Leading Architecture & Design December 2020/January2021

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DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

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THE BRIEF

BY E DI TO R G RAH AM WO O D

ED'S NOTE

>

In many ways, the selection of projects we have featured in this issue of the magazine prompts a consideration of the kind of crossroads at which we find ourselves. There are offices, hotels, a gym. Most of them push the envelope in some way – it’s one of the things we look for in the projects we select and feature. Most of them, too, have a question mark hanging over them. What, after all, is the future of the office, hotel or gym? These are the kinds of buildings and spaces that have stood empty for a large part of this year. Under lockdown, offices were abandoned as we were all sent to work from home. As travel and tourism ground to a halt, hotels were closed.

Gyms, too, were out of bounds as we either became unfit, took to the street to exercise during designated hours, or adapted to home workouts. As we gradually resume some of our ordinary activities, and inhabit these spaces again, how have our requirements changed? What do we demand from these types of buildings, and how are they adapting? Some of those questions are easier to answer than others – in the case of Park Lane West, a new office building in Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, we see that a co-working model is being adopted, rather than renting space to traditional tenants. In the case EDITOR’S of Towers Main – the reinvention of one

BOOK

of the icons of the Joburg skyline – we see a new urbanism taking hold in the CBD, making cities healthier and safer. The way in which One on Whitely – hotels and apartments – integrates with its setting in Melrose Arch exemplifies something similar in the suburbs. And the sports centre at Gold Coast Estate Sibaya on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast not only encourages the openness and airiness necessary for healthy buildings – actually animating the breeze with its kinetic façade – but also plays a role in catalysing a healthy outdoor lifestyle throughout the estate and precinct beyond. So while they might look superficially similar to pre-pandemic buildings, we are noticing changes – or a shift in emphasis in the way we look at buildings, at least. And for a reminder of how individual buildings change cities, look no further than Kingsway Tower in Lagos – a striking vision of the future of one of the world’s fastest-growing cities. But perhaps what our built environment shows us most of all, is that the future is already here. We inhabit the buildings and cities we will in a year’s time, and probably in a decade’s time, too.

It’s how we learn to inhabit them that matters.

Subscribe to Leading Architecture & Design >

Email: Felicity.Garbers @newmedia.co.za Tel: +27 (0)78 758 6227

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R300.00 for 6 issues (SA postage only, including VAT).

Graham

SHELF

THE ARCHITECTURE OF PETER RICH: CONVERSATIONS WITH AFRICA

JOHANNESBURG 2020 AND AHEAD

BY GERALD GARNER

BY JONATHAN NOBLE

Internationally renowned, Peter Rich’s career represents a lifelong attempt to find a contemporary, yet uniquely African mode of design. This book follows the chronology of his work, which emerges from a fascination with African indigenous settlements, including his documentation, publication and exhibition of Ndebele art and architecture, and his friendship with sculptor Jackson Hlungwani. It explores what Rich calls “African Space Making” and its forms of complex symmetry; various collaborative community-oriented designs of the Apartheid and post-Apartheid period, especially Mandela’s Yard in Alexandra township; and finally, his more recent timbrel vaulted structures, constructed from low-tech hand-pressed soil tiles derived from his highly innovative and award-winning work at Mapungubwe. The book shows how Rich combines African influences with an environmental awareness aligned to modernist principles. www.lundhumphries.com

8 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

Written during lockdown levels 5 and 4, Gerald Garner, author of Spaces & Places – Johannesburg, interrogates the future of Johannesburg in a post-COVID-19 world. He provides background on the context of Johannesburg society and analyses the major changes that can be expected in terms of urban living – and therefore urban planning and design.

Garner goes on to provide a roadmap for the sustainable regeneration of the inner-city, stating that urban, neighbourhood living is presenting an exceptional opportunity for the reshaping of the Johannesburg inner-city for the better. Johannesburg 2020 and Ahead should be of interest to any passionate Joburg enthusiast, but especially so to policymakers, planning and design professionals, property entrepreneurs, politicians, public servants, and anyone else playing a role as a custodian of our urban environment. Written in an accessible style but underpinned by city planning, design and management theory and best practice, Johannesburg 2020 and Ahead is simply must-read material. The print book contains full-colour photography and contemporary graphic design by Carina Comrie. It is the perfect corporate or personal gift for any city enthusiast. www.joburgplaces.com/books/

Johannesburg Marriott Hotel, Melrose Arch. Architect: Bentel Associates International. Interior Design: Bentel Associates International in association with Source IBA. Oggie Oak Herringbone, Living grade with WOCA Denmark UV White Oil.

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CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2020 // JANUARY 2021 p12

FIRST DRAFT

08 THE BRIEF Editor’s note and book review.

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

Lagos is a place that doesn’t have any time for nostalgia. It’s constantly renewing itself to cope with the capacity that is required.

Greg Truen, SAOTA, Kingsway Tower [p12]

ON SITE

40 WATER MANAGEMENT

BLUEPRINT 12 KINGSWAY TOWER Kingsway Tower in Lagos, Nigeria, designed by SAOTA, is a new architectural landmark reflecting the importance of this emerging market in a global context.

16 ONE ON WHITELEY

p22

28 GOLD COAST ESTATE SIBAYA SPORTS FACILITY The new Sports Facility at the Gold Coast Estate Sibaya, designed by Craft of Architecture, makes a striking contribution to the climatically responsive regional tradition.

This new mixed-use development, comprising a hotel and multi-level apartment building, designed by Bentel Associates International, is seamlessly integrated with the Melrose Arch precinct.

32 PARK LANE WEST

22 TOWERS MAIN

36 HI HOTEL, MONTECASINO

The redeveloped Towers Main building in the Johannesburg CBD

by AMA Architects is part of a larger spatial transformation that aims to rejuvenate the city.

moduBiLD, a unique modular construction method, was recently used to assemble Tsogo Sun’s hi-MONTE hotel at Montecasino in Johannesburg.

EDITORIAL EDITOR: Graham Wood email: graham.wood@newmedia.co.za SUB EDITOR: Anita van der Merwe LAYOUT & DESIGN: Julia van Schalkwyk PHOTOGRAPHY Unless previously agreed in writing, Leading Architecture & Design owns all rights to all contributions, whether image or text.

SOURCES: Shutterstock, supplied images, editorial staff.

COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Joggie Botha ADVERTISING ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE: Johan van Heerden | Cell: 082 887 6627 email: johan.vanheerden@newmedia.co.za SUBSCRIPTIONS Felicity Garbers email: felicity.garbers@newmedia.co.za

Park Lane West at Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, designed by Boogertman + Partners, makes a sleek addition and sustainable, forward-looking contribution to the precinct.

Iconic sanitaryware brand Cobra has launched a revolutionary virtual showroom.

42 DOORS & WINDOWS From elegant matte black architectural door hardware to touch-free automated entrance solutions.

46 ROOFING & CLADDING Innovative roofing from recycled plastic, high-tech façade cladding and eco-friendly insulation.

52 LANDSCAPING Outdoor architecture solutions from lighting and paving to pool covers.

66 FEATURED DESIGN Emerging designer Khosi Leteba has launched his Bodulo Bench in collaboration with Wiid Design and Nando’s Clout.

PUBLISHING TEAM GENERAL MANAGER: Dev Naidoo PUBLISHING MANAGER: Sandra Ladas email: sandra.ladas@newmedia.co.za PRODUCTION MANAGER: Angela Silver ART DIRECTOR: David Kyslinger

MANAGEMENT TEAM CEO, NEW MEDIA: Aileen Lamb COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Maria Tiganis BRAND STRATEGY DIRECTOR: Andrew Nunneley CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Venette Malone CEO, MEDIA24: Ishmet Davidson

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© Copyright Leading Architecture & Design Magazine 2020 Published by New Media, a division of Media24 (PTY) Ltd www.leadingarchitecture.co.za

Printed by

, a division of Novus Holdings

While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of its contents and information given to readers, neither the editor, publisher, or its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom. All rights reserved. © Leading Architecture. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.

10 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

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BLUEPR I NT

New Lagos landmark Kingsway Tower in Lagos, Nigeria, designed by SAOTA, is a new architectural landmark reflecting the importance of this emerging market in a global context.

PHOTOGRAPHY ADAM LETCH

K

ingsway Tower in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria is a landmark mixed-use building set on a prominent corner on Alfred Rewane Road, an arterial road that bisects the city, leading north towards the airport and south to the Victoria Island. Designed by South African architects SAOTA, Kingsway Tower is 15 storeys high.

It has a basement, a two-level retail podium, a parking podium and 12 office floor levels.

Not only does the design of Kingsway Tower introduce new architectural ideas to Lagos – the economic centre of Nigeria and one of the fastest growing cities in the world – but it is also uncompromisingly world-class in its quality and execution, reflecting the importance of this emerging market in a global context.

Located in Ikoyi, a prestigious residential neighbourhood, Alfred Rewane Road and its surrounds have been rezoned to create a mixed-use corridor, resulting in a boom in office and hotel developments. Much of the development in Lagos, however, has a fairly anonymous character, generally following a standard commercial model with concrete slab and curtain wall façades.

“We wanted to design a building that made direct references to the fact that it was in Lagos, with a façade that responded to the local climatic conditions,” says SAOTA Director Greg Truen, lead architect on the project.

The distinctively swollen, billowing form of the tower subtly references the square sails of the traditional boats on Lagos Lagoon, while conveying the effect of the gentle breeze that characterises the climatic conditions of the city.

The tower rises above a wavy canopy with a ‘woven’ pattern on its underside, reminiscent of fabric caught in the breeze. The canopy sweeps around a two-level retail podium, providing shelter at street level and lifting invitingly towards the entrance at the most prominent corner.

The folded, perforated aluminium screens on the tower’s outer façade are primarily responsible for the building’s iconic identity. SAOTA was, however, careful to avoid direct or literal metaphorical equivalencies. They preferred to abstract the inspiration for its patterning – tropical vegetation, especially palm trees, along the tropical lagoons in and around the city – so that the building seems

12 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

simply ‘of its place’, appropriate to the climate and economy in its aesthetics, practicalities and performance, rather than asserting overt cultural references.

The screens on the outer façade are arranged in multiple layers, creating a porous, permeable façade with depth and a sculptural quality, that, as Truen puts it, casts “interesting shadows internally as the layers shift against each other”.

Unlike typical European and American towers in the modernist tradition, the façade treatment is configured more like a shopfront than a curtain wall. “The slab projects past the glass face,” says Truen. The aluminium screen is positioned at the end of the slab, which not only improves the passive performance of the building by reducing the solar load, but it also allows access around the perimeter for easy cleaning and maintenance.

“The other climatic response was to position the building with the short façades facing east-west, and the long façades north and south,” says Truen. “The sun gets into the sky very quickly in Lagos, so you’re dealing with a heat load that is coming from a fairly

PRO J EC T # 1 KIN GSWAY TOWE R

Above: The distinctively swollen, billowing form of Kingsway Tower in Lagos, Nigeria, subtly references the square sails of the traditional boats on Lagos Lagoon.

Far left: The perforated aluminium screens on the tower’s outer façade are an abstract interpretation of the patterns and shadows created by palm fronds.

Left: The bold cone-shaped canopy over the reception desk has an impact even from the street outside the building.

Continued next page

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 13

>> B LU EPRINT

vertical angle. The combination of the overhangs, the shading devices and the north-south elevations is very effective.”

The street level façade below the curved canopy is populated with publicly accessible spaces, tying it meaningfully to its context and presenting a highly open visual connection to the street and sidewalk, particularly on the prominent corner of Glover and Alfred Rewane Roads. At night, LED lighting enhances the impression of openness and accessibility, not to mention its visual impact.

“It was important to activate the street corner and give it a presence,” says Truen.

This approach is unusual in Lagos, where most buildings present blank walls and fences to the street, severing them from

PRO J EC T # 1 KIN GSWAY TOWE R

their surroundings and doing little or nothing to enhance the quality of the streetscape and shared public space around them. SAOTA hopes that this intervention will catalyse positive change while making a contribution to the urban fabric immediately around it.

The interior architecture and design of the lobby picks up on the diagonal grid-like element of the canopy, expressed in the panelling as faceted timber triangular elements folded around a diagonal axis. This sculptural approach and simple patterning, along with the use of readily available materials, allowed for all of the joinery to be sourced and built locally.

The bold cone-shaped canopy over the reception desk has an impact from beyond the building, creating interest from the street

outside. Like the façade, the interior lobby treatment renders more detail and interest as you approach it.

The power supply in Lagos is erratic, and municipal services such as water and sewage are limited or absent. As a result, in addition to passive energy solutions that significantly reduce the requirement for air-conditioning and providing ample natural lighting, all servicing – water supply and treatment, backup power generation and sewage treatment – is provided on site.

The rapid growth of Lagos, with a population upward of 20 million people and climbing, places unique demands on the city and its architecture. “It’s a place that doesn’t have any time for nostalgia,” says Truen. “It’s

constantly renewing itself to cope with the capacity that is required.”

In this context, Kingsway Tower aims to inaugurate a new design narrative, addressing the city’s unique demands and challenges while reflecting both local and global confidence, an approach affirmed by Kingsway Tower’s first tenant, international computer software and technology company Microsoft.

Tel: +27 (0)21 425 0065 Email: media@sutherlandengineers.com www.sutherlandengineers.com

PROFESSIONAL TEAM DESIGN ARCHITECTS: SAOTA SAOTA PROJECT TEAM: Greg Truen, Teswill Sars, Adrian Monger, Michael Wentworth, Henry Abosi, Kier Bothwell, Dov Goldring and Andrew Cunningham LEAD ARCHITECTS: Consultant’s Collaborative Partnership (CCP) PROJECT MANAGER: Gabonn and Cachez Turnkey Projects ENGINEERS: Sutherland Engineers and Consultant’s Collaborative Partnership (CCP) CONTRACTOR: ITB Nigeria Ltd QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Costcare LANDSCAPING: Hermon Empor Landscape Ltd

The street level façade below the curved canopy presents a highly open visual connection to the street and sidewalk, tying it meaningfully to its context and enhancing the quality of the streetscape around the building.

14 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

>> B LU EPRINT

An inclined seven-storey glazed curtain wall provides a distinct identity even as it has an aesthetic affinity with the greater Melrose Arch precinct.

16 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

PRO J EC T #2 O N E O N WH ITE LE Y

One on Whiteley and mixed-use development This new mixed-use development, comprising a new 5-star Johannesburg Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments Johannesburg, and a multilevel apartment building, is seamlessly integrated with the existing principles of New Urbanism already established in the Melrose Arch precinct.

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BENTEL ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL

T

he iconic Marriott Hotel, in tandem with a similarheight One on Whiteley Apartment building (OoW), encloses a common landscaped courtyard for the private use of these two buildings.

Additionally, a double-volume perimeter retail component was envisioned to create a more human-scale interface with the public at street level, and to expand the existing retail/commercial offering within the Melrose Arch precinct. Initially foreseen as a series of separate retail elements, the OoW development now includes a single large tenant in Daytona – a luxury vehicle showroom.

The Johannesburg Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments has an aesthetic affinity with the greater precinct, but expressed in materials that provide a distinct identity. These include an inclined seven-storey glazed curtain wall, triple-volume sky-lit atriums, Juliet balconies, a glazed scenic lift and off-shutter concrete features.

Continued next page

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 17

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The concept for the design and planning of the OoW component of the building was led by two major influences: a central courtyard and the sweeping city views of the Johannesburg and Sandton CBDs. An elevated first floor enhances the extensive views and sense of sanctuary. Apartments of various sizes wrap the inner and outer façades, offering every apartment a unique and striking view.

The Marriott Hotel is divided into three distinct vertical zones.

The multi-volume lower ground and ground floor host the public facilities, such as the Keystone Bistro, The Archer Bar & Eatery Bar, all-day dining, meeting rooms, boardrooms and four-salon ballroom, which can be accessed

from either basement parking or from the adjacent precinct. The majority of the back-of-house kitchen, staff and maintenance facilities are also housed on these two levels, with a ‘race-track’ type design developed around the public facilities to allow staff access to these facilities without having to cross public spaces.

Level 1, although also a guestroom floor, provides access to the private gym, internal landscaped courtyard, swimming pool and pool bar. Levels 2 to 5 accommodate the rest of the guestrooms.

Levels 6 to 8 are exclusively for long-stay guests in Marriott Executive Apartments (MEA) in either 1-bed, 2-bed or 3-bed

configurations, which mimic residential units with separate kitchens and lounges. The MEA guests have access to the same facilities as the hotel guests, but access for guests to levels 1 to 5 or 6 to 8 are strictly access controlled.

A central corridor with dual loaded apartments forms the spine of the OoW Apartment building. The eight levels of apartments range from studio and 1-bedroom, to larger 2- and 3-bedroom offerings.

The ground floor hosts the primary access and concierge where residents and visitors can access directly off Whiteley Road. Two more central cores punctuate the building, connecting all eight floors to the secure, multi-level parking facility, providing quick and direct

access for the residents.

The central landscaped courtyard is situated a few steps down from the first floor, offering these courtyard-facing apartments, a more private vista of the pool and sculpted gardens.

Off-shutter concrete and anthracite-tinted glazing feature prominently in the aesthetic of the hotel, which frames the silhouette of the building at roof level, as well as a horizontal distinction between the public spaces below and the guestrooms above. Dramatic eightstorey high shear concrete walls create visual bookends to the hotel, and visually separate the hotel from the apartments.

The SE corner double-glazed unitised curtain wall inclines outwards at 3.5° with the floorplate increasing accordingly, while the NE corner curtain wall is vertical.

The ground floor has a combination of folding stacking doors, sliding doors, weather-tight vestibules, frameless glass shopfronts, atrium skylights, and a 25m-wide 9m cantilevered glass and aluminium porte-cochere. This theme of expressed raw materials continues internally in the smoked glass balustrades, feature stair and scenic lift, as well as copper wall cladding and wrought iron doors with alternating glass fretwork.

Vertical and horizontal lines to the OoW Apartments are accentuated with the use of a Continued next page

The interior fitout of the hotel makes use of a natural palette including copper, brass, leatherlook porcelain tiles, engineered timber planks, off-shutter concrete and textured wallpaper.

18 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

PRO J EC T #2 O N E O N WH ITE LE Y

The central landscaped courtyard was one of the major influences that led the building's design. Courtyard-facing apartments have private views of the pool and sculpted gardens.

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 19

>> B LU EPRINT wrap-around aluminium canopy at ground floor, and a bevelled off-shutter crest at roof level delineate the functions happening within. The ground-floor showroom is deluged with light from the 7m-high frameless glazing system.

Similarly, floor-to-floor glazed sliding doors and oversized windows accentuate the views.

Glazed balustrades provide an unobstructed connection between inside and outside. The façade plays with colour and relief in the vertical bands, which dissect the horizontal axis.

The building as a whole epitomises a modern, sophisticated look with a combination of brushed aluminium cladding and powdercoated steel to the external feature elements of solar shading, porte-cochere, entrance vestibule and external covered walkways.

This is complemented by the use of steel-and-glass balustrades, and a mixture of off-shutter and hammertone concrete feature columns.

Utmost care has been taken to ensure that the double-volume ground-floor spaces are visually accessible to the public externally, with uninterrupted expanses of frameless glass used wherever possible. Internally, the interior fit-out of the Hotel in particular makes use of a very natural palette, including copper, brass, leatherlook porcelain tiles, engineered timber planks, off-shutter concrete and textured wallpaper.

In the apartment interiors, selected feature surfaces and zones are covered in additional finishes in a monochromatic style. The use of textured tiles, natural stone and timber add further detailing.

Specialised Fire Technology (Pty) Ltd 257 Smit Street, Fairland, 2195 Tel: +27 (0)11 476 7420 Fax: +27 (0)11 476 7486

PRO J EC T #2 O N E O N WH ITE LE Y PROFESSIONAL TEAM CLIENT: Amdec Property Developments ARCHITECT (HOTEL): Bentel Associates International ARCHITECT (APARTMENTS): Osmond Lange Architects & Planners PROJECT MANAGER AND PRINCIPAL AGENT Amdec Property Developments QUANTITY SURVEYOR: D’Arcy Hedding PROGRAMME & TIME MANAGERS: Orion Project Managers CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Sutherland ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Anderson Consulting Engineers WET SERVICES ENGINEER: Sutherland HVAC ENGINEER: Acend Consulting Engineers TRAFFIC ENGINEER: Arup FIRE CONSULTANT: Specialised Fire Technology SPECIALIST LIGHTING: Pamboukian lightdesign ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT: Mtshali Moss Projects Africa KITCHEN CONSULTANT: KDH Catering Design Concepts VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION: Proj-i-Tech INTERIOR DESIGN (HOTEL): Bentel Associates International; Source Interior Brand Architecture LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Daniel Rebel Landscape Architects MAIN CONTRACTOR: Group 5/ Tri-Star Construction

Tel: +27 (0)11 784 5221 Cell: +27 (0)83 625 3820 Email: kmcpherson@orionpm.co.za www.orionpm.co.za

20 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

Email: office@aceng.co.za Tel: +27 (0)10 593 4470 www.aceng.co.za

Tel: +27 (0)12 346 1001 Email: antonf@acend.co.za www.acend.co.za

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An icon renewed The redeveloped Towers Main building in the Johannesburg CBD designed by AMA Architects for the Divercity Urban Property Fund is part of a larger spatial transformation that aims to rejuvenate the city and create lively, mixed-income communities and a top quality workplace in the inner city.

PHOTOGRAPHY JOGGIE BOTHA AND SUPPLIED

22 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

PRO J EC T #3 TOWE RS MAI N

At 30 storeys high, the Towers Main building, rejuvenated

by Divercity and designed by AMA Architects, is South Africa’s 10th tallest building and a prominent feature of Johannesburg's iconic city skyline.

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T

he Towers Main building, at 30 storeys high, forms an essential part of the iconic Johannesburg City Skyline. Completed in 1979, the building has stood unoccupied for several years, waiting for an extremely brave developer to breathe new life into South Africa’s 10th tallest building.

In 2018, the newly launched Divercity Urban Property Fund became those brave developers, investing R2bn in the Johannesburg CBD as part of their strategy to create thriving mixed-use inner-city precincts. This investment, the largest in the Johannesburg CBD for some years, focused on the redevelopment of the iconic Towers Main building and Jewel City precinct adjacent to Maboneng.

The redevelopment represents a powerful manifestation of ongoing efforts to claw back the Johannesburg central business district from the socially and economically debilitating effects of neglect, grime and crime.

Social and economic transformation in South Africa is intimately dependant on the spatial transformation of our cities. By focusing on transforming our inner cities into lively, mixed-income communities, the regeneration of this tower in an established urban node allows for the creation of communities that reduce disparities in income by facilitating more frequent interactions between people that have means and people without.

This node also facilitates the activation of a rare public space in the city, enforcing the notion that streets are an extension of the living and working environment.

This truly mixed-used building enables Divercity and Absa to simultaneously consolidate their innercity office space, while also fulfilling their vision of contributing to the community and providing an impetus for the rejuvenation of this part of the CBD. Rather than catering for gentrified high-end luxury apartments, the scheme provides 20 floors of muchneeded low-cost economic residential accommodation in Johannesburg. This translates into 518 apartments (ranging from 16m2 studios to 51m2 two-bed units) atop of nine floors of office space.

The public ground floor is activated with the commercial and residential receptions, coffee shop, recreational areas, a crèche and a public square with planted enclaves and integrated public transport facilities. The two mixes are deliberately integrated on this level to ensure an interaction between people of various means to allow for diversity, opportunity and prosperity. This high-end commercial and low-cost

Above: The existing façade had long surpassed its lifetime serviceability and a new world-class curtain wall system was designed for the commercial façade.

24 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

residential tenant mix is a completely unique situation, which will undoubtedly have a positive social impact on those living within the Absa precinct.

The ground floor also houses the Absa Art Gallery, containing many of South Africa’s most prominent artists, with Absa also generously committing to installing several public sculptures throughout the piazza.

The rejuvenation of Johannesburg is largely dependent on activated public spaces where the streets become an extension of the home and office, and therefore the piazza is viewed as a ‘Village Park’ – an urban oasis that provides a variety of seating spaces, bleacher auditorium seating, planting, art and sculpture available to all citizens. The city’s upgrade on Main Street further strengthens the success of the piazza by introducing much-needed traffic calming measures to create a comfortable pedestrian-friendly environment.

Residents have exclusive access to their own secure clubhouse on the 15th floor. Along with enviable views over the city skyline, this level offers occupants access to a fully equipped business centre, gym, playground and outdoor entertainment area. A rooftop laundry and drying yard completes the comprehensive list of services residents have access to in this mixed-use scheme.

Denser urban living residences nearer to work opportunities is highlighted as an essential strategy to ensure limiting carbon emissions.

Despite the challenge of providing cost-effective construction to ensure that low-income units could be provided, the development ensured that all new

PRO J EC T #3 TOWE RS MAI N Below: The building has been radically transformed through the complete reuse and repair of the existing structure.

Bottom: The public ground floor is activated with the commercial and residential receptions, coffee shop, recreational areas and a crèche.

systems were implemented with efficiency and longterm sustainability in mind.

Through the complete reuse and repair of the existing structure, the building has been radically transformed into a compliant and safe structure.

The existing façade had long surpassed its lifetime serviceability, and the new façades were carefully designed to be able to be completed without the use of scaffolding and still provide a compliant skin for the new occupants.

The commercial façade implements a world-class curtain wall system. For the residential façade, lightweight steel-framed panels were prefabricated to allow for eleven thousand square metres of façade to be completed within four months.

The pixelated vortex pattern of the residential façade is a fresh urban addition to the Johannesburg skyline, bringing colour and vibrancy to it.

The building completely reused an existing derelict and abandoned concrete structure – rather than demolition, this is the ultimate response to sustainability.

The Absa offices achieve a four-star design rating from GBCSA, with dedicated recycling areas, fuel-efficient parking bays, and new double-glazing replacing the outdated original façade.

Beyond the redevelopment of Towers Main, the scheme also fits into the larger Divercity Property Fund urban vision to integrate the Absa precinct with other key nodes in the city, including Maboneng and the recently completed Jewel City development.

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Through active involvement in the City Improvement Districts (CIDs), the CID Forum, the Inner City Partnership and the Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association, the links along the Main Street corridor to Carlton Centre and Ghandi Square have also been upgraded and strengthened.

As a result, the project is uniquely positioned to bring the success of Maboneng collaborative hub to the Absa precinct, thereby activating a much larger urban live, work and play environment.

PROJ EC T #3 TOWE RS MAI N PROFESSIONAL TEAM: CLIENT: Divercity Urban Property Fund DEVELOPERS: Ithemba & Atterbury ARCHITECTS: AMA Architects QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Kaofela STRUCTURAL & CIVIL: WSP MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC & WET

Tel: +27 (0)11 807 7505 Email: adrian@amagroup.co.za www.amagroup.co.za

SERVICES ENGINEERS: WSP in Africa FIRE ENGINEER: Fenco SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT: WSP LIFT CONSULTANT: Solutions for Elevating LANDSCAPING: CPLD Landscape Architects HEALTH & SAFETY: Cairnmead MAIN CONTRACTOR: WBHO & MOTHEO Joint Venture

Tel: +27 (0)11 361 1300 Email: Adri.Metzer@wsp.com www.wsp.com/en-ZA

Along with enviable views over the city skyline, the 15th floor offers occupants access to a fully equipped business centre, gym, playground and outdoor entertainment area.

26 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

Tel: +27 (0)82 941 7100 Office: +27 (0)12 346 5752 Email: christof@cairnmead.co.za www.cairnmead.com

SkyJacks was privileged to support the WBHO / Motheo Joint Venture on this exciting Divercity Urban Renewal project. As the most recognised name in Suspended Access, SkyJacks provided the solution to enable the existing building façade to be removed and replaced. Custom designed 10m platforms were suspended from the steel structure at the top of the building providing safe and economical access.

For over 40 years South Africa has been trusting us to provide innovative solutions to working at height and today, the name SkyJacks has become synonymous with suspended access. In partnership with Sky ClimberÂŽ we also design, manufacture and install a wide range of Building Maintenance Units and Permanent Installations.

Contact us today on 0113972730 or visit www.skyjacks.co.za

>> B LU EPRINT The sports facility at the Gold Coast Estate Sibaya is nestled into the landscape and is partially visible from the passing highway.

Kinetic curtain The new Sports Facility at the Gold Coast Estate in the Sibaya Coastal Precinct, designed by Craft of Architecture, not only acts as a place-maker at the entrance of the new estate, but makes a striking contribution to the climatically responsive regional tradition.

PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS ALLAN

28 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

PROJECT #4 GOLD COAST ESTATE SIBAYA SPORTS FACILITY

G

old Coast Estate on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast is an architecturally modern luxury family estate, which forms part of the 1 000ha Sibaya Coastal Precinct. The broader precinct includes residential, retail and commercial developments. The estate emphasises a healthy, active outdoor lifestyle with a focus on family life. A network of running

and biking trails and paths winds through the estate and into the precinct.

One of the estate’s early stand-out features is the sports facility at its entrance, nestled into the landscape alongside the gatehouse and partially visible from the passing highway. Given the prominence of its position, the sports centre has at once to

function as a recognisable and welcoming landmark, setting the tone for the aesthetics and identity of the estate, while not upstaging the gatehouse. As such, the architects, Craft of Architecture – who are also responsible for the estate’s aesthetic guidelines – allowed themselves a somewhat individualistic building, encouraging variation within the contemporary architectural framework.

The position of the sports centre is also of strategic importance to the urban design of the estate. It is positioned so that it activates an adjacent central park, attracting walkers and bringing life to the communal green space. Limited parking discourages the use of motor vehicles, while promoting walking and cycling in keeping with the active, outdoor lifestyle associated with the estate. It is also placed as a convenient stop when returning to the estate, as well as allowing easy passage out to the rest of the Sibaya Coastal Precinct from the gatehouse.

The sports facility includes a 500m2 gym, a flexible recreational studio space for dance or yoga, a high-altitude training room, and a squash court. Outside, a 25-metre lap pool is positioned along the northern edge of the building, ‘hunkered’ into the landscape where it is protected from the highway, as well as a tennis court to the south.

In contrast to typically enclosed or artificially lit and mechanically

ventilated ‘basement’ gyms, the sports centre offers views, air and natural light – the workout area even spills out onto a covered outdoor area. A two-storey modernist-inspired ‘glass box’ thus forms the basis of the design, providing a simple and efficient ‘skeleton’, while a protective aluminium mesh brise-soleil wraps around the building on its upper level, resolving both challenges in terms of heat gain and shelter from the sun, as well as concern for the privacy. (Perforated and laser-cut screens were also used on the gatehouse, providing a degree of continuity between the adjacent buildings.)

Inside, the use of space has been maximised – the plinth of the stairs includes storage, and also functions as seating for spectators watching matches in the central squash court.

The screen itself gives the facility its primary identity and aesthetic impact. COA devised the brise-soleil as a kinetic screen, made from 14 000 perforated aluminium tiles individually mounted on pins, allowing them to ripple and shimmer when activated by the wind. Although the essential mechanism is simple, challenges in terms of acoustics (rattling) and wear and tear had to be resolved with the use of a gasket or plastic sleeve that not only prevents noise, but is robust enough to withstand constant movement without corrosion or degradation.

Continued next page

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 29

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The sports facility is adjacent to the estate gatehouse, so its design was challenged with providing a distinct identity while not upstaging its neighbour.

Although the design team explored several design iterations with varying degrees of complexity, size, pattern and colour, they found that a uniform skin and small tiles best expressed the effect of the wind and provided the desired rippling effect. The rounded corners of the screen allow a sense of uninterrupted movement to flow around the perimeter of the building, which would not have been possible with corners.

The aluminium tiles have a milled or matte finish to prevent harsh reflections of sunlight from the

outside. They are perforated to allow views from the inside, as if through a shifting curtain. The screen’s nature as a ‘second skin’ is further articulated by the use of a black brick façade on the southern end of the building. The brick surface seems to slip behind the screen, heightening the multi-layered effect while amply demonstrating that the design responds to the site and conditions inside and outside the building, not simply applying a preconceived idea.

The kinetic skin not only joins and advances the regional tradition of responsive design associated with Durban’s subtropical climate,

but it also, in animating the movement of the wind, becomes part of an ongoing local community conversation, responding to and articulating environmental and climatic changes. In this coastal setting, changes in weather and wind conditions play an important part in the everyday life of the community and are a central topic of conversation among groups ranging from surfers to fisherman.

The brise-soleil in tropical modernist architecture in hot climates is a tried-andtested shading device and an effective way to catch natural

cooling breezes. Its expressive, communicative character also links it to other innovative contemporary precedents such as the Millennium Tower on the Bluff designed by Don Albert & Partners, which, through its movement, coveys information about the tide and wind direction. As such, the sports facility at Gold Coast Estate Sibaya makes a striking and creative contribution not just to the precinct, but to the local architectural tradition, while both encouraging and expressing the active, outdoorsy character of the local lifestyle.

G R O U P

Tel: +27 (0)87 550 1300 Email: info@devmcogroup.co.za www.devmcogroup.co.za

Tel: +27 (0) 31 569 5300 Email: ian@constructionid.co.za www.constructionid.co.za

30 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

Tel: +27 (0)21 685 8881 info@coasite.com www.coasite.com

Tel: +27 (0)87 152 0888 Email: info@estqs.co.za www.estqs.co.za

PROJECT #4 GOLD COAST ESTATE SIBAYA SPORTS FACILITY

The brise-soleil on the upper floor has been designed as a kinetic screen that ripples and shimmers in response to the breeze while providing shelter and privacy.

PROFESSIONAL TEAM DEVELOPERS: Devmco Group ARCHITECTS: Craft of Architecture QUANTITY SURVEYOR: EST Quantity Surveyors STRUCTURAL & CIVIL: STRUXIT Projects MECHANICAL & WET SERVICES ENGINEERS: Vertex Engineering Consultants ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS: LivEng Electrical Consulting Engineers LANDSCAPING: Uys & White Landscape Architects MAIN CONTRACTOR: Construction ID PROJECT MANAGER: MDSA Project and Construction Management (Pty) Ltd

Above: The 'glass box' on the ground floor creates a strong indoor-outdoor connection.

Left: The aluminium tiles that make up the kinetic screen are perforated, which not only allows views from inside the building looking out, but also provides passers-by a sense of the movement and life inside the building.

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The dramatically curved facade and doublevolume entrance facing the intersection of Bancor and Amarand Avenue places emphasis on the pedestrian arrival experience.

Queen of the Curve Park Lane West at Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, designed by Boogertman + Partners, makes a sleek addition and sustainable, forward-looking contribution to the precinct, while winning several awards for the innovative use of steel.

PHOTOGRAPHY TRISTAN MCLAREN

T

he latest addition to Menlyn Maine – a mixeduse precinct in Waterkloof Glen in Pretoria’s eastern suburbs – is Park Lane West. Menlyn Maine combines office, residential, retail and entertainment in a Green Living Precinct, with a distinctive character through its emphasis on innovative architecture and urban design. The development supports pedestrian connectivity in an effort to stimulate walking within the precinct, thus promoting a healthier, greener lifestyle.

This seven-storey building, primarily intended as office space, faces onto a prominent traffic circle on one of the main pedestrian

routes through the precinct. It will, however, incorporate a groundfloor restaurant and co-working space in addition to offices. Its five-floor basement houses 630 parking spaces.

Given its prominent position, a certain architectural presence was necessary. The shape of the plot – and the fact that buildings in Menlyn Maine are built to the boundary line – prompted the curved glass façade, which serves as the building’s most eye-catching feature and imparts its main identity. It also provides a visual prompt to the building’s pedestrian entrance on the intersection of Bancor and Amarand Avenue.

32 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

The main entrance also faces and engages with the nearby mall. The double-volume entrance links to the scale of the mall, while placing emphasis on the pedestrian arrival experience.

A balcony bounded by planted landscaping along the ground-floor façade – intended as a spill-out space and outdoor seating for a restaurant – engages and activates the street edge and provides security by means of ‘eyes-onthe-street’ for the shared public domain between buildings. The landscaping also softens the edges of the building, providing a pedestrian-friendly experience, thus contributing to the walkable

character of the precinct while contrasting with the smooth, sharp finishes and form that give the architecture a modern corporate look. The building is intended to host both small and large enterprises, as well as the aforementioned co-working space, so a professional corporate image benefits all users.

Balconies figure prominently on the façade, partly because, as speculative office space, the building had to be as flexible as possible. Each floor is designed to accommodate up to six tenants, and each is provided with its own balcony.

Continued next page

PRO J EC T #5 PARK L AN E WEST

A balcony bounded by planted landscaping along the ground-floor façade – intended as a spill-out space and outdoor seating for a restaurant – engages and activates the street edge.

LEAF Structures is a leading design build specialist for clad architectural feature elements.

Providing a full range of services from Concept Development through Engineering + Fabrication to Supply + Installation. This single source approach ensures the feature elements are well executed and are built within a budget.

Proud to have Engineered, fabricated and installed the 2020 Steel Awards-winning project.

Contact us: http://leafstructures.co.za | info@leafstructures.co.za | +27 11 462 5701

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 33

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Clockwise from top left: The interior behind the curved glass facade; the curving cantilever stair on the northern side of the atrium; the reception area.

The versatility of the design is further expressed on the façade in a staggered window grid, following the differentiating floor plans and tenant needs.

Internally, Park Lane West has been designed as a perimeter office block with a central open atrium and garden at its heart, which functions as a gathering space in the semi-public ground floor. The dramatic curve of the building’s façade finds expression internally in the curved, wrapped atrium-passage balustrades, articulated with black

34 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

and white detailing for emphasis and effect. The first two floors splay out in a variation of the typical form, which continues from the third floor up. At the very top of the building, roof gardens allow the tenants views over Pretoria and an additional tranquil space to break away from the busy urban environment.

The curving cantilever stair on the northern side of the atrium, which forms a seamless continuation of the atrium-passage balustrade, provides a vertical design element in the atrium space, visually connecting levels and contextualising humanscale experience in the multiplevolume atrium. As an eye-catching focal point, it also encourages healthy behaviour through the active use of the stairs instead of the lifts. Its design is based on the notion of the stairway as a social interaction space – an area where people have chance meetings and interact socially.

The stair received a commendation in this year’s SAISC awards. The most

impressive technical aspect of this staircase is that it was manufactured off-site and installed as a retrofit item. The precision and the complexity of the installation makes this quite an accomplishment.

The biggest challenge of the staircase’s design and construction was its enormous weight in terms of dead and imposed live loads. With each stair weighing close to three tons in steel alone, a maximum of two stairs could be placed on the groundfloor slab before it would collapse.

Each staircase had to be split into two pieces at landing level to be able to transport the pieces to site and lift them over the building and into the atrium, in order to fit the pieces into place with the tower crane.

At the top of the atrium, the skylight was awarded the winner’s trophy in the Association of Steel Tube and Pipe Manufacturers (ASTPM) Tubular category at the SAISC awards, for its remarkably unobtrusive lightweight structure, which maximised the amount

PRO J EC T #5 PARK L AN E WEST

of natural light into what is a deceptively small atrium. (See sidebar for detailed commentary.)

Running costs at Park Lane West have been minimised and resource efficiency maximised by addressing the key strategic categories of green or sustainable buildings. These range from materials and water use to energy, management and indoor environment quality. Perhaps one of the most impressive features is the air-cooled chiller housed in the basement. This vast ice-storage tank is ‘charged’ at night during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper, and provide 50% of the

building’s peak energy demand during the day.

Although the decision was made before the pandemic to maximise fresh air in the building and create a healthy working environment, the fact that Park Lane West is designed to have 60% more fresh air than required for green buildings in South Africa is well suited to the co-working model. It is also particularly appropriate given post-pandemic concerns for well-ventilated spaces with abundant fresh air. It is notable that the additional air is provided without significant additional cost or energy.

LEAF STRUCTURES WON THE ASSOCIATION OF STEEL TUBE AND PIPE MANUFACTURERS (ASTPM) TUBULAR CATEGORY AT THE 2020 SAISC AWARDS FOR THE ATRIUM SKYLIGHT AT PARK LANE WEST, MENLYN MAIN

The 2020 SAISC award-winning atrium skylight at Park Lane West allows for the optimal passage of light into the atrium below.

PROFESSIONAL TEAM: CLIENT & DEVELOPERS: Menlyn Maine Investment Holdings & Barrow Properties DEVELOPERS: Barrow Properties (Pty) Ltd PRINCIPAL AGENT & ARCHITECT: Boogertman + Partners PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR: Barrow Construction (Pty) Ltd ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: RWP Taemane Consulting Engineers ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT: Leap GREEN BUILDING CONSULTANT: Solid Green Consulting CONSTRUCTION HEALTH & SAFETY: Cairnmead Industrial Consultants LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Bertha Wium Landscape Development MECHANICAL ENGINEER: C3 Climate Control Consulting Engineers QUANTITY SURVEYOR: RLB Pentad Quantity Surveyors STRUCTURAL AND CIVIL ENGINEER: WSP, Structures, Africa WET SERVICES CONSULTANT: WSP,

Leaf Structures was briefed with creating a modern skylight with lightweight steel members and a clean geometry that would bring the right balance of heat and light into the atrium below.

The structural frame comprises 11 duo-pitched, three-pin beams made of rectangular hollow sections and two duo-pitched gable ends with stub columns.

A thrusting three-pin beam design was selected to minimise the size of the steel beams, while not transferring a bending moment to the concrete supports. A combination of round and rectangular tubes was used for longitudinal lateral bracing. Hollow sections enabled the effective use of concealed pinned and bolted moment connections, resulting in a neat structure with minimal site welding.

In addition to the clean lines of the structural frame, one of the skylight’s most eye-catching features is its distinctive 2.2m wide by 3.3m long point-supported glass panels. Each panel weighs approximately 350kg and is made up of two 10mm thick fully tempered glass lites laminated together. The elimination of redundant structures (often aluminium frames) on the cladding system, by using a point-support system and glass-to-glass joints, resulted in a highly transparent skylight. The total skylight clad area (glass surface) is 465m2 and of that only 12m2 is obstructed by support attachments (rotules) and silicone joints. The reduction of visual obstructions on the cladding element resulted in a skylight with more than 97% transparency.

The high yield strength of the S355 tubes made it possible for small beams to be used, while the hollow sections produced neat, hidden connection details, making the structure aesthetically appealing. In addition, due to the stringent deflection requirements of the glass, both during installation and over the long term, the high stiffness of the structure meant the joints between each glass panel could be sealed with just a strip of silicone. No mullions were required, resulting in a skylight that provides exceptional and optimal passage of light into the atrium below. www.leafstructures.co.za

Building Services, Africa FIRE ENGINEER WSP

Tel: +27 (0)83 302 2116 Email: gwen.theron@leapenviro.co.za www.leapenviro.co.za

Tel:+27 (0)12 348 1040 Email: info@za.rlb.com www.RLB.com

Cell: +27 (0)82 457 1527 Tel: +27 (0)12 543 2038 Email: info@bwlanddev.co.za www.bwlanddev.co.za

Tel: +27 (0)11 790 1600 Email: mail@boogertmanjhb.co.za www.boogertmanandpartners.com

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 35

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Tsogo Sun’s hi-MONTE hotel moduBiLD, a unique modular construction method recently used to assemble Tsogo Sun’s hi-MONTE hotel, might be the revolution in productivity, costeffectiveness and environmentalism the construction industry needs.

W

hen two wellestablished construction entities, Ohlhorst and Tiber Construction, wanted to change the face of construction in South Africa, they found the concept of modular building very enticing.

Modular construction, also known as ‘prefabrication’ or ‘offsite construction’ in the moduBiLD case, is a method of constructing 3D volumetric units out of galvanised steel off-site, with full fixtures, and then putting the units together in minutes on-site.

Rui Lavarinhas of moduBiLD explains, “Modular construction is a more affordable construction method because there are areas of repeatability – you follow the pattern and make the same module in the same way multiple times. The amount of design for one module is then effectively spread across a number of units. We’ve also ensured that the modular approach is not a compromise – it’s an increase in quality for the finished product.”

In 2017, after working on modular construction ideas for years, things got exciting for the partnership.

“The CEO of Tsogo Sun said he was interested in creating a modular hotel range, especially as they

had a capped amount they could spend per room for the hotel to be viable,” says Lavarinhas. “We decided to partner with them to create prototypes. The completion of the hi-MONTE project was such a success that Ohlhorst and Tiber decided to create a dedicated modular business.”

In 2019, construction on the first hotel at Montecasino in Fourways,

36 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

Johannesburg, commenced using this cutting-edge construction method. Rooms were constructed in a factory setting – with furniture, fittings, plumbing and electrics all included. The completed modules were then put together to create the hotel. Due to its lightweight construction, the hotel was partly built onto an existing two-storey parking structure at Montecasino.

Tsogo Sun not only achieved budget on cost, but also saved considerable time.

Lavarinhas explains, “We start constructing before the design is finished. You’re almost working on a need-to-know basis, and you keep designing as you go.

Quite often you are waiting for that information, and that can be a roadblock. But in modular

PRO J EC T # 6 H I H OTE L , M O NTECASI N O

construction, your design is completed much higher up in the project timeline, and much more is done at the front end. It was a challenge to get the team on board for this, but we overcame that and the team understood our methodology, and in the next project we won’t have that challenge.”

Modular construction also offers some serious environmental advantages. Firstly, steel is 100% recyclable. The material used for walls, floors and ceilings is also suitable for reuse. Because of the use of these recyclable materials (much more recyclable than cement and brick), a more energyefficient construction process and very little wet works like concrete and mortar, the immediate environment is less impacted.

The minimal use of concrete delivers a lighter structure, which

in turn ensures a light foundation, and logistical efficiency leads to less traffic movement and transport costs.

This concept is energy efficient and is well suited for the application of heat pumps and solar panels.

Says Lavarinhas, “For the vast majority of the building, there’s no bulk cement, bulk sand, concrete and other materials that affect the immediate environment considerably. Because the units are made in a factory, they arrive at site on a truck and can be offloaded and rigged in position in minutes. Traditionally, construction material deliveries would affect the immediate site environment to a far greater degree and for longer. In our method, the trucks can arrive out of peak time and in a matter of minutes, and the units are placed in the building, completed. You can schedule the construction to not

interfere with the environment at all.

“A number of things made this project a success,” he continues.

“Delivering to your client on cost and on time is always a win. In modular construction, you have greater control than you have in traditional construction because there are fewer variables involved.

In modular construction, you do the design up front so your pricing is more certain, and you’re not learning as you go along.”

PROFESSIONAL TEAM: CLIENT: Tsogo Sun MAIN CONTRACTOR: Tiber/Ohlhorst

a revolution in productivity, cost effectiveness and environmentalism Bringing experience and flexibility to your modular construction requirements. Contact us today to discuss if modular construction is the way forward for your next project. www.moduBiLD.com

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 37

ON S ITE

WATE R MANAG E M E NT

COBRA LAUNCHES REVOLUTIONARY VIRTUAL SHOWROOM

Iconic brand Cobra has become one of the first companies in the South African sanitaryware industry to set up a virtual showroom, which means you will soon be able to experience all of Cobra’s products from the comfort of your home. The showroom uses 3D renderings and videos to create a virtual space that feels tangible and real. Nothing in the market currently compares.

“Our virtual showroom allows our customers to gather all the information and inspiration they need to make an informed decision on their kitchen and bathroom fittings,” says Corrie Stride, Leader: Marketing at LIXIL Africa. “But it’s not just the product display boards that visitors will find useful, it’s the way in which the portal offers a completely immersive experience. It’s like standing in one of our brickand-mortar showrooms, but with all the conveniences the digital world affords.”

Although the creation of a virtual showroom had been on the cards for some time, COVID-19 sped up its development. “The pandemic highlighted the importance of having a great digital presence,” says Dave Nemeth, the Managing Director of Trend Forward, the company that created the platform. “Despite the fact that consumers and professionals are spending

more time online, there are very few companies pushing digital boundaries. Most are simply offering online catalogues of their products.”

Together, the teams at LIXIL Africa and Trend Forward decided to create something different – a virtual space that customers will enjoy exploring. “Our hyper-realistic showroom includes audio and video,” explains Stride, “and the products have all been rendered in full 3D to allow visitors to see them from every angle.”

Cobra’s products have also been placed in unique and beautiful environments – from private homes to schools and hospitals – that will inspire consumers and professionals alike. “We looked at current trends and designed spaces

40 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

that will not only help users to engage with the products, but also to gather new ideas on how to design their bathrooms and kitchens,” says Stride.

“Videos, image galleries and brochures are available to enhance this experience.”

The final product is intuitive and very easy to use – and it’s attention to detail is remarkable. Users will also be able to use the virtual portal to interact with a real salesperson, who will be able to answer any questions they may have.

The virtual showroom offers detailed technical information that will be useful for architects, plumbers and other professionals. The 3D models provided in the showroom can be downloaded in a variety of formats so that professionals

can use them in their presentations and technical specification documents.

Video tutorials are available at the click of a button, as are all the necessary data sheets.

“We have not come across any other showroom that has been designed from scratch and uses so many elements,” Stride says. “We believe that our customers will be inspired at every step.”

Cobra’s virtual showroom keeps no office hours, and visitors are invited to engage with it at any time of the day or night, from wherever they are in the world. The showroom was launched in early November 2020 and will be updated on an ongoing basis as new products are made available. www.cobra.lixil.co.za

YOUR CHOICE. YOUR MIX. YOUR BATHROOM. GROHE‘S PERFECT MATCH.

GROHE’s Perfect Match is curated to ensure all elements fit together with perfect precision. Each range allows for differing needs and styles, ensuring, no matter your personal taste, there is a GROHE Perfect Match for your bathroom.

CERAMICS

AC C E S S O R I E S

SHOWERS

TAPS

RECOMMENDED PERFECT MATCH

Begin exploring your Perfect Match based on your style preference and bathroom needs. Visit www.lixil.co.za/grohe-perfect-match to choose your Perfect Match.

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DOO RS & WI N DOWS

BLACK SERIES FROM UNION Assa Abloy South Africa has launched the Black Series, a new range of world-class, highly elegant matte black architectural door hardware from its globally renowned Union brand.

Featuring a sophisticated unmatched product finish, a modern, stylish design and an extensive product choice, Black Series provides a complete matte black door furniture solution that meets the exacting requirements of architects, interior designers and contractors.

The aesthetic appeal of this new matte black hardware range will complement the final interior appearance of commercial and residential buildings without compromising on functionality.

The product offering, which includes lever handles, pull handles, hinges, escutcheons, cylinders, doorstops, indicator bolts and door closers, present the industry with a wide selection to choose from. Its contemporary style and sleek design, combined with a smooth look-and-feel finish, will pair perfectly with trendy black sanitaryware, black doors, or other modern interior features.

Manufactured from robust grade 304 stainless steel and coated with black electro-

plating, the Black Series has been designed to last and keep its good looks. With the objective of ensuring a durable quality finish, UNION – a specialist manufacturer of reliable, quality architectural door products – conducted intensive research into different product finishes, as well as different surfacing technologies before deciding on the best coating method for its new Black Series. “Unlike other coating methods offered by alternate products, UNION’s black electro-plated coating ensures door furniture with a sustainable, long-lasting, topquality black finish,” affirms Claudio de Castro, Product

42 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

Development Manager of Assa Abloy South Africa.

The electro-plating process bonds the colour together with the metal, which makes the colour finish part of the material itself. A protective clear coat finish completes the process. De Castro points out that the whole range is electro-plated all at once, and the colour carefully managed to ensure a consistent matte black colour, look and finish.

Black Series has also been salt-spray tested to ensure suitability for external applications where the range is exposed to all types of weather conditions, including highly humid and corrosive

coastal climates.

According to de Castro, the products have a comfortable, smooth feel on the hands and, as the finish is not too shiny or too matte, it does not leave any fingerprints after handling. He concludes, “We are extremely excited about Black Series from Union, which extends the internationally renowned lock-making specialist’s ironmongery offering to the South African market. We are confident that this new range of matte black hardware is perfectly positioned to rapidly become a popular industry choice.” www.assaabloyopening solutions.co.za

Black Series Elegant matte black door hardware

New Black Series from UNION This new matte black range is designed to perfectly complement the aesthetics of any commercial and residential building. Black series includes lever handles, pull handles, door closers, cylinders hinges and many more products for a complete door solution. The range adds that final touch to the visual design of just about any building.

The look and feel of the range will surely leave a lasting impression.

To place your order contact ASSA ABLOY today. www.assaabloyopeningsolutions.co.za | +27 11 761 5000 | za.info@assaabloy.com

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DOO RS & WI N DOWS

WHY DORMAKABA’S TOUCH-FREE AUTOMATED ENTRANCE SOLUTIONS ARE SOUGHT-AFTER

As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are increasingly turning to technology to stabilise everyday life – with security and access control being top areas of consideration.

This is why dormakaba’s touch-free automated entrance solutions are recognised and sought-after by operators in several commercial sectors, including healthcare, education, retail and hospitality.

Operators in these sectors are characterised by high-intensity human traffic and this means an increase in risk of large volumes of

harmful bacteria or viruses on the physical infrastructure, such as doorknobs.

The leading provider of smart access control and security solutions warns that infections – small and severe, such as common cold, E-coli, Staphylococcus, Aurea’s – as well as fungal and viral infections, including various forms of coronavirus like COVID-19, can be present on doorknobs.

Even though the longevity of every virus and bacteria is unique, some can survive on indoor surfaces for more than seven days.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO),

44 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

every year millions of people worldwide die of infectious diseases. Even though mortality due to these diseases is a complex phenomenon, many could have been prevented with hand hygiene. dormakaba continues to push the value of its no-touch automated solutions because, as the company explains, installing sterile entrance solutions like automatic sliding or swinging doors can reduce infection risks at high-traffic buildings.

These responsive doors use smart sensors to determine when to open or close, eliminating the need for handling a doorknob.

Some of these entrance systems might even tap into radio remote control or facialrecognition tools to open.

Other items in the ecosystem of an entrance can help too - especially in hospitals and

medical institutions, hand sanitizer dispensers placed next to door handles are becoming an increasingly common sight. As some material scientists are working on developing ‘self-cleaning’ surfaces, these technologies might become more prevalent in buildings of the future.

The ongoing pandemic due to COVID-19 is an unprecedented global health challenge that requires complex sets of solutions to tackle globally. A challenge like this calls for all sectors, from medical research to supply chain industries, to collaborate and play their parts in eliminating COVID-19.

There’s no doubt that the residents of this ever-smaller world will keep interacting with each other, exchanging ideas and perspectives… and sometimes bacteria or viruses.

However, the right preventive measures will ensure that the health and economic consequences of the latter are minimal.

Even though the doorknobs are far from the only way people can catch illnesses like COVID-19, optimising them is among a complex set of solutions to improve public health holistically. www.dormakaba.com

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ROO FIN G & CL AD DIN G

INNOVATIVE ROOF TRUSS SYSTEM

Often unseen except during the construction phase, roof trusses have traditionally been constructed from wood because of the perceived cost saving. It is often believed that light gauge steel structures cannot compete with timber nail plated roof trusses, especially in the affordable housing market segment. MiTek’s Ultra-Span light gauge steel roof truss system proves the contrary, especially when it comes to commercial and light industrial span requirements between 20 and 40 meters.

LIGHT GAUGE STEEL Hoisting large sections or an entire pre-assembled roof into position onto a building’s walls has been made easier and more economical with

Ultra-Span’s light gauge steel truss system. Lightweight and compact for easy handling and transportation, this low-mass-per-square-meter roofing system ensures savings on erection and transport costs while being vermin-proof and non-combustible.

ADVANCED DESIGN MiTek’s state-of-the-art 20/20 software provides engineered designs for economical roofing solutions.

Ultra-Span can be delivered in kit form, with the components cut to the required lengths for on-site assembly, or they can be ordered and supplied in pre-assembled form. This method ensures that all sundry materials are

46 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

correctly supplied, ensuring there is no wastage of steel.

RANGE OF ADVANTAGES Light gauge steel offers a wide range of benefits when compared to conventional framing materials: • Cost effectiveness due to greater strength • Resistance to warping in adverse weather • Quality and durability of steel • Speed of construction • Reduced wastage.

INDUSTRY ACCOLADES MiTek has proven over time that its Ultra-Span light gauge steel roofing system is the product of choice and has been used successfully on various commercial projects.

MiTek Licensed fabricators

have won the SAISC Steel Awards in the light steel frame building category with Ultra-Span projects in 2010, 2015 and 2017.

MiTek had two SAISC Steel Award nominees in 2020, with projects supplied by MiTek licensed fabricators EcoStrut (pictured) and ABP Ghana.

MiTek has diversified into a global supplier of building products, providing engineering services and manufacturing equipment to all spheres of the construction industry, whether commercial, residential or industrial.

Building trust through uncompromised commitment, their focus is firmly on the relationships built with their clients. www.mitek.co.za

011 018 7800 info@thermguard.co.za

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ROO FIN G & CL AD D IN G

THE ROOF TILE INNOVATION THAT WILL RECYCLE 29 MILLION PLASTIC BOTTLES PER YEAR Harvey Roofing Products (a division of the Macsteel Group), famous for Harvey steel roof tiles, has developed a high-tech new roof tile innovation from 98% waste material.

The Harvey EcoTile® roof tile has the ability to eliminate 29 million two-liter used plastic milk bottles from landfill sites in South Africa. Each tile utilises the equivalent of 3.8 recycled bottles and is 100% recyclable.

In addition, the product input does not require any water resources – an increasingly scarce commodity in South Africa. With the recent focus on the effect that discarded plastic products have on ocean life and our natural rivers and dams, Harvey EcoTile®’s development could not be more timeous.

The tiles, engineered from a mineral polymer blend, are a superior alternative to heavier clay or concrete roof tiles.

Harvey Roofing Products

General Manager Sales & Marketing, Albie Jordaan, says the innovative product has been developed to outperform conventional clay/concrete tiles in every way.

“We realised that for Harvey EcoTile® to gain acceptance in the construction industry, the product has to outperform conventional tiles in all functional areas, as well as be aesthetically pleasing,” says Jordaan. “Harvey EcoTile® is four times stronger yet three times lighter than concrete tiles. Combining these advantages makes it possible to transport four times more Harvey EcoTile® as opposed to conventional roof tiles, limiting transportation cost and on-site breakages. We estimate that breakages can be reduced by up to 10% in the full value chain. Most importantly, endless maintenance on horizontal roof ridges will be a

thing of the past.”

The idea of composite roof tiles is not new.

Experimentation started in the early 90s and similar tile concepts do exist elsewhere in the world. However, none have captured market share due to a lack of economy of scale, UV stability challenges and stringent quality control on material inputs. As an established roofing manufacturer, Harvey Roofing Products has the necessary engineering expertise, manufacturing capacity, supply chain and distribution footprint to produce and supply a consistent product.

Aesthetically, the shape of a Harvey EcoTile® is similar to that of a Double Roman concrete tile, but its fixing methodology will result in a roof being a single impregnable unit. Given the engineering of

ALL ABOUT THERMGUARD AND ITS NEW DIY OPTION Thermguard is a cellulose fibre insulation manufactured primarily from waste newsprint, which is treated with a mixture of inorganic salts to render it fire resistant, as well as repellent to insects and rodents.

Thermguard has been manufacturing cellulose fibre ceiling insulation for 35 years and the company has recently relocated to larger premises in Johannesburg to better service its ever-expanding customer base. The fact that Thermguard is made from more than 80% recycled material makes it the most eco-friendly, thermal and acoustic insulation in South Africa. Fibres are treated with non-toxic additives to make them fire retardant to SANS B/B1/2 specifications, as well as insect and rodent resistant. Thermguard is non-toxic and non-irritant, and can be handled safely without gloves, as it does not contain asbestos or fibreglass.

The construction industry is looking for solutions to the challenges presented by ecologically sustainable development and, more recently, load

shedding. Thermguard is one such solution.

Thermguard is advantageous due to its high recycled content and low-energy manufacturing process. Thermguard is itself an insulator and helps to reduce the load on heating and cooling devices within a building. This prevention of greenhouse gases at both the producer and consumer end of the product lifecycle is known as a ‘double green’ effect. This becomes more evident when embodied energy is considered.

The respective embodied energy of fibreglass and polyester are 10 and 15 times more than that of cellulose fibre insulation.

Thermguard is blown onto the ceiling, filling every nook and cranny and creating a totally seamless blanket, thereby ensuring no heat gains and losses can occur. Tests undertaken in the USA proved that cellulose creates ‘air tightness’ of a building and that, when installed, performed on average up to 26% more efficiently when compared to rolls of insulation. www.thermguard.co.za

48 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

the product, it will display symmetrical lines once installed. This means a complete roof will be weather-, water- and dust-proof as all gaps are eliminated.

Harvey EcoTile® will provide opportunities for community development as the recycled plastic needed will be sourced from community projects.

Product testing, including fire resistance, wind uplift and accelerated weathering, has been completed and Harvey Roofing Products estimates full-scale production will commence in January 2021. www.harveyroofingproducts. co.za

NOW A DIY OPTION Now, homeowners can take care of the insulation process themselves and not use a sub-contractor, should they wish to opt for Thermguard’s DIY installation option. The installation is quick and a team of two can easily install 300m2 in one day, with one person operating the machine and the other directing the hose in the roof space. The installation machine (which can be rented or purchased from the Thermguard factory, currently limited to Gauteng) and bags of insulation can be collected from the factory in Kempton Park.

The Green Roofolution A roof tile so revolutionary, we had to invent a new word for it.

Mineral Polymer Composite Roof Tiles

HARVEY EcoTile

®

A DIVISION OF

Introducing a technological breakthrough from Harvey Roofing Products: the Harvey EcoTile®.

Harvey EcoTile® is a proudly South African, revolutionary breakthrough in roof tiles. By utilising 98% waste material, Harvey EcoTile® is 100% recyclable yet provides superior functional benefits to concrete or clay roof tiles.

Harvey EcoTile’s® technological design advantage ensures an interlocking, lightweight tile that is low on maintenance, weatherproof and virtually unbreakable in normal use.

Discover all the benefits of Harvey EcoTile® at www.harveyroofingproducts.co.za.

A DIVISION OF

Tel: +27 11 741 5600

Stylish Double Roman design combines exceptional functional advantages with classic aesthetics.

Advanced engineering provides interlocking system for weather proofing and superior strength.

Precision-fit ridge tile provides weatherproof, maintenance-free seal.

www.harveyroofingproducts.co.za

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ROO FIN G AN D CL AD DI N G

FAÇADE CLADDING – MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE The façade of a building is often the most important aspect from a design standpoint, as it sets the tone for the rest of the structure. The aesthetic appeal and individuality of a building is determined by a unique façade, which has the ability to translate design intent into striking reality.

Few construction methods achieve this better than façade cladding.

Apart from the obvious aesthetic advantages, cladding offers excellent functional benefits, such as reduced maintenance and protection against the elements. Extruded aluminium cladding, for instance, provides durability and long-lasting resilience, protecting the structure from external weather elements, while requiring almost no maintenance. Façade cladding

panels shield the internal building materials and increases the mechanical stability of the structure.

The cladding protects from changes in temperature, wind, water absorption, sunlight and pollution – all of which can damage the structural integrity of a building and its aesthetics.

As leaders in façade cladding, Alania’s versatile Aluminium Façade Cladding Systems provide cladding solutions for both new construction and older buildings requiring a fresh look. Variety and flexibility are a given as they offer a wide range of materials, panel shapes and sizes, and leverage their ability to customise, allowing for a multitude of cladding options.

Alania’s Aluminium Cladding Panels are extremely rigid and flat while still

50 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

lightweight, are weather resistant and will outlast most paint applications. Aluminium Composite has high thermaland fire-rated values that can be altered to accommodate client requirements with impressive formability to be rolled or fabricated to complex designs.

WHY ALANIA ALUMINIUM FAÇADE CLADDING SYSTEMS? • Fully concealed fixing • Rear ventilation • Significantly reduced construction time • Lightweight construction • Non-combustible materials

• Resistance to industrial pollution • Durable and relatively maintenance-free finish • Proven project record.

ALANIA’S COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE The COVID-19 lockdown has had a significant impact on the construction industry in South Africa, causing project delays of four months and more.

Alania is committed to reducing the impact on projects through increased work hours and a reduced festive season shutdown period. www.alania.co.za

Gauteng 012 653 8204 / Cape 021 983 1140 / KZN 031 569 1800

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LANDSCAPING

4 POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN LIGHTING YOUR OUTDOOR AREA 1. LAYER YOUR LIGHTING As with inside the home, you want to make sure your outdoor lighting is layered and includes the three main types of lighting: ambient, task and accent. Ambient lighting will provide a general level of illumination so that you can see where you are going. This can be hanging lights, wall lights and post lights. Task lighting will illuminate specific areas of your outdoor space where activities take place. This can be in the form of security floodlights or lighting around the braai area or pool. Accent lighting will highlight certain features in your garden, making them a focal point.

Examples include string lights on the patio or spotlights angled at the base of a beautiful tree or architectural feature.

want to get the most bang for your buck, you need to select fixtures that will stand the test of time. Look for robust designs that can handle all types of weather and seasons. Fixtures made from materials like die-cast aluminium and shock-proof resin won’t easily corrode or show signs of wear and tear over the years.

3. USE ENERGY-EFFICIENT OPTIONS If lighting the exterior of your home feels like an added expense you can’t afford, consider energy-efficient options. They’re worth the initial investment to ensure you don’t rack up a high electricity bill every month, especially if you would like your outside lights to burn

2. THINK LONG TERM Durability is possibly the most important thing to look for when buying outdoor fixtures. Lighting is an investment and if you really

throughout the night. Solar power is your best bet, followed by LED. Solar lighting uses energy from the sun to power up. An added benefit of solar lighting is that load shedding won’t affect how or when you can illuminate your garden at night. LED lights use considerably less electricity than traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs and, with a longer lifespan, they don’t require replacing that often.

Motion sensor lights in certain areas are a great option too. They’ll only switch on when movement is detected and, depending on your requirements, this may be all you need, especially when it comes to floodlights.

4. TAKE A LOOK FROM INSIDE Always consider how your outdoor lighting looks from inside your home. Too many lights or lights that are far too bright will cause unwanted glare. This is not pleasant for you when gazing out your windows in the evening and it certainly won’t

52 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

be pleasant for your neighbours either, so keep them in mind too when positioning your fixtures.

Carefully considered garden lighting can make the interior of your home feel bigger because it creates a room-expanding view. A water fountain or treasured flower garden bathed in a gentle wash of light is lovely to look at from inside, as is a beautifully lit patio or pool area. www.radiant.co.za

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LANDSCAPING

REDUCING NOISE POLLUTION PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MAKANA BRICKS

This year, South Africans spent their winter days at home with their children, dogs and working spouses. One of the key productivity killers has been noise!

Noise is not only irritating, it can also contribute to reduced physical and mental performance. In an acoustically comfortable environment, we hear others more easily, focus better and feel calmer.

The density of ceramic clay brick provides an inherent resistance to the passage of airborne sound. Brick buildings reduce both highand low-frequency noise from outside. Masonry also isolates and protects against impact sounds on walls and floors inside the building.

UNDERSTANDING SOUND TRANSMISSION In their research report, Measurements of Sound

Transmission Loss in Masonry, William Siekman of Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories tested 15 clay brick wall types, including face brick, single and double-leaf walls, as well as walls with and without cavities and/or insulation.

They found that the average double-leaf plastered clay brick wall cuts over 50% of the noise from outside.

Ambient noise of around 65db (moderate to loud) is reduced to less than 20db, which is barely audible.

A double skin clay brick wall is therefore defined as a superior insulator, even without insulation. Because the brick has mass, it has the ability to inhibit sound penetration.

54 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

REVERBERATION Another factor that influences how we perceive sound and the experience of acoustic comfort is reverberation.

Reverberation is time taken for a sound to ‘fade away’. If the delay is greater than 0.6 seconds, people find it hard to distinguish between consonants. Factors that increase reverberation, sound reflection and echoing are: • smooth, glossy walling materials (especially glass windows and doors) • large, double-volume rooms • fewer objects in the room to break up the sound.

Textured rustic and face brick products are superior

performers when it comes to reducing sound reflection and reverberation.

In general, masonry – whether it is clay brick, cement brick, concrete block or stone – provides superior sound control compared to ‘poured concrete’. Often, the reinforcing steel required for cement structures ‘rings’ with vibration throughout a large multi-storey building.

Many buildings have to be retrofitted with sound insulation and acoustic panels at a huge cost. By using the right walling materials during construction, effective acoustics are ‘built in’ to living, working and learning spaces. www.claybrick.org

FOR GOOD, FOREVER! CUT COOLING & HEATING COSTS Ceramic clay brick is a natural insulator against winter cold, summer heat, humidity and noise. It’s the perfect walling material for a safe, comfortable and healthy home, school or office. Stylish, timeless appeal with impressive sustainability credentials - the enduring hues and textures of clay brick are low maintenance and look beautiful for a lifetime.

CBASA represents clay brick & paver manufacturers across Southern Africa and drives inclusive, sustainable practices in the industry. We inspire energy-efficient, contemporary architecture and paving that supports our local producers, builders and architects.

Download free technical & construction guides for clay bricks & pavers at www.claybrick.org THE

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L AN DSCAPI N G

ROCLA MANUFACTURES LARGEST CUSTOM-DESIGNED JACKING CULVERTS IN SOUTH AFRICA When the local municipality of Tshwane required 3m x 3m custom-made jacking box culverts for a service delivery project at Iscor Heights in Pretoria West, the only company in South Africa who was able to design and manufacture culverts to such large specifications was Rocla. The culverts were manufactured with an in-the-wall joint that can be sealed with a rubber ring if required.

The project, which required 90 large-sized culverts to create two 50m-long under-road tunnels 6m below the road surface in order to provide new water services to the area, commenced in January 2020.

Brendan van Vuuren, Sales Representative for Rocla,

says, “We have been involved with the Iscor Heights project since the inception of the tender, and we worked closely with Esor Ltd – one of South Africa’s benchmark and civil engineering groups, who was the project’s sub-contractor – in order to ensure that their specifications for these very large jacking culverts were met. The largest jacking pipe Rocla had manufactured in the past was 3m x 2.5m, which was too small for the project. After all of the specifications were finalised, the designing process began, which included manufacturing the mould for this specially sized culvert.”

Esor Ltd Director, Len Nel, comments, “We have worked with Rocla on various projects over the years, so we knew

56 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

that these large jacking culverts would have to be specifically designed and manufactured, and that Rocla was the only company who had that kind of creative capability.

“After many meetings to discuss the design and verify the technical requirements of the jacking culverts to ensure the final product would meet the loading requirements, the final culvert weighed in at an excess of 10 tons per product – a major design and manufacturing coup for Rocla,” Nel adds.

The timeframe from approved product specification and design to mould completion was only 16 weeks for the 90 culverts.

Due to the enormous size of the culverts, the delivery to site required an abnormal

load permit and they were offloaded into the pit at site with a side-boom crane.

“Rocla is extremely proud to have been involved with this unique project. It tested our design team’s expertise and our manufacturing processes to the limit, but showed that no project is too big for Rocla to collaborate on. It will certainly become one of Rocla’s historical milestones,” concludes van Vuuren.

Rocla manufactures various culvert designs and culvert base slabs, along with stormwater pipes and other infrastructure products, such as DDPE and pressure lined sewage pipes, concrete poles, manholes, bus shelters, sanitation units and concrete cabins. www.rocla.co.za

Find our branches at www.technicrete.co.za

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SUITABLE FOR: • Construction of heavy duty areas • Industrial sites | Roadways | Depots • Various commercial applications • Variety of colours • Various thickness’ • Standard 48 blocks p/m2

AVAILABLE IN: • Variety of colours • Various thickness’ • Standard 48 blocks p/m2

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

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L AN DSCAPI N G

DO POOL COVERS HAVE A PLACE ON THE LANDSCAPER’S AGENDA? Homeowners may not always think of the pool when embarking on a landscaping project, but merging the two aspects is key in creating the perfect finish for an outdoor area, according to pool cover expert PowerPlastics Pool Covers.

The first step to a perfectly designed and covered pool is understanding how you use the pool. Are there young children in the home? Do you live a sustainable lifestyle? Is it a high-traffic pool in summer? Do you want a heated pool? Is your pool used for fitness training?

“Once we ascertain the needs, we tailor-make the cover and we certainly view pool covers as a part of the aesthetics. We love working with landscape artists. They have a great eye for flow and play an integral part in steering the pool owner towards outdoor living spaces that can integrate a pool cover,” says Carolyn Idas of PowerPlastics Pool Covers.

A pool cover is not just an

accessory, but a necessity.

Aesthetics aside, pool owners have felt the benefits of pool covers in the recent water and power crises. A pool cover stops over 98% of water evaporation. On a hot day, that is a significant amount of water. Pools are also notoriously heavy on power consumption, which is another area in which a pool cover steps up to the plate. Cleaner water allows for less filtration and lower power consumption, and the right thermal pool cover can add up to 10 degrees Celsius to water temperatures using solar energy alone. The GeoBubble range of covers from PowerPlastics Pool Covers is the first choice for those living a sustainable lifestyle.

If there are children in the home, a solid safety cover is imperative. PowerPlastics Pool Covers was the first to market and the original designer of the solid safety cover with the pole and ratchet tensioning system that is used across South

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Africa today. It is the only cover that is compliant with SABS 10143.

“So often we are asked to cover a pool but then elaborate shapes and features stop us. There are a few no-nos. Adding plants is a great idea for landscaping but obstructing the paved edge means a solid safety cover won’t be possible. Similarly, using flower beds in the pool and pot plants to create a multi-level effect limits the options for a safety cover.

Fountains and water features are also very restrictive.

“It is said all the time: Simple can be – and often is – better. A rectangular pool with unobstructed, sturdy coping or decking and surrounded by simple lawn – that’s the perfect pool we love to cover,” says Idas.

The possibilities for elevating the pool area don’t end with pool covers. Movable patios and conservatories are becoming popular and set to be the next big thing in outdoor living.

The SolarPatio range from PowerPlastics Pool Covers can be used to create a sun lounge, indoor pool or Jacuzzi area. Particularly popular for family homes and those who love home entertaining, the versatile mobile enclosure creates a new year-round living and entertainment space, without the hassle and expense of building a permanent structure. There are a number of different designs and sizes to choose from.

“So are pool covers in the landscaper’s domain too?

Absolutely. Both aspects need to dovetail, bringing focus to the aesthetics as well as considering practicalities and lifestyles.

If you have a blank canvas, build a dream team that has a landscaper, a pool cover expert, a pool builder and an architect, and you can be assured of a ‘designer’ outdoor space that is practical and an asset to the property,” concludes Idas. www.powerplastics.co.za

DRAWING BOARD

RODLIN DESIGN: SPECIALISTS IN AUDITORIUM AND CONFERENCE SEATING DESIGN Auditorium spaces are usually designed to accommodate a host of varying events, including concerts, performances, sporting events, graduations, lectures and other ceremonies. This means that adaptability, durability and ease of set-up and maintenance are crucial to maximise these spaces. It is also very important for both venue owner and end user alike that their seating area is accommodating, attractive and comfortable.

In South Africa, only a handful of architects can claim to be specialists in auditorium and conference seating design, ensuring quality and comfort with all the technical skills to design spaces fit for purpose.

d4-A5-Ad-2020-pths.indd 1

To this end, Rodlin Design is definitely the right choice for quality, comfortable, attractive, durable auditorium seating options. The auditorium seating products are specially designed to offer a brand-new look, ambience and feel to the venue, with an attractive and uniform appearance that also provides unparalleled value – and added value – to business.

Rodlin Design have vast experience of the relevant industrial and auditorium seating manufacturing practices and resources that enable them to offer tailor-made solutions to match specific requirements. This includes numerous functional features and innovative styles

for clients to choose from.

There is absolutely no concern about layout, as the auditorium seating can be installed in straight or curved configuration, on risers or on slopes. Seating can be floor-mounted or riser-mounted, with each configuration available to suit different site requirements. All

seats can be adaptable – the ideal choice for auditorium seating arrangements.

Rodlin Design offers comprehensive auditorium seating solutions for public venues, from budget-sensitive configurations all the way through to top-of-the-range deluxe seating. www.rodlindesign.co.za

WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 59 31 Jan 2020 10:57:31

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DURBAN HEIGHTS RESERVOIR 3 Durban Heights Reservoir 3 is a 350-million-liter reservoir situated in the suburb of Reservoir Hills, KwaZulu-Natal. Constructed in 1971, it is one of the biggest concrete reservoirs in Southern Africa. It supplies potable water to over 500 000 people in Durban and the surrounding area.

The reservoir design is unique as it has a single support in the middle and the roof is shaped like a circus tent. The roof is made up of 120 steel post-stressed cables that radiate from the centre roof support to the outer base support.

In 2003, a full diagnostic survey of the concrete roof panels was done. A variety of issues were identified but of interest was the existence of a micro-climate within the reservoir. This micro-climate with wet-dry cycles creates a favourable environment for contaminants to be absorbed into the reinforced concrete panels, causing corrosion of the reinforcing.

Based on the original diagnostic survey, rehabilitation proposals and the subsequent product trials, the Sika solutions and innovative products were deemed the best performing repair system for this project.

Umgeni Water – appointed

Royal HaskoningDHV to take on this rehabilitation project as the project engineer – and Sika products were specified on the tender, and Smart Civils Construction (Pty) Ltd was the specialised civil contractor.

As the work was being done in an operational reservoir, the product choice was paramount to health and safety in ensuring they posed no risk of water contamination. The project’s next challenge was identifying alternative methods of gaining access to the roof structure and shortening the repair time.

Smart Civils developed an inventive idea where access to the roof was provided by a design innovation. This involved erecting 550 tons of scaffolding, in a bird-cage configuration, from the floor to just under the soffit. The scaffolding would give the contractor access to a quarter of the roof at any given time, before being dismantled and re-erected as the works progressed.

To fulfil the intended task, a decision was made to use SikaTop® Armatec®-110 EpoCem® as the primary rebar protective coating for the concrete repair to protect the reinforcing of steel and inhibit corrosion.

Due to the difficult conditions, Sika MonoTop®-610

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was used as a primer to the concrete substrate. The decision to use Sika MonoTop®-412 NFG as a repair mortar was because of its unique properties as an excellent wet spray mortar.

This application method improved the compaction of repair mortar and increased the application rate of the product. Sika MonoTop®-412 NFG also differentiates itself as a one-component, polymer-modified, fibre-reinforced, low-shrinkage structural repair mortar with Sika’s world-renowned Sika® FerroGard®-903 Plus corrosion inhibitor. That is a three-in-one advanced product solution.

Sika® FerroGard®-903 Plus innovative technology delays the start of corrosion and reduces the corrosion rate when it occurs. It also increases the service life of a reinforced concrete structure.

Sika’s carbon fibre fabric, impregnated with a structural epoxy resin, SikaWrap®-230C, was used due to the age of the structure and minimal concrete cover.

The perfect product for refilling the ducts was Sika® Injection-307. Sika® Injection-307 is a low-viscosity, elastic polyacrylic injection

resin that can be adjusted to set at a pre-determined time, forming a passivating permanently elastic matrix.

Two protective coating systems were applied to the panels. The first is Sika® FerroGard®-903 Plus, a corrosion inhibitor that penetrates down to rebar level over time, forming a protective monomolecular layer on the surface of the reinforcing steel.

The final protective coating in the solution is the Sikagard®-705 L. A singlecomponent, low-viscosity, solvent-free and reactive impregnation product for concrete and cementitious substrates based on silane. Its unique properties allow moisture vapour to escape from the concrete panels, ensuring they stay dry and thus preventing further ingress of contaminants.

Other Sika systems used on site was Sika® Primer-3 N and Sikaflex® PRO-3 i-cure – a one-part, moisture-curing elastic joint sealant with high mechanical resistance used to seal the expansion joints of the soffit. Sikadur®-43 ZA is a solvent-free, three-component, repair and filling mortar used to do roof repairs next to the cable ducts. zaf.sika.com

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DULUX UNEARTHS COURAGE AS THE 2021 COLOUR OF THE YEAR Dulux, manufactured by AkzoNobel, has launched its Colour FuturesTM 2021 palettes to set the tone for the year ahead.

After extensive trend research by AkzoNobel and external experts around the world, Brave Ground has been revealed by AkzoNobel’s Colour FuturesTM as the Colour of the Year for 2021. The colour can be used with its complementary palettes and techniques to bring balance, stability and courage into our surroundings.

For the 18th year running, leading design professionals from all over the world were invited by AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetics Center to explore global design and lifestyle trends to capture the mood of the moment in the Colour of the Year and the ColourFuturesTM 2021 palettes.

“It’s been challenging this year to transform the

key global trends into inspiring colour palettes.

We’ve seen unprecedented global change, with all of us facing experiences that feel out of kilter with the modern world. At the same time, we’ve rediscovered more positive things: solidarity in communities, strangers’ generosity, and the realisation that together we can do extraordinary things. We’re finding the courage to pick ourselves up and move forward. Our homes provide a sanctuary: a place to restore, repair and recalibrate ourselves on the road to recovery,” says Heleen van Gent, Creative Director of AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center.

“This warm, natural Colour of the Year provides a strong foundation for embracing change. Brave Ground connects us back to nature and the simple things. It stands on its own as a

62 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

beautiful, powerful neutral and can be used in a way that allows other colours to shine.

Earthy and empowering, it evokes security, growth and potential to help us create environments that fill us with courage,” says Dulux Colour Expert, Palesa Ramaisa.

The four-colour palettes built on Brave Ground take this neutral shade in very different directions.

Responding to specific needs, each one allows consumers to confidently express themselves with colour: • The Expressive colours palette stands out with shades of reds and pinks that are balanced by soft neutrals – granting the courage to be yourself • The Trust colours palette brings together earth tones from across the globe to encourage collaboration and a sense of community – offering reassurance in connection • The Timeless colours

palette celebrates the old and the new with yellows, ochres and soft neutrals – lending inspiration to build on the past • The Earth colours palette connects us to the natural world with blue, green and brown echoes of the sea, the sky and the soil – giving us the courage to adapt.

“True to our reputation as South Africa’s most loved paint brand, we are proud to unearth the 2021 edition of ColourFutures and the 2021 Colour of the Year: Brave Ground. As a business, we’ve certainly tried to embody the spirit of this year’s colour by embracing the courage to change during these uncertain times. We hope that Brave Ground in turn stirs up courage in the spaces people live and play in,” says Nathalie Sweeney, Marketing Director of Decorative Paints Sub Sahara Africa. www.dulux.co.za

COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2021

BRAVE GROUND

TM

10YY 30/106

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THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE STEEL FRAMING Plasterboard clad walls offer a wide range of benefits throughout the value chain in all manner of structures, contributing to their popularity for the interior fit-out throughout the South African construction sector.

The plastered, sleek and pleasing face of drywall can all-too-often hide a framework of stud and track that does not provide an efficient backbone for securing plasterboard with the appropriate drywall screws.

Gyproc’s Gypframe® metal framing systems are considered, designed and tested as part of dynamic drywall solution. Gypframe® wall-frame profiles are continually improved to be stronger, more installerfriendly, offer superior acoustic properties and be increasingly sustainable.

The construction industry faces ever-increasing pressure to develop the built environment quicker and more cost-effectively, while at the same time reducing the negative impact that construction activities have on the environment.

Expectations for wall frame solutions include extra height, superior acoustic performance and increased screw bonding stiffness.

Fresh, aesthetically appealing interiors that combine form and function are demanded by developers and occupants.

apparent; the product is fully recyclable and the carbon footprint can be significantly reduced when steel produced in Southern Africa is used.

At Saint-Gobain, steel profiles are seen as components within the greater interior systems fit-out solution that include screws, plasterboards and insulation. Following this approach drives the design of wall frame profiles to work in harmony to meet local building regulations and customer expectations.

A range of profiles, each designed with specific performance characteristics, is possible. Deep channel floor tracks, allowing for the fixing of board across a range of screed situations complemented by similar track for deflection heads,

Individual products that are produced without consideration for their dynamic performance relative to other materials, products and aspects of structures, compromise the overall performance, which, in a worst-case scenario, places the well-being of

drywall system should never be overlooked. Once the wall frame has been boarded and plaster applied, remedial interventions, required when partial failure occurs, are costly, complex and avoidable. Saint-Gobain’s Gypframe® wall frame solutions have provided

These expectations can increasingly be met with the correct steel wall frames.

The benefit that can be realised with locally formed profiles extends beyond the

are available. C, Z and I-stud profiles of varying thickness provide torsional rigidity for walls, in combination with the plasterboard and drywall screws.

installers and later occupants in danger.

The importance of high-performance steel framing tested as an integral part of a laboratory-tested

decades of efficient solutions, combined with Gyproc RhinoBoard®, finished with RhinoLite® gypsum plaster. www.saint-gobain-africa.com

64 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

ALBERTON

FEATURED DESIGN

Bench Mark Emerging designer Khosi Leteba launches his Bodulo Bench in collaboration with Wiid Design and Nando’s Clout

A

vibrant interpretation of Sotho culture has found physical expression in a newly launched bench, which is ready to make its mark on the world stage. The new piece was designed by the up-and-coming Khosi Leteba and brought to life in collaboration with one of South Africa’s leading design studios, Wiid Design, and with creative direction

by Tracy Lynch of the Nando’s Design Programme.

Leteba channelled his Sotho heritage when formulating the original design, drawing on various elements of Basotho

culture to create both the curved, sculptural forms and the surface patterning. “I designed the shapes and the pattern to tell the story of the Basotho people, their culture, architecture and agriculture,” he states.

The bench forms part of a family of similarly themed pieces that Leteba dubbed the Bodulo Collection. He successfully pitched this collection at the inaugural Clout Industry Days Fired Up by Nando’s at 100% Design South Africa 2019.

Catching the interest of the judges and the Nando’s design team is what led to the prototyping of this piece.

66 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

Lynch reached out to Wiid Design’s award-winning founder, Laurie Wiid van Heerden, to help Leteba prototype the bench.

During the prototyping process, two versions of the bench were made – one in cork and another in plywood. Wiid Design first refined the initial files to make them viable for Laurie’s core material, cork. “Then the communication started,” van Heerden explains, “so that Khosi could approve our interpretation, because obviously it is his concept. The second bench, the plywood version, was a little bit more technical, and a little bit more

of a straightforward translation of Khosi’s concept.”

The end result is an astonishing contemporary expression of Southern African culture and tradition that pays testimony to the ongoing commitment from Nando’s Clout to support the local design economy. The bench will be made available on the Portal to Africa, the online design marketplace that gives the Nando’s global interior designers access to purchase pieces of furniture designed and manufactured in South Africa for upcoming Nando’s restaurants. https://clout-sadesign.co.za

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| Corporate Identity | Perforated Façades | Expanded Meta l

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Building Art Light, rhythm, balance and attention to detail are the hallmarks of great art. Alania Building Systems’ custom designed, technologically advanced aluminium building solutions brings your project to life by creating functional yet beautiful structures.

Every project we undertake benefits from design innovation, exceptional service and uncompromising quality of workmanship and materials from a team of solutions-driven professionals who stop at nothing to ensure inspirational results.

Johannesburg • Cape Town • Durban info@alania.co.za Tel: (+27 11) 683 1774

www.alania.co.za

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