CONSULTANT: BC studies STRUCTURAL DESIGN: BC studies + Kobe architecture COOPERATION: Isabelle Verhoeven, Bregt Hoppenbrouwers, Tommaso Bisogno, Christopher Weijchert BUDGET: 35.000 € (VAT excl.) SIZE: 172m2 building + 250m2 landscaping STRUCTURE IN: Adobe + composed beam FACADES IN: Earth plasters INDOOR SURFACES: Nouss-nouss OUTDOOR SURFACES: Gravel sieved from earth FLOORS: Rammed earth and polished concrete CONCEPT: 2016 STATUS: Built January 2017 africandesignmagazine.com 35
a place of s
Located in a small beach-front community in Cape Town, South Africa, Pr P
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African project La Belle Vue – South Africa
sanctuary
Project roject La Belle Vue was a complete architectural renovation and extension by Bomax Architects and an OKHA Interior Architecture and Design project.
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African project La Belle Vue – South Africa
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Photography by Mickey Hoyle
he house was to provide a place of sanctuary and repose from the fast paced life of this international executive of African descent. From its elevated position, the house has spectacular views of both mountain and ocean which are visible from every aspect of the house. There are extensive balconies and terraces both at the front and back of the house and large windows frame the mountain and sea views from the interior.
The front of the property literally unzips across the entire front façade allowing direct access from the dining, living, entertainment and master bedroom to the exterior on both levels. Although the architecture expresses a modern, almost minimalist aesthetic, the client wished to express his African heritage through elements of the interior; subsequently much of the furniture items were custom designed to subtly articulate an African modernism and luxury. The OKHA designed three dimensional, sculpted and carved front door was inspired by traditional African motifs and sculpture and sets the tone for further contemporary interpretations found throughout the interior. The ground floor formal lounge area is soothing in its chalky monochromatic palette, allowing natural light to sculpt and enhance the interior architecture and stucco walls. The furniture uses strong lines, clean forms and materials such as etched raw oak, vintage leather, satin brass and granite to create a timeless elegance.
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A living me
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African project Wangari Muta Maathai House – Kenya
emorial
The Wangari Muta Maathai House, designed by South African practice, Boogertman + Partners Architects, is envisaged as a living memorial – a forum for experiential learning for all Kenyans, Africans and peoples of the globe. Unfolding the life of Wangari Maathai, in an intimate facility, will enable visitors to understand her commitment to human rights, environmental conservation and promoting the culture of peace. The Wangari Muta Maathai House was selected as the winner in the Future Buildings: Culture category at the 2016 World Architecture Festival. Source: V2COM
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pproaching the structural ring on foot, enveloped by the forest, one walks along the timber-decked route. Following the route, one crosses a body of water to enter beneath the structural ring, which floats overhead.
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African project Wangari Muta Maathai House – Kenya The site then lifts naturally to support the underside of this ring and eventually envelope the auditorium component, at the rear. The circular form symbolises the simplicity embodied in the basic cycle of nature. The form, embedded within ethereal forest physically manifests the notion of ‘walks and talks’ – communicating the salient points of Wangari’s legacy – a childhood sense of wonder coalesced with the ethics of taking action. The open, encircled courtyard is the focus, as it maintains a connection with the trees. It contains the Amphitheatre, an informal raised berm and the Mausoleum, a quiet, subterranean space. The exhibition space, library, conference centre and functional areas are accommodated in the structural ring. Boogertman + Partners Architects was established in 1982. With offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, and Kenya, the practice engages in projects throughout Africa and beyond continually embracing social, economic, and functional challenges through ‘Excellence by design’. None of this would be possible without our incredible clients and Boogertman + Partners would like to thank everyone involved with these projects for making our success possible. AD
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AILS
African project Wangari Muta Maathai House – Kenya
LOCATION: Nairobi, Kenya CLIENT: The Wangari Muta Maathai Foundation ARCHITECTS: Boogertman + Partners Architects, South Africa PROJECT DIRECTORS: Bob van Bebber, Johann de Wet TEAM: Judith Paterson, Dilushka Barlow SITE AREA: 8.2 Acres GREEN BELT MOVEMENT OFFICES AREA: 2.2 Acres WANGARI MAATHAI FOUNDATION AREA: 6 Acres africandesignmagazine.com 43
African project Piza e Vino – South Africa
AN artisAnal rebrand Piza e Vino is an Italian pizzeria, falls under the Doppio Zero Group founded by entrepreneurial partners, Paul Christie and Miki Milovanovic. The duo wanted to reinvigorate the Piza e Vino brand by creating a restaurant interior that was in line with the company’s newly refined logo that emphasises the “handmade” aspect of the traditional pizzas for which Piza e Vino is known.
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hristie and Milovanovic briefed Inhouse Brand Architects to come up with an interior scheme for a brand-new Piza e Vino outlet within the newly added extension to the Lynnridge Mall in Lynnwood, Pretoria. Inhouse was responsible for establishing Piza e Vino and its brand in the new space, working with the architects and construction team from the ground up.
Inhouse took inspiration for the project from a diversity of vintage influences, particularly old-school pizzerias. Nostalgia plays a role in the restaurant’s finishes, which are a blend of patterned and subway tiles, polished concrete flooring, light oak dining tables, light coloured marble counter tops, real leather upholstered booths, leather seating with brass buckles and strapping details, and reclaimed timber cladding. These all give the space an authentic atmosphere, while making the dining areas warm and inviting. In addition to the sense of nostalgia, the concept of “handmade” was critical in the design scheme, with the intention of emphasising that Piza e Vino’s pizzas are created by hand by real people for real people. This concept is reinforced by the choice to place a completely open kitchen in the heart of the space. africandesignmagazine.com 45
A grand, custom-designed pizza oven is the focal point, here. The oven is large and hexagonal, tiled in geometrics, and quietly dominates any view of the restaurant. The oven is fronted by a pizza bar where diners can take in a “master class” of the chefs at work and children can create their own pizzas. Just beyond the kitchen, a custom-built steel screen encompasses the central booth seating. This unique room divider is adorned with over 100 wooden rolling pins, paying tribute to the craft of hand rolled pizza dough, and once again, emphasising Piza e Vino’s artisanal offering… The lighting further accentuates the handmade inspiration and authenticity of the space. Glass blown pendants with brass fittings and vintage wall sconces with amber tinted glass generate a welcoming, intimate atmosphere. All in all, the finished look gives life to the new brand, successfully managing to create the sense of a traditional, rustic pizzeria in the heart of Pretoria. Inhouse is a leading and comprehensive South African agency specialising in turnkey solutions for all sectors of design, with specialised expertise in interior design and brand architecture. With offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and London, Inhouse concentrates on innovative and appropriate ideas in response to the diverse needs of its clients. AD
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a contempora luxury hote
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African project Pearl Valley Hotel – South Africa The Pearl Valley Hotel by Mantis: a new contemporary luxury hotel in a timeless setting Orientated to maximise the exceptional views afforded by its magnificent setting, the first phase of the Pearl Valley Hotel by Mantis at Pearl Valley, part of Val de Vie Estate, is near completion. Guests will stay, play and relax in sophisticated, understated luxury with the assurance of the outstanding levels of professionalism and hospitality associated with Val de Vie Estate and Mantis, the respected conservation-conscious group of hotels and eco-escapes that has developed and manages the hotel.
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aximising exposure to the beautiful location and views framed by the mountain peaks was key for Francois Theron, Director of FDT Architects. To achieve the brief for a hotel consisting of both single and double suites while limiting massing on the site, he conceived a design of double-storey residences, seamlessly contextualised within the current landscape at Pearl Valley, and incorporating existing trees to break the scale.
African project Pearl Valley Hotel – South Africa Senior Project Architect, Penny Murray, highlights that the double units with their balconies on both sides were designed to impart a sense of living in and through the spaces. Comments Murray: “The dual balconies present the advantage of being able to open the unit to the vistas on both sides, or either side, depending on the weather. Val de Vie and Mantis are associated with luxury and quality. Our design reflects the same standards and allows the visitor to feel like this is their home away from home.� Considered luxury For the interior design, Maurette Van Eyssen of MI Designs, also took her cue from the expansive views across the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley to the surrounding Simonsberg Mountains. To ensure the attraction of the scenery was unimpeded and to draw the exterior in, outside hues and textures are reflected and floor plans are open and uncluttered. The scheme is clearly contemporary but like the landscape beyond, it evokes a certain timelessness. A neutral palette of greys and whites predominates, with accents of blue referencing mountain chasms, streams and the wide country sky. Vibrant artworks celebrating indigenous flora provide a rich counterpoint to this calm, refreshing scheme. Sophistication is emphasised in smooth, highgloss surfaces and coldness is averted by juxtaposing these against the warmth and texture of light natural woods.
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reinterpretin
Implementation of ECD&F (Early Childhood Development & Family) centres is one of UNICEF Rwanda’s flagship projects. The result of an holistic approach to architectural interventions, strengthening mother-child relationship, the basic unit of Rwandan social organization, will hopefully form the catalyst of change and poverty reduction. Carefully integrated with the physical and cultural landscape of the country, they are thought of as material and systemic ecosystems balancing the relationship between communities and their surroundings.
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African project ECD&F Centres – Rwanda
ng tradition
SA, short for Active Social Architecture, represents the belief and commitment to he social value of architecture. The young practice, based in Kigali, Rwanda, works with different clients such as local and international NGO’s, social enterprises, UN agencies focused on both local and global communities.
Working with UNICEF Rwanda has offered the opportunity to develop and refine deas on how to build Early Childhood Development & Family centres, and test them at national level in 14 different locations, within very remote rural communities. t has been a unique opportunity to gather access to the different realities of the country, ountry, and particularly to test the replicability and adaptability of the design to
African project ECD&F Centres – Rwanda varying topographic constraints, scarce and limited material resources, and with a wide range of expertise provided by the implementing partners. Workshops have been organized to understand the most important themes in local community life, and the design has been upgraded three times between 2013 and 2016 according to the capacity building performed during the construction and management phases. The conceptual approach to the design rests on two pillars: it highlights the role of a central space as catalyst for community gathering, in a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional “urugo� settlement pattern; and it conceives a modular structure, where components can adapt to different terrains and situations, but originate always similar facilities, organized around the central space. Two main typologies are being tested throughout the ongoing construction: a circular plan and an S-shaped plan. Ideally the outcome of different aggregation of the modules, they are the result of the adaptation to varying topographies and plots. All have required adjustments and changes during the construction process, in an effort to source locally available materials and transport them to difficult and remote site locations, together with the challenge of reacting to different climatic and geological conditions, such as soil types and heavy rainfall. In both types, the five different basic elements, stimulation classrooms, multipurpose hall, open demonstration kitchen, admin block and sanitation facilities are small reinforced masonry structures, built with locally produced fired bricks, assembled with Flemish bonds and vertical reinforcement bars, to improve stability and avoid the use of concrete. The brick pattern and the multiple openings of varying size, placed at different heights contribute to the sensorial stimulation and the learning of small children, while providing natural lighting and cross ventilation. A continuous porch, covered in ceramic tiles, allows for a variety of covered outdoor spaces, for both learning and communal activities. The whole compound is fenced, and includes a dedicated area for playgrounds and kitchen gardens, and has an underground tank for rainwater harvesting. AD
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After one of the directors of Seattle Coffee Company visited the Red Bull head o where COA – Craft of Architecture had recently finished a new brand architectu outfit, he was so impressed by the striking finishes and interesting features in their space, that he approached COA to overhaul Seattle Coffee Company’s inte design. We chatted to Ian Gray, COA Partner and Barry Parker, Seattle Director, get the inside scoop on the project. Photographs by Frank Wendorff.
rebrand What was the brief? The original Seattle Coffee Company stores in the UK and South Africa featured large Mark Rothko graphics and bright chunky colours on the walls. This had suited the 90’s aesthetic, but Barry felt they needed to embrace a neutral palette, with a more modern and contemporary look. Seattle envisaged that the points of colour, the accents and the movement in these spaces was to come from the baristas and customers themselves. Since Seattle Coffee Company cafes are self-service and there are no waitresses, the interior design needed to show customers intuitively where to place their order and where to pick up their coffee, without having to resort to loud signs to communicate this. Each store needed to have the
African project Seattle Coffee – South Africa
seattle d roll-out
office ure
erior , to
espresso bar centre stage, where people were warmly drawn in to place their order with the baristas. Each store needed to have good flow, drawing people into the heart, and ensuring that seating was not crowded when people were waiting for their daily brew. The cafés needed to have varied seating choices, where customers could rub elbows at a communal farmstyle table, have a business meeting, watch the people walk by from a street-facing bar stool or even curl up on a comfy leather couch with a book. Seattle Coffee Company is a relatively small family-owned business, and not a large soulless franchise – they purchase the top 1% of Direct Trade beans in the world and hand-roast them in Cape Town. COA were asked to bring little touches of the journey that delicious coffee makes, from farm to cup, into the interior design of each unique cafe.
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African project Seattle Coffee – South Africa
What would you say is the most noticeable feature of the rebranding? I think the hot rolled steel. We spent a lot of time trying to work with this material and were happy with the result. Some of the elements like sandblasting the exposed concrete columns and then mixing this in with marble, which is quite a slick material, created a unique contrasting effect. I also love the copper lights which were custom made – almost every element in the design was custom made and has a touch of Seattle’s branding woven into the fabric of the space, so although it’s quite subtle you’ll see some of the cut outs and metal frames are actually the Seattle Coffee cup. What stands out is the mix of the raw materials against the slickness of the marble and glass. Cape Town has great buildings to work with as they have heritage and character including lots of raw brick. In some other regions you have to create a lot more as the natural character isn’t there. It has been easier in Cape Town to pull out the raw features such as the brickwork, beams, concrete slabs which they just don’t have in other areas.
What was the inspiration behind the design? Originally all the concept work was done by the three partners of COA – Michal Korycki, John van Wyk and myself (Ian Gray) and we conceptualised the original vision design document. John had just returned from a London trip where he had embarked on a coffee shop tour to gather inspiration from the new look coffee shops
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Located in the Gahanga District, Kigali, Rwanda, on a 4 Hectare site, the Eugene Gasana Jr. Foundation Paediatric Cancer Centre will provide a hospital and lodging facility for outpatients who need to reside close to the hospital, as well as residential housing for physicians and nurses. The centre is designed by Adjaye Associates.
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he design of the 100bed hospital draws on the traditional architectural vernacular of the region, expressed with a contemporary language. Utilising sustainable resources (to reduce operating costs for electricity over time),
architecture
and providing a soothing, open and restful environment for treatment, the building importantly, the brief called for a space that adds dignity and hope to the lives of th light have been key.
Inspired by the practice of Imigongo – a popular art form in Rwanda that is produc painted on walls, pottery and canvas – the design concept uses a geometric languag the mass is punctuated with three generous, lushly planted external courtyards, wh surrounds the three courtyard spaces, so that rooms have direct views to the exterio volumes knitted together. These increase in density or become more porous depend is protected from solar gain. The metallic screens sparkle in the sunlight and in tim around them, giving the sense of a living, organic building. AD
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African project Eugene Gasana Jr. Foundation Paediatric Cancer Centre – Rwanda
tecture for healing
g aims to promote healing and recovery for the children and their families. Most he children, hence elements like the views, lush planting and access to natural
ced from cow dung and includes often black, white and red patterned designs ge that plays with these traditional compositions. A large rectilinear form on plan, hich bring daylight deep inside. Arranged over three storeys, the accommodation or. The building is shaded by a system of screens that comprise triangular ding on orientation, so that the interior light is gently tempered and the building me will weather and blend with the planting – so that the vegetation grows in and africandesignmagazine.com
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Cancer centre for egypt Egypt’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) has unveiled plans for its new ninemillion-square-foot campus outside Cairo. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), the New National Cancer Institute will strengthen NCI’s position as the largest comprehensive cancer centre in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
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African project New National Cancer Institute – Egypt
he facility will allow the institute to deliver life-changing services to 1.7 million patients from all economic strata per year. It will also serve as an international nexus of cancer research, education, and discourse, enabling NCI to train new generations of practitioners and convene experts from around the world. “This project is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the National Cancer Institutes’ bold vision,” stated Mustafa K. Abadan, SOM Design Partner. “Our design of the campus reflects the institutes’ confidence that scientific discoveries can be made and lives changed by the interdisciplinary work taking place within its walls.” Construction is scheduled to commence by the end of 2015. The project is targeting LEED Gold and is designed to U.S. medical planning standards. When complete, the New National Cancer Institute will combine a 1 000-bed teaching hospital with an extensive outpatient centre. The campus will also include research, training, faculty, conference, its own specialized nursing institute, as well as a hotel and housing for both residents and students. SOM has envisioned the campus as a true community of caregivers, scientists, educators, and students, and its design unites the disciplines in the common cause of curing cancer for all. The New National Cancer Institute will be located on a gently sloping, 35-acre site in Giza’s Sheikh Zayed City, situated approximately 17 miles west of central Cairo. In conceiving the campus, SOM considered the client’s multifaceted vision, phasing flexibility, and the region’s climate simultaneously. The result is a unified system of functional modules (i.e. inpatient, out-patient, and research) organized among landscaped courtyards and connected by discrete visitor and staff circulation spines. These circulation spines also provide patients, visitors, and staff with access to a network of amenities that includes cafes, lounges, prayer rooms, retail, pediatric activity areas, and daycare. Staff circulation deserves special note, as this corridor efficiently traverses the entire campus while fostering informal and spontaneous interactions between colleagues and students: It exemplifies the overall organization system’s goal of creating both authentic cohesion and orderly separation for the campus. The centrepiece of the new campus is its paired in-patient and out-patient components, which total four million square feet. SOM divided the large in-patient hospital into six modules. africandesignmagazine.com
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African project New National Cancer Institute – Egypt These in-patient towers are bracketed by the circulation spines, and lush courtyards are inserted between them. Meanwhile, the out-patient facility comprises a sequence of four volumes interspersed with courtyards, whose common northern elevation faces the site’s primary access road in a welcoming composition of glass and light. Both in-patient and out-patient facilities connect to a multilevel diagnostic and treatment platform that includes a vast array of surgical, interventional, imaging, and radiationtherapy resources, such as linear and proton accelerators. Moreover, the entire hospital is situated above a massive support plinth. Taking advantage of the site’s sloping topography and a set of deeply penetrating courtyards, this underground world reaches six levels below grade. Stretching across the institutes’ entire site, it accommodates auxiliary clinical and research space, general building support, the central plant and distributed mechanical systems, and parking. Although fully integrated, the internal planning of the facility has been designed for a threestep phasing strategy to ensure an early start to this well-awaited community resource. The physical image of the campus reflects its rigorous planning, and expresses a conversation between vernacular and modern architecture. The functional building modules are clad in stone to convey strength and permanence, and courtyards throughout the campus build upon the local tradition of connecting occupants to shaded outdoor space. Meanwhile, the circulation spines’ faceted glass skins represent lightness and modernity, and both glass and stone surfaces feature abstract patterning inspired by historic Egyptian iconography. The scheme engenders familiarity and comfort, yet assures patients and visitors of the New National Cancer Institute’s state-of-the-art status. AD
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a simple sustainable solution
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Vernac Years a genera constru and mu water a to use. environ in the a lot of fi bricks.
African project Woman’s Centre – Tanzania
cular architecture in Tanzania is quickly disappearing due to modern influences. ago Maasai were forced into sedentary lifestyle after living as nomads for many ations. The building culture is rapidly changing and the search for sustainable uction is imposing itself even more. The traditional house made of wood sticks ud is often replaced by burned brick. Whereas sun dried mud is sensitive to and demands a lot of maintenance, the burned bricks are strong and easy . This new popular building material unfortunately results in nmental damages, mainly due to illegal deforestation, already semi-arid environment, since a fire wood is used to burn the .
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-re-aid strongly believes in sustainable and ecological building materials but also in a developing building culture where people can construct strong and healthy houses in an affordable way. They want to introduce an environmental compensation program. With the project the organization will show the community the possibilities of the bricks and teach them an environmental-friendly way of using them.
This first project is a woman’s centre located in the centre of the village. Currently the women groups have no place to store their documents and meet to arrange their businesses. Project location The project is located at Majimoto village in Arusha Tanzania. The village is about 20km from Arusha town. It is in a dry climate where they experience heavy rains from March-May. The rest of the months are dry and dusty. Design The ideas for the project were born out of several meetings with different groups of local people and included a meeting area that is protected from
African project Woman’s Centre – Tanzania the rain and sun. This can accommodate about 50 women, with simple and comfortable seats made out of stone. From the outside area you have access to a small office, a storage space and a shop which the women can manage themselves and which could generate new labour and economic opportunities. For the construction of the Centre several things have been taken into account which have affected the final design: • The use of local materials has been essential for the development of the project since, due to the low budget, the transport of materials from the city is not convenient. At the same time it has been very interesting to work with the raw materials available in nature. It has also contributed to the improvement of the local economy. • The use of the local workforce has contributed to the specialisation of craftmen. In rural areas the job of architect does not exist, seeing as the craftsmen are the only ones in charge of all the required work. That way the new techniques are embedded in their common knowledge and they can continue to be developed on subsequent construction sites. • The simplicity of the design is important as it allows them to replicate certain aspects in their own homes with few resources and materials (e.g. the stone benches that surround the meeting space or the safe and resourceful shop window). C-re-aid is a Tanzanian registered non-profit organization, established by Belgian architect Freya Candel. The organization explores the possibilities of architecture for people confronted with poverty. Through research they see how architecture can be a material as well as a social change – by means of a cultural and social meaningful design – for people that are vulnerable because of the conditions they find themselves in. The organization is active in Moshi, Northern Tanzania since 2012. Since 2016 there is a new branch in Nungwi, Zanzibar. C-re-aid realized over more than 25 projects. These projects focus on the design and the building of houses for families with different backgrounds and social relations. Although these projects differ strongly, they all focus on research on how material changes in someone’s environment are received. Project information • Total budget: 2100 Euro (including logistics, labour and materials) • Built in 17 work days • Team of 5 people (one construction supervisor, two bricklayers and student architecture) • Architects: Nancy Arbogast & Laia Garcia Fernandez • Materials used: Burned Bricks (fired bricks), River stones, Cement, Sand, Moram, Steel bars, Timber, Corrugated iron sheets AD africandesignmagazine.com
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floorin
Along with examining the top flooring trends of so far comment from three of South Africa’s top flooring Turn the page to
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FEATURE Flooring
ng in 2017
r 2017, this issue of African Design Magazine features g companies, Belgotex Floors, FloorworX and Sika. o find out more. africandesignmagazine.com
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Trends matter – even when it comes to the humble floor. In the world of interio on a house extension or refreshing an existing layout, it’s important not to for an article on www.househome.com.au, it might seem less significant than furn floor is the basis of your entire interior decorating
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or decades homeowners have had the options of hardwood flooring, car So let’s look to the year ahead and ask the question: ‘What are the trend 2017?’
Bamboo
In 2017, more will be said about advancing the ‘green’ cause than ever b to consider bamboo. Although it’s not exactly a novelty, what is new is t bamboo flooring comes in. Forget the image of a cuddly Panda chewing actually harder than hardwood when it’s dry – just be sure to keep it ou
Green carpet
If you want to think green but don’t want to take a leap into the world of bamboo, how about green carpet? The latest carpet trends are environmentally friendly and particularly soft, including recycled nylon and polyester, and the great news is that ‘green’ carpet comes in a range of fibre lengths and colours (even green actually).
‘New’ reclaimed wood
This is the trendy option for the ultimate in ‘old meets new’ vintage style flooring. New technologies are creating intricately detailed fake hardwood floors giving you that hand-made, timeless look but at a fraction of the cost of ‘real’ reclaimed wood.
A wooden kitchen
A big floor trend of 2017 will be wooden kitchen floors. That’s because interior decorators are positively loving putting together ‘great room’ concepts, combining living space with the kitchen, culminating in hardwood beneath your kitchen feet. An inexpensive route is a laminate version of the hardwood kitchen floor – basically a thin outer layer on top of the ‘core’ of the kitchen floor material. Be careful choosing types of timber flooring for kitchens. It needs to be durable and easy to clean.
Big tiles
Tiles, of course, are a tried and tested floor alternative, but here’s the tip for 2017: think big. This year, the huge range of tile options will only continue to grow, resulting in tiles that are just about any shape, size, pattern or material. To get really 2017 trendy, try really big tiles – we’re talking anything up to one metre square, with the easy-living benefit of not much grout to clean.
Luxury Vinyl
Finally, just because it’s 2017 and technology is speeding ahead at an astronomical rate, let’s introduce you to the idea that vinyl floors really are the future. Why’s that? Because they can do just about anything. If a photo of what you’re envisaging can be taken – we’re thinking beautiful, expensive hardwoods, or the most luxurious of marble – then it can be quite inexpensively produced in the form of a luxury vinyl tile that looks just like the real thing.
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or design, whether you’re working rget about the floor. According to nishings, layout and décor, but the theme
FEATURE Flooring
rpets, tiles and vinyl floors available. ds that will be setting floors alight in
before in history. So take a moment the range of styles and colours that g on soft bamboo, a bamboo floor is ut of the damp bathroom.
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FEATURE Flooring
BELGOTEX AWARDED SA’S FIRST CUSTOM INDUSTRIAL GREEN STAR RATING Belgotex Floors has been awarded 6 stars in South Africa’s first custom Green Star SA – Existing Building Performance (EBP) rating for an industrial facility from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).
Click here to watch the Belgotex video, “Striving for Sustainability”
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he outstanding 6 Star certification recognises “World Leadership” at its Pietermaritzburg-based factory for its sustainability practices in all aspects of their plant and carpet manufacturing operations. The Green Star SA -Existing Building Performance (EBP) rating tool is the foremost programme focusing on whole building operational performance over 12 months measured against eight key criteria for human and environmental health. For the first time ever, this EBP tool was customised to cater for the certification of an industrial facility in order to evaluate Belgotex’s factory. It was adapted by expert green building consultants Ecocentric, who together with the company’s comprehensive historic operational data and dedicated on- site sustainability team accelerated the process and enabled the company to achieve their certification in just 8 months.
Belgotex Floors achieved the 6 Green Star SA certification for implementing outstanding practical and measurable strategic solutions in the following areas: • Management: Building management, green cleaning performance, ongoing monitoring and metering and learning resources; • Indoor Environment Quality: Indoor air quality, lighting comfort, thermal comfort, occupant survey, acoustic comfort and daylight views; • Energy: Energy consumption, peak electricity demand; • Water: Potable water management;
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South Africa’s First Custom Industrial 6 Green Star Rating
Belgotex Floors is now recognised as a world leader in sustainable carpet manufacture, after receiving a prestigious 6 Green Star Rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa.
www.belgotexfloors.co.za
FEATURE Flooring
Opportunity Knocks on FloorworX’s DOOR Local flooring solutions provider, FloorworX, expands their business into the carpets and carpet tiles business by partnering with Tarkett for the DESSO® brand products.
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loorworX Africa, the only vinyl flooring manufacturer of semi-flexible and fullyflexible vinyl sheeting and tiles and supplier of the leading brands in laminate and engineered wood in South Africa today announced it would be expanding its product offering by including a complete range of carpet tiles, broadloom, woven and custom made carpets and carpet tiles. The company, which envisions to provide a one-stop solution to its customer’s every day, as well as special flooring needs, will tie up with Tarkett for the DESSO® brand products to manufacture and ship its products to South Africa.
“We are thrilled to partner with Tarkett for DESSO® products and to bring their local agent, Doret Botha, on board to showcase their products as part of a holistic FloorworX offering to user segments which include corporate, Government and private education and healthcare, leisure, residential homes, airlines and sports facilities”, says FloorworX MD, Dr. Donald Platt. “DESSO® products aim at delivering a much improved indoor environment, helping to maximise people’s health and wellbeing. This is driven by DESSO® innovation programme based on the three pillars of Creativity, Functionality and Cradle to Cradle design which underpins the shift to the regenerative circular economy.” DESSO® products are sold in more than 100 countries. Design excellence is a priority for DESSO® teams. They are inspired by the latest trends in areas such
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FEATURE Flooring
sika supplies specialist flooring When the owner of a truck repair workshop sought advice on first class protection for newly placed concrete floors, Sika’s Mervyn Naidoo recommended three products that conform to multiple international testing standards.
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he site of the project was F&M Salvage Contractors, a Pietermaritzburg business in whose panel shop heavy-duty vehicles are repaired. For this reason it was imperative that a robust, dust resistant environment was created. F & M Salvage contracted Westside Trading to apply the specified Sika products.
Preparations included diamond grinding the concrete floor area in order to create a smooth surface prior to the application of Sikafloor-161, a two-part, low viscosity, multi-purpose epoxy resin. Designed for priming concrete floors, cement screeds and epoxy mortars with low to medium absorbent surfaces, Sikafloor-161 is easy to apply with short waiting times and provides good penetration and excellent bond strength. It is suitable for use as an intermediate layer or as a binder for leveling mortars and mortar screeds. Sikafloor-263 SL ZA, an economical, two-part, multi-purpose binder based on epoxy resin, can be used as a self-smoothing or broadcast system for concrete and cement screeds with normal to medium heavy wear. As a self-smoothing wearing course on the floors of the panel shop, Sikafloor-263 SL ZA (Colour RAL 7035), was applied over the primer. To act as filler for bulking up and giving body to the epoxy Sikafloor-263 SL ZA was mixed with Sikafloor Quartsand SS2, a C Component. Sikafloor-263 SL ZA is easy to apply and provides a liquidproof, gloss finish with good chemical and mechanical resistance. Besides the floors needing a durable, dust-resistant surface, Sika recommended coating the walls with a textured system to help camouflage dirt and imperfections. Priming the walls was achieved using Sikafloor Garage (Light Grey – Extender T- 0.44kg), a twopart, water dispersed, odourless epoxy resinbased coating that is
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The interior of Sankt Petri (St Peter’s) Church in Klippan. The entire interior is made up of the same dark burned bricks from Helsingborg. A large iron cross supports vaults of the same brick. Image: T Deckler.
BRUTALLY BRILLIANT
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hannesburg architect, Thorsten Deckler right), ight), who feels that you can pretty much hing with facebrick, many people over the have felt differently about utilitarian brick crete. Including English poet, writer and r,, Sir John Betjeman who wrote a 10-stanza ed Slough which called for the destruction English town by the German Luftwaffe.
nter-war years the English town of Slough was used as a dumping ground for dant war materials and quite abruptly, just before World War 11, became the home dreds of ugly new concrete and brick factories. Betjeman was so struck by the ation caused by industrialisation and what he perceived as the “menace of things to that he was prompted to write the poem but later regretted its harshness.
ew’ trading estate appearance of Slough, however, was a foretaste of the Brutalist movement, which flourished from the 1950s to 1970s, and which has some severe amongst them Charles, Prince of Wales. His writings and speeches have often ondemning of the movement and in 1987 at a Corporation of London Planning and tion ion Committee annual dinner he said: “When they ( Luftwaffe) knocked down our didn’t replace with anything more offensive than rubble”.
everyone shares these Brutalist sentiments! Deckler who, together with his wife ner, runs a practice named 26’10 South Architects after the latitude of Johannesburg art a commitment to this rather fraught but exciting city - is a fan of brick.
many of us who grew up in the 70’s still have mixed feelings about suburban using, Deckler has less qualms professing to a “somewhat warm and fuzzy feeling ne and facebrick”.
sociate ociate these materials with both the happy homes I spent time in as well as a period nesty of materials was valued,” he explains. However, he admits that the opposite rue: ue: exposed brick deployed in an oppressive environment can lead to a strong the material.
me local and international architects that have worked with exposed brick who he ckler kler admits to being a fan of the Swedish Brutalist architect, Sigurd Lewerentz (1885 ocal architect, Jack Clinton. However, he wonders if, “Lewerentz fits the Brutalism ent”? In photographs his work might seem forbidding but Deckler, who recently m a trip to Sweden where he visited a number of Lewerentz projects, comments that visit isit his works, they feel humane, even friendly.”
o Deckler, Lewerentz used brick in a gripping manner which is witnessed in many s from the Eneborg housing project which called for construction in the local dark two world renowned Swedish churches, St Peter’s in Klippan and St Mark’s in Sweden. Both churches show his investment in brick as a material and his mastery of
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click here to see Adjaye Associates’ projects
Sir David F Adjaye is Culture, loc Salaam, Tan Yemen and L South Bank U
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FEATURE Architect profile
Frank Adjaye OBE RA (born September 1966) is a Ghanaian British architect. s the lead designer of the National Museum of African American History and cated on the National Mall in Washington, DC. David Adjaye was born in Dar es nzania. The son of a Ghanaian diplomat, David Adjaye lived in Tanzania, Egypt, Lebanon before moving to Britain at the age of nine. He earned a BA at London University, before graduating with an MA in 1993 from the Royal College of Art.
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djaye Associates was established in June 2000 by founder and principal architect, Sir David Adjaye OBE. Receiving ever-increasing worldwide attention, the firm has offices in London, New York and completed work in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Two of the practice’s largest commissions to date are the design of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington D.C. and the Moscow School of Management (SKOLKOVO). Further projects range in scale from private houses, exhibitions, and temporary pavilions to major arts centres, civic buildings, and masterplans. Renowned for an eclectic material and colour palette and a capacity to offer a rich civic experience, the ffer in form and style, yet are unified by their ability to generate new typologies and a wide cultural discourse.
works include: the regenerative Morning Lane Arches retail corridor in Hackney, 6); Sugar Hill museum and housing development in Harlem, New York (2015); the dation ation arts and shopping complex in Beirut, Lebanon (2015); Alara Concept Store in ia (2014); Marian Goodman Gallery, London (2014); the Ethelbert Cooper Gallery d African American Art at the Hutchins Centre, Harvard University (2014); two od libraries in Washington DC (2012); the Stephen Lawrence Centre in London useum of Contemporary Art in Denver (2007); Rivington Place Gallery in London Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo (2005); and the Idea Stores in Tower Hamlets, London 05) – two pioneering community libraries in London’s Tower Hamlets.
t projects include: One Berkeley Street, a £600 million mixed-use residential nt in London’s prestigious Piccadilly area; a new home for The Studio Museum New ew York; offices for the International Financial Corporation in Dakar, Senegal; a e Linda Pace Foundation in San Antonio, TX; and a regenerative cultural campus Tel Aviv’s disused former central bus station.
2009, David Adjaye was selected as a team of architects, which included the Freelon s Brody Bond and SmithGroup, to design the $500 million new National Museum merican History and Culture, a Smithsonian Institution museum, on the National hington, ington, D.C. His design features a crown motif from Yoruba sculpture.
hining light
atch tch Inside the National Museum of African American History & Culture africandesignmagazine.com
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Reviews
BOOK REVIEW
A
How to Build a Tiny House
s the ‘tiny house’ trend shows no sign of abating, Pin Up Houses is proud to present to you our first book guide on DIY tiny house construction How to Build a Tiny House. Step-bystep guidance, illustrations, photographs and more, everything you wanted to know about small houses and their building process. Inside you will find:
• Why owning a small house and not being exposed to the risk of personal bankruptcy is an advantage • A step-by-step process from foundations to the roof or about connecting your house to public services • Detailed illustrations and photographs for easily navigating the individual construction stages • Understanding the global construction material supply market and choosing the most suitable material • How to fix basic failures on your building • How to understand the basic tiny house typology • And much, much more…
AUTHOR: Joshua Woodsman FORMAT: Hard Copy/E-Book PAGES: 276 pages Click here to buy the book
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In Closing
aFRICA’S MOST talented architects
Africa is a land under construction. It’s full of brilliant most talented and exciting architects. In celebration of that knowledge, we take a look at some of Africa’s most exciting contemporary architects (from 2015).
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