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Adaptive reuse exemplified A former tower block in the Johannesburg CBD, which once housed Transnet’s offices, has been transformed into high-quality affordable housing by Savage + Dodd Architects. PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED
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nion Square is a 19-storey office building with three basements located at 80 Plein Street in Johannesburg’s CBD, opposite the Noord Street Taxi rank. It was built in 1969 for the Union Ground Corporation and served as Transnet’s offices for many years. After they moved to the Carlton Centre in 2000, the building stood vacant for some time before it was transferred to the Housing Development Agency (HDA), which was tasked with taking stock of state-owned property and buildings and allowing other government entities to re-develop them. Heather Dodd of Savage + Dodd Architects says she first visited the building when the Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC) was interested in buying it in 2009, although nothing came of its initial interest. Several years later, in 2014, the building was transferred to the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco). “We were placed on the Joshco panel in 2014 and then were allocated Union Square,” says Dodd. Union Square is well located in terms of proximity to public transport and to public open space, particularly Joubert Park. It is also close to amenities such as shops and schools, all of which
placed it well for residential use, particularly catering to the affordable inner-city rental market with potential to help fulfil Joshco’s mandate with the COJ to reach deeper down the housing affordability ladder. “The objective of the project was to provide decent, highquality, affordable and well-located housing units to individuals and families in alignment with the City of Johannesburg’s inner-city housing frameworks and urban regeneration strategies,” says Dodd. The project was funded by the City of Johannesburg (COJ) and Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) and aligned with the City of Johannesburg’s inner-city housing frameworks and urban regeneration strategies. The building had a typical narrow office wing width of 12m, with a north-south orientation, which made it ideal for conversion into residential units with double aspect. The floors from the first to the 19th floor each accommodate 18 residential units, with the inclusion of social amenities, and the ground floor was maintained as retail space. Continued next page
26 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN APRIL/MAY 2021
