Three sisters

Waverley Office Park Phase 3, situated just off the intersection of the M1 and Corlett Drive offramp in Johannesburg, is the third building in the office park designed by M-Architects and developed by Barrow Properties. This development very much pioneered the transformation of Bramley on the eastern side of the M1 highway.

The highly recognisable façades of the first two buildings in the complex, visible from the M1, include Building 1, which has a sloping façade that leans out over the highway, and Building 2, which features a striking undulating glass façade. Each building, while clearly belonging to the same family, has its own distinct identity and visual signature.

Building 3 picks up on some of these themes while adding a new dimension of its own. While it, too, features a sloping glass façade on the south-west part of the building, combined with a straight reflective façade on the other end, its most defining feature is a projecting angular box between them in a bold blue colour that adds visual interest. The overhang creates the necessary shelter from the sun for the interior spaces behind, while also creating a break-out opportunity for balconies.

Beyond visual impact, the double glass façades of the trio of buildings help control the west sun, while the reflective outer layer mirrors the activity on the highway as commuters pass below, introducing an interactive element to their presence.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable aspects of the building’s design, a defining characteristic of M-Architects’ work, is the way in which each façade has been designed individually, taking into account the varying conditions and aspects of each side of the building and responding to questions of balance, proportion, light and shade, while creating a coherent and integrated whole. Variations in materiality add to the richness – the façade treatments include not just reflective glass, but also painted plaster and Rheinzinc.

Waverly 3 was designed with the potential to be a multi-tenant building. As a result, the entrance of the building and the main lobby has been positioned centrally and visually differentiated, not only making a visual statement, but acting as an orientation device. In the case of this building, the entrance is distinguished by a cantilevered box, also in bright blue, projecting over the entrance. Designed in close consultation with KCE Consulting, the civil and structural engineers on the project, it is supported on one side by a slim bright yellow pillar, and on the other by a panel clad in natural stone to enrich the entrance experience. Other features the engineers note include the raked façade posts and the Y-shaped columns of the gate house, features made possible by the close relationship between the contractor, engineers and architect.

The use of bold primary colours is carried through into details such as the interior of the fire escape and the projecting fins adjacent to certain windows.

Another of M-Architects’ trademark characteristics is an aversion to sealed buildings. Balconies are included at every opportunity. Not only does this insistence create access to fresh air and views for the inhabitants of the building, drawing them outside and enhancing their overall experience, but it is also a more appropriate architectural response to conditions of the South African climate and context. It also results in a multilayered façade, which, combined with the building’s distinctive use of colour, creates depth and shade, which in turn results in a building of satisfying complexity.

The double-volume foyer at the entrance of the building is positioned so that the spaces around it can be subdivided into simple, clear uncluttered sections if the building is occupied by multiple tenants.

The building also includes a large covered outside entertainment terrace at the top, leading off the boardrooms and CEO’s office. Cutouts in the terrace roof let in nature and light. These are mirrored in internal skylights that let natural light into the offices towards the back of the building.

Seen from the M1 highway, the ‘face’ of the building presents a sloping glass façade on one side and a straight reflective façade on the other, while its most defining feature is a bold blue projecting angular box between them.

The internal spaces are planned so as to be completely flexible. The double-volume foyer is positioned so that the spaces around it can be subdivided into simple, clear uncluttered sections if the building is occupied by multiple tenants. Ablutions and other facilities are well positioned to ensure that lettable space is maximised. The cantilevered block over the entrance of the building creates a distinctive boardroom space and, at the top of the stairs, another natural opportunity for a reception area.

This third and final of the trio of buildings that make up this pioneering office park brings the development to a satisfying conclusion, with a strong presence above the busy highway while transforming the areas of Bramley around it.

PROFESSIONAL TEAMARCHITECTS: M-Architects CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: KCE ConsultingELECTRICAL (DESIGN & SUPPLY): Kawuleza Electrical Services MECHANICALENGINEER: Adaptive Resources FIRE CONSULTANT: Trilogy Fireproof MAINCONTRACTOR: Barrow Construction