Leading Architecture & Design February/March 2020

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SA’s first interior 6-Star Green Star Award PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

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ormfunc Studio, led by specialist sustainability and environmental consultants from the Terramanzi Group, recently attained the highest possible Interiors Green Star v1 certification – the first such rating to be awarded in South Africa for an office and distribution centre.

The building they selected in Lanseria, set in an industrial estate with stringent architectural guidelines, was originally designed

by Justin Barker Architects and developed by JTSON Construction as a speculative design.

“The project needed to afford an element of flexibility within the floor plate to accommodate a wide range of potential configurations from a single user to multiple tenants,” says Barker.

The site features expansive views towards the Magaliesburg over Lanseria, which necessitated a dramatic response. Large glass façades with extended overhangs were used on the north side of the building as a passive response to limit heat gains. The first floor was extended over the parking forecourt to maximise the available

28 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020

area for offices or showrooms, while maximising the balance of permissible land rights for industrial purposes on the ground floor.

Director and co-founder of Formfunc, Kim Kowalski, said that the aim of the project was to create a workspace that was not only functional but optimised health, wellness, productivity and efficiency. “It was imperative that our office environment went beyond just an ergonomic solution but also reflected our brand and our philosophy of recreating workspaces that are simpler and

healthier for employees to work in,” says Kowalski.

In order to attain this exclusive international rating, the project consultants, along with IT solutions provider Aethyr IT, design specialists Mask.Design and other contractors, had to assess every element of the fitout and scope of work to ensure that it would score a rating of between 75 and 100 credits in accordance with the Green Star Rating Tool. Categories evaluated and rated under the Green Star SA Rating Tool incorporate a range