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OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2018 Openings have been created in the floors to allow the abstract trees to push through to the upper level from below.
CONTENTS p74
Donald McGillivray, MDS
ON SITE
Architecture, Thavhani Mall [p12]
p12
FIRST DRAFT
32 OUTDOOR
BLUEPRINT
08 THE BRIEF
12 THAVHANI MALL
Editor’s note and book review.
Thavhani Mall in Northern Limpopo has been designed by MDS Architecture to be a regional mall with a wide range of carefully considered features resulting from its local focus.
10 INTERNATIONAL WOHA and Patricia Urquiola have combined sustainability and delight in their design for The Oasia Hotel in Singapore.
62 DRAWING BOARD What’s new in the world of architecture and design.
p10
19 RCL FOODS OFFICES
With the arrival of summer, architects and landscape designers have outdoor living in mind.
40 KITCHENS Homeowners pay more attention to the detail of design in the kitchen than almost any other area in the home.
51 SECURITY The security of any building has become an integral part of its design and architecture.
The new offices of leading food producer RCL Foods required EPA to create an active and exciting work environment to help catalyse the company’s ambition to become Africa’s best and largest food company.
56 WOOD
24 ROSEBANK LINK The striking 15-storey Rosebank Link at 173 Oxford Road by Paragon adds an expressive steel-and glass-clad shell icon to the R7 billion facelift of the Rosebank precinct.
The Embassy of France in South Africa, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and the Alliance Française of Johannesburg are proud to present the newly revamped francophone multimedia library, named after the Setswana word for “books”: Dibuka.
28 BONGANI RAINMAKER LOGISTICS
74 FEATURED DESIGN
When Bongani Rainmaker Logistics outgrew its premises, the company consulted with Johannesburgbased architectural practice Architects Of Justice to assist with its new office fit-out.
Natural materials and textures are central to all the interior design trends for the year ahead, and none more so than wood.
60 INTERIORS
The Heildronk Kas by Cape Town-based design duo Kino was designed to showcase the creativity and craftsmanship inherent in working with wood as a medium and the beauty of American Walnut and black Ash.
EDITORIAL EDITOR: Graham Wood Cell: 083 547 8437 email: graham.wood@newmediapub.co.za SUB EDITOR: Anita van der Merwe LAYOUT & DESIGN: Julia van Schalkwyk
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THE BRIEF
BY ED I TO R G RA HA M WO O D
ED'S NOTE
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It’s a good sign for cities when buildings seem to be trying to do something more hopeful and ambitious than merely enclosing space and balancing the books. Our featured projects in this issue are all encouragingly ambitious in what they want to achieve, and ingenious in how they want to achieve it. Our cover star – the Rosebank Link building at 173 Oxford Road in Joburg – is more than a dazzling façade. As much as it adds to the skyline, it also does good work at street level, connecting the Gautrain Station across the road from it with the shopping area behind it. It does this by providing an unimpeded passage through a multi-storey enclosed atrium that runs through the heart of the building. It’s being planted with indigenous vegetation and green walls, creating a new urban oasis through which pedestrians can stroll, while connecting parts of this bustling precinct. Thavhani Mall, a 50 000 m2 regional shopping centre in the centre of Thohoyandou in Northern Limpopo has also been designed with a precinct in mind. The mall, as the focal point of a planned mixed-use urban precinct mega development, had to be designed with this future context in mind, and has been planned with the benefits it can offer to the development of the local economy. The new head office for RCL Foods in Durban was slightly different in the way that it had to play a pivotal role in creating a new corporate culture. Nevertheless, in all these cases, it’s the lives of the people in and around the building that decide its raison d’être in the first place, and decide its eventual success. Graham EDITOR’S >
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elements of design dialogue beautifully with the environment. This beautifully produced coffee-table book takes in the work of renowned lodge architects, including Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, Marneweck Swart Architects and Nicholas Plewman, and showcases a selection of Dook’s best photographs of lodges from South Africa, East Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zambezi. They include stand-out examples like Leobo in the Waterberg, King Lewanika Lodge in Zambezi, Sandibe in the Okovango, Arijiju in Kenya and Sossusvlei Desert Lodge in Namibia. “I am often
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asked, ‘What’s your favourite lodge’,” says Dook. Having never been able to provide a straight answer, this book is his best attempt to do so, and it is a remarkable overview of fantastic architectural responses to a series of spectacular natural settings.
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Leading Architecture and Design is a proud partner of Specifile, South Africa’s leading online publisher of architectural, engineering and construction-related information. When you see the logo on one of our stories, it means you can head to the Specifile website for more information. All you need to know about our industry products and suppliers at www.specifile.co.za
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WOHA and Patricia Urquiola have combined sustainability and delight in their design for The Oasia Hotel in Singapore.
T
he Oasia Hotel in the central business district of Singapore redefines what a high-rise can be in humid tropical climates. In contrast with the conventional, completely sealed-off, air-conditioned tower, this hotel, designed by local office WOHA, merges architecture and nature, and combines indoor and outdoor spaces in a striking fashion. According to the architects, the aim was “to create an alternative imagery for commercial highrise developments. It combines innovative ways to intensify land use with a tropical approach that showcases a perforated, permeable, furry, verdant tower.” The tower, which has a height of 190 metres, contains four large outdoor spaces: three enormous verandas on the 6th, 12th and 21st floors, as well as a roof terrace on the 27th floor. This roof terrace is surrounded and protected by a 10-storey-high screen, covered in the same red aluminium mesh cladding
as the rest of the tower. This façade will gradually be overgrown by 21 species of creepers and vines, creating a lively contrast between vibrant reds and lush greens. While the pursuit of sustainability is often humourless and earnest, WOHA combines sustainability with delight. Aside from the red façade – soon to be green – the sky gardens also offer greenery, fresh air and opportunities for natural crossventilation, as well as representing the most visibly sustainable and delightful aspects of the building. The sky gardens came about in response to the client’s brief, which asked for distinct parts in the hotel. Given the small footprint, WOHA adopted what they call “a club sandwich approach by creating a series of different strata, each with its own sky garden”. Introducing these sky gardens, which WOHA describes as “elevated ground levels”, allowed “the precious but limited ground-floor space to
10 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
be multiplied, creating generous public areas for recreation and social interaction throughout the high-rise”. The design of the sky gardens is the work of Spanish designer and architect Patricia Urquiola, who was responsible for all interiors as well as the outdoor spaces of the hotel. Each pool has a different character. The pool on the sixth floor is part of a gym; on the 21st floor, the pool acts as a stylish extension of the lounge club. Left and right of the pool – which is tiled in a light and dark blue chevron pattern – is a wading pool, just deep enough to get your feet wet while sipping a cocktail. The rooftop pool consists of two parts, on either side of the rooftop restaurant. For the pools on the 21st and 27th floor, she has used AGROB BUCHTAL tiles from the Chroma series. Unlike most rooftop amenities in hotels, which are all about the panorama, here the city’s skyline is almost completely concealed by the
vegetated screen. This underlines the unconventionality of WOHA’s architecture. Instead of a view, this rooftop offers a place of unexpected intimacy and tranquility – an escape from the bustle of the city. www.woha.net; www.agrob-buchtal.de/en
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BLUEPRINT
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ASP Fire is able to conduct fire-risk assessments and Rational Fire Designs for shopping centres. Fire plans have to be resubmitted for approval whenever a tenant changes, or if the internal layout of a shop changes. Most tenants are not aware of the specific requirements for automatic fire detection and alarm systems and their obligation to install them. Ceiling void smoke detection, void fire protection and the activation of smoke extraction systems by tenant fire panels are areas often ignored when shopping centres are built.
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The entrances of Thavhani Mall in Thohoyandou in Northern Limpopo feature brightly coloured glass entrance lobbies with patterns referencing the colourful vernacular artwork and fabrics endemic to the area.
PRO J EC T # 1 THAVHAN I MALL
Mall with a local focus Thavhani Mall in Northern Limpopo has been designed by MDS Architecture to be a regional mall with a wide range of carefully considered features resulting from its local focus. PHOTOGRAPHY TRISTAN MCLAREN
Continued next page
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havhani Mall, a 50 000m2 regional shopping centre, is located in the centre of Thohoyandou in Northern Limpopo and has been carefully planned since its inception to offer substantial and meaningful benefits for the local economy. Donald McGillivray, the MDS Architecture partner who headed up the project, says that Thavhani Mall is the focal point of the large mixed-use urban precinct mega development, Thavhani City, which is being developed on a 27ha site in Thohoyandou. The precinct includes an office park, a value shopping centre, motor showrooms, medical clinic and a hotel with conference centre. “As such, the
Thavhani City Precinct is likely to create a new city centre for Thohoyandou. Our shopping centre design incorporates an option for a further 20 000m2 extension as part of phase two of the existing shopping centre,” he says. The building is located on a prominent site on the junction of the R524 (Road to Makhado) and the new Giyani road (linking Giyani to Sibasa). It is accessible by wellestablished roads from Makhado, Giyani, Sibasa and the surrounding rural areas. The double-level shopping centre is anchored by four major tenants: Superspar, Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Edgars, supplemented by other national
tenants, including household names Truworths and Foschini, as well as upmarket niche fashion brands. ENTRANCES AND EXTERIOR TREATMENT Thavhani Mall features five entrances – two on the upper level and three on the lower level. The entrances to the mall feature high-volume canopies held up by abstract structures that evoke the language of the baobab tree. The entrance design is mindful of the concept of pause and gathering. “The entrances resemble shaded, sculptural baobab trees under which visitors may pause before they enter,” says McGillivray. Bright colours have been incorporated into glass entrance lobbies to reference the colourful vernacular artwork and fabrics endemic to the area. Lighting at the entrances draws visitors into the building. “Wind lobbies coming off each entrance have coloured vinyl, creating a lingering glow in the evening. During the day, colour glows into the mall are created by sunlight surrounding the entrances,” explains McGillivray. The exterior finish of the building is a combination of painted bagging in earthy tones and face brick in
terracotta and beige satin. “Given the high humidity and rainfall in the area, maintenance was a consideration in the selection of finishes,” says McGillivray. INTERIOR SPACES The mall’s interior features doublevolume spaces. McGillivray says, “Openings have been created in the floors to allow the abstract trees to push through to the upper level from below.” There has been a conscious effort to create as much natural light as possible, which was achieved by the inclusion of high-level clerestory windows. The building is completely lit by the natural light from these windows during the day and complemented by accent lighting. A pixelated leaf floor pattern has been incorporated into the floor of the mall, as if to create the illusion that the abstract trees have shed their leaves. The colour palette is a timeless black-andwhite combination, which adds a contemporary feel to the shopping centre. It is infused with earthy blues, browns and greens and vibrant splashes of orange, yellow, blue and red to uplift the monochromatic scheme through mall furniture.
The doublevolume main circulation courts are bathed in natural light from high-level clerestory windows, and each features its own theme, for example, the Edgars court features eye-catching lights made of inverted terracotta pots (top) and the central court was given tube light fittings to give it scale (bottom left).
14 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
PRO J EC T # 1 THAVHAN I MALL
The high-volume canopies at the entrances to the mall are supported by pillars in the shape of abstracted baobab trees.
Continued next page
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 15
>> B LU EPRINT The lighting at the entrances is designed to draw visitors into the building, and during the day, colour created by sunlight surrounding the entrances glows into the mall.
The three main circulation courts are double volume and bathed in natural light from clerestory windows wrapping around the high-level perimeter, and each of the courts has its own aesthetic theme. The Edgars court references the earthly terracotta via an eye-catching light feature made of
terracotta pots turned upside down. The Woolworths court has a custommade light fitting constructed with Consol jars by Optique lighting, while the central court – the main feature court for promotions – was given tube light fittings to give it scale. The central court also includes a glazed feature lift.
FOOD OFFERING AND OTHER FACILITIES An interesting aspect of Thavhani Mall is that it doesn’t include a dedicated food court. Instead, focused food offerings are clustered around the entrances. “The upper level at entrance four is where visitors will find fast food outlets,
while entrance five features restaurants. Entrance three is also focused on food and the other two entrances on the lower level are banking areas.” Queues for banking ATMs are a common sight during peak times in Limpopo, where banking outlets tend to be used differently than in many of South Africa’s urban areas. For this reason, another distinctive feature of Thavhani Mall’s design is its treatment of ATMs, which are located outside the shopping centre with shaded outside areas as well as screening. Patrons can queue outside the mall, which avoids impeding the entrances during peak times. There are a series of various bank ATMs at each upper level entrance, with additional dedicated ATMs in-branch inside the centre. Three pad sites were incorporated into the Thavhani Mall precinct,
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16 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
P ROJ EC T #2 THAVHAN I MALL
including two drive-through restaurants (McDonald’s and Nando’s) as well as a Sasol fuel station. Prayer room facilities are available at Thavhani Mall and there are two large ablution facilities on each level. Each block includes male and female and diaper-changing facilities, parent and child, and disabled facilities. McGillivray says that the ablution facilities have a distinctly upmarket feel. “The design includes an unusual configuration to make smaller areas work better, using central islands with vanities in
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the middle of the area so that guests can walk around them for easy circulation patterns,” he says. As temperatures in Thohoyandou soar to highs of up to 50°C in summer with moderate winters, the interior is climate-controlled. All clerestory windows on the south side are well insulated to ensure no heat build-up and unnecessary glare. In addition, the massive canopies at entrances ensure heavy shading. Thavhani Mall has domestic water/ fire tanks, ensuring that its water supply is fully backed up. It also has
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backup generators and many tenants have their own individual generators as well. The onsite borehole is used for irrigation and has a shutoff valve that can be opened if the domestic tanks run out of water.
“Insulation has been carefully planned along with natural lighting in the building, which serves to reduce power requirements for artificial lighting,” explains McGillivray.
PROFESSIONAL TEAM CLIENT: Flanagan & Gerard; Thavhani Property Investment (Pty) Ltd; Vukile Property Fund Limited TENANT CO-ORDINATOR: Orion Project Managers ARCHITECT: MDS Architecture QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Norval Wentzel Steinberg STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: L & S Consulting CIVIL ENGINEER: L & S Consulting ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Taemane Consulting Engineers MECHANICAL ENGINEER: Q-Mech Consulting Engineers FIRE CONSULTANT: Specialised Fire Technology WET SERVICES CONSULTANT: Kyle & Associates LANDSCAPING CONSULTANT: Gauflora MAIN CONTRACTOR: WBHO Construction
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>> B LU EPRINT
P ROJ EC T #2 RCL FOO DS O FFICES
A dominant over-sailing roof caps and frames the transparent atrium while angled supports signify the building's entrance.
Food for thought The new offices of leading food producer RCL Foods required EPA to create an active and exciting work environment to help catalyse the company’s ambition to become Africa’s best and largest food company. PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED
T
his project was undertaken in the framework of an extraordinary collaboration of the developer/landlord/ contractor, tenant, architect, interior designer, branding alchemist and technical team. Key to advancing the conceptual approach for the workplace was an appreciation that the building was to be a pivotal part of creating a new culture for an amalgamated business of five individual corporate acquisitions. Driven by a desire to create Africa’s best and largest food company in the future, the directors of RCL Foods commenced weaving a non-corporate culture around the principles that people are the
business and that the workplace environment should attract and retain the best human resource talent available. Working with the RCL branding alchemist and the tenant engagement of interior design company novospace – the interior design division of EPA – from the inception of the design proved to be an excellent decision as the stage was set for a fully integrated concept origination.
and space-planning-flexibility demands being central to the physical programme, the need for a multiplicity of different meeting and collaborative spaces and a focus on food were imperatives. A desire for spatially connected workspaces with emphasis on providing a focal and legible public interface was expressed, together with the need to create a variety of functionally usable external spaces.
PROGRAMME The new offices – required to accommodate 700 people with an emphatic directive to create a bespoke environment – needed to exude the culture of the business at every possible level. With growth
DESIGN RESPONSE Arranged over three levels of structured parking, the office building displays an interlocking sectional typology that is generated around a central linear atrium. Continued next page
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 19
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Four levels of relatively ‘deep space’ offices are stacked on the northeastern edge, accommodating two circulation cores, while three levels are set on the southwest, with the grade level reduced to fit covered on-grade parking. The stepped nature of the section provides balanced form, a reduced scale to the street interface and a comfortable relationship to its neighbouring buildings. SPACE AND FUNCTION Entrance is gained into the offices from a landscaped open parking area and ramped pedestrian access on the northwest end, while the southeastern end provides a captive courtyard. The atrium space is the pièce de résistance of the offices, exhibiting a grand steel stair rising from the entrance to the topmost level, connecting to a series of bridges and set at an angle to be perceived in its entirety upon entry. The atrium interfaces with the office floors are treated variously with three central boardrooms, curved meeting pods and glazed yellow lift shafts – thus providing a dynamic of spatial excitement viewed from all parts of the building. Office floors are open to this linear space and promote spatial connectivity of the various departments and functions. A large staff canteen, meeting room cluster, public cafe and development/test ‘master chef’ type kitchens all open into the atrium on the primary level and this street becomes the
energy of the offices, particularly when used for staff gatherings. Office floors unusually account for about half the total building area and are spatially delineated with collaboration spaces, touchdown meeting zones, coffee stations, pause areas, print hubs, phone booths and meeting pods – the final outcome providing an active and exciting work environment. The uppermost level accommodates the executive offices – which convert to meeting spaces when they’re not used – a bar, café, terrace and an outdoor sky bar for small functions. SUSTAINABILITY The building form and enclosure are designed within the framework of entirely conventional and cost-effective construction methodologies. A dominant oversailing roof caps and frames the transparency of the atrium and its angled supports signify the entrance. The rendered exterior of the building is characterised by the application of aluminium solar screens, a layered façade in direct response to orientation and view opportunity. The southwestern block is highly visible from the street and is treated with brightly coloured vertical solar fins capturing the five primary RCL brand colours, and this becomes the signature of the building. This passive strategy is combined with recycled water harvesting and a large rooftop PV array to deliver energy generation to the building.
20 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
P ROJ EC T #2 RCL FOO DS O FFICES The cross-section reveals how the building's stepped nature creates a balanced form while reducing its scale at street level and ensuring a comfortable relationship to its neighbours.
Left to right: The office building displays an interlocking sectional typology that is generated around a central linear atrium. The southwestern block features brightly coloured vertical solar fins capturing the five primary RCL brand colours.
Continued next page
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 21
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Top: The atrium space exhibits a grand steel stair rising from the entrance to the topmost level, connecting to a series of bridges and set at an angle so that it can be seen in its entirety from the entrance. Bottom: Inspiring messages mounted, etched and patterned into walls in large typography feature throughout the interiors of RCL Foods' new headquaters in Westville, Durban.
P ROJ EC T #2 RCL FOO DS O FFICES
MATERIALITY AND INTERIORS An extensively interactive process yielded a bespoke ‘funky-raw’ conceptual approach to the interior design. In juxtaposition to the crisp exterior expression, the exposure of off-shutter concrete structure with fair face clay-brick surfaces deployed throughout the interior creates a warm and industrial adaptive reuse quality. Colour is applied on many different surfaces to enliven and contrast the raw fabric and create focus. Acoustic panels, rough sawn timber, dark steelwork
and expressed suspended services throughout purposefully reinforce the overtly industrial character of the interiors. The rough and textured finishes are purposefully interfaced with elements of bright colour and glass components using bespoke, locally produced furnishings and light fittings. A subtle approach is taken to link the interior with the nature of RCL Foods’ business – for example, many occasional tables supported by cutlery-shaped legs create a whimsical touch. The result is a warm and rich interior that connects earthiness with modernity. This is matched with large-scale colourful art installations and a creative, highly visual wayfinding system. Large typography is a feature carried throughout the project, with inspiring messages mounted, etched and patterned into walls. AN ACTION WORKING ENVIRONMENT This building recently received a SAIA Award of Merit. It was also awarded Best Office Interior in Africa and thereafter Best International Office Interior at the International Property Awards. This success is attributed to the unusual collaborative journey adopted in its creation, which has crafted an environment with an extraordinary quality and spirit, exuding a truly African working environment.
PROFESSIONAL TEAM ARCHITECTS: EPA STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: BHP Engineers MECHANICAL ENGINEERS: RPP ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS: Ibuya Electrical Engineers FIRE ENGINEERS: Woollatton and Clarke WET SERVICES ENGINEERS: WSP INTERIOR DESIGNERS: novospace BRANDING CONSULTANTS: The Hardy Boys
22 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
rcl foods offices 2017 SAIA award of merit 2017 KZNIA award of merit 2017 african property award
2017-2018 international property awards_best international office interior 2017-2018 international property awards_best office interior africa 2017-2018 international property awards_best office interior south africa
interior architecture +27 31 275 5800
+27 31 275 5820
+27 31 303 2602
+27 31 940 7783
+27 31 266 7332
+27 31 266 0750
+27 31 003 0920
+27 31 003 0920
elphick proome architects inc. +27 31 275 5800 www.eparch.co.za
16 the boulevard
info@eparch.co.za
westway office park
durban
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PRO J EC T #3 ROSE BAN K LI N K
New icon
The striking 15-storey Rosebank Link at 173 Oxford Road adds an expressive steel-and-glass-clad shell icon to the R7bn-facelift of the Rosebank precinct. PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED
Rosebank Link at 173 Oxford Road in Rosebank, Johannesburg, is a mixed use office and retail development featuring distinctive articulated strip windows as an architectural feature.
24 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
I
dentified as one of 35 priority development areas in greater Johannesburg, with the focus on improved service delivery and infrastructure, recent projects have included Rosebank Towers and the Rosebank Fire Station, and additional work at the Rosebank Galleria and The Mews. Paragon’s scope of work at Rosebank Link focused on the design and documentation for all five stages of the project. The building has a total rentable area of 18 744m2 of office space and 1 553 m2 of ground-floor retail area. There are two basement parking levels, a ground-floor public/retail level, five parkade levels, and nine storeys of offices from the podium level. Continued next page
K W A Z U L U – N A T A L | 34 Cypress Drive, Glen Anil, Durban, 4051 | 031 569 5024 G A U T E N G | 5 Border Lane, Benrose, 2094 | 011 614 3510 W E S T E R N C A P E | Unit 1, Waterstone Park, Capricorn Drive, Capricorn Business Park, Muizenberg, 7945 | 021 788 2711 _facadesolutions_
www.facadesolutions.co.za
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This page left and opposite: The façade features a composite aluminiumclad shell with articulated strip windows that allow light and views into the building, and transform its appearance from day to night. Below: At the heart of the building is a multi-storey enclosed northfacing atrium that filters the sunlight to create a tranquil oasis within the thoroughfare it creates between the Gautrain Station and the shopping area in the bustling Rosebank precinct.
26 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
“As a building standing foremost in the centre of a developing cosmopolitan area, it was important to have a unique design that serves the needs of the client and its neighbours, as well as the public, in a new, exciting and smart way,” Paragon Senior Project Architectural Technologist Warren Wesson comments. The east and west façades consist of a composite aluminium-clad shell with articulated strip windows to allow light and views to filter into every office module. These faceted façades have a visual quality emphasised by the articulated strip windows, which change from day to night. The flush-glazed north and south façades allow for uninterrupted views over greater Rosebank. The backdrop to these façades is a smooth and glossy flat finish that transforms itself into the underbelly of the building. The organic vaulting architecture of the underbelly raises the building from the ground, affording users an unimpeded thoroughfare between the Gautrain Station and the shopping area. At the heart of the building is a multi-storey enclosed, north-facing atrium fashioned to capture the sunlight filtering down into a unique fluid underbelly of the ground-floor thoroughfare. This creates a conduit for a combination of green walls and indigenous planting brought to life in executive roof gardens, podium-level gardens and parkade-wall gardens that result in a tranquil oasis within the bustling Rosebank precinct. Paragon’s design of Rosebank Link had to take many factors into account, from budget to programme, and the constraints and conditions of the site. “Once those parameters were understood, it allowed us to set a broad concept. Those parameters were then inputted into a
ROSE BAN K LI N K
PRO J EC T #3
3D parametric modelling process that assisted in the visualisation of a concept refined ultimately to meet all design conditions,” Wesson explains. All the consultants on the project are BIM-proficient, collaborating through 3D software to streamline the co-ordination process. Given the building’s strategic location in terms of the Gautrain Station, Paragon had to pay particular attention to the surrounding area and infrastructure linkages. “This is very important. The unique nature of the area required connectivity to allow the precinct to function at its best.” Wesson concludes that the building has been designed, and will be operated, in an environmentallysustainable manner. Passive building design techniques and environmental considerations will ensure a 4 Star Green Star rating, creating a healthier and more productive environment. PROFESSIONAL TEAM ARCHITECT: Paragon DEVELOPER: Redefine Properties CONTRACTOR: WBHO PROJECT MANAGER: Betts Townsend QUANTITY SURVEYOR: MLC STRUCTURAL AND FAÇADE ENGINEER: Sutherland Engineers ELECTRICAL AND WET SERVICES ENGINEER: CKR MECHANICAL ENGINEER: Adaptive Resource FIRE ENGINEER: SFT GREEN BUILDING CONSULTANT: WSP
33 Fricker Road, Illovo, Johannesburg Tel: +27 (0)11 482 3781 Email: info@paragon.co.za www.paragon.co.za
MLC Quantity Surveyors Tel: +27 (0)11 283 1500 Email: info.jhb@mlc-group.com www.mlcqs.com
Sutherland Engineers Tel: +27 (0)11 268 1412 Email: media@sutherlandengineers.com www.sutherlandengineers.com
JOHANNESBURG | DURBAN | PRETORIA CAPE TOWN | DUBAI | BANGALORE
www.ckr.co.za +27 11 217 7300
enquiries@ckr.co.za
SERVICES Electrical Engineering Electronic Engineering IT Infrastructure Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Specialist Lighting Design Mechanical Engineering • HVAC - Heating Ventilation & Air-Conditioning • Wet Services - Plumbing & Drainage • Fire Protection • Vertical Transportation
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 27
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Top left: A new reception area was created in an intermediate lobby, integrating it with the rest of the office space and creating a welcoming space for visitors. Top right and bottom right: The upstairs legal and financial departments, along with the director’s offices, present a more standard corporate look and feel than the ‘industrial chic’ look in the more public areas. Right: A demountable glass partitioning system, that the tenant had begun using in their previous offices, was incorporated into the project, introducing a light and open feel. Bottom left: Lighting by local design studio GOET was used in the main stairwell.
28 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
PROJ EC T # 4 BO N GAN I R AIN MAKE R LOG ISTICS
Industrial chic office When Bongani Rainmaker Logistics outgrew its premises, the company consulted with Johannesburgbased architectural practice Architects of Justice to assist with its new office fit-out. PHOTOGRAPHY DOMINIC BARNARDT PHOTOGRAPHY
M
et with an empty shell at the new premises at the Westlake View Logistics Park in Modderfontein, Gauteng, Mike Rassmann, partner at Architects of Justice, notes that while initially the project took a while to get off the ground, the actual implementation on site was incredibly quick. “We had a month to complete the fit-out of the main office, yet the project grew considerably from there in the sense that we also added a number of offices within the warehouse for the operations side of the business.” The architects had worked on the company’s previous offices, so they had existing knowledge of its ethos. The raw interior and exposed services and concrete suggested an ‘industrial chic’ look in the more public areas of the building, such as the reception area and the call centre. As one
moves upstairs to the legal and financial departments, along with the director’s offices, one is presented with a more standard corporate look and feel. Architects of Justice began the process with a breakdown of the entire operations and the business’s requirements. In total, across 1 300m2 of primary office space over two floors, 70 staff members are accommodated on the lower level (including eight private offices), and 30 staff on the upper office level (including nine private offices). A reception, meeting rooms, main boardroom and executive kitchen were also included. Furthermore, 1 000m2 of operational office space for 70 staff is located in the warehouse, comprising individual offices, open-plan offices and a 100-seater conference facility. Continued next page
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 29
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“For the warehouse component, we created operations offices on the warehouse floor, as well as offices on a central mezzanine level to give the managerial staff a bird’s-eye view of the warehouse activities,” says Rassmann. The architects identified a dry-walled space between the staircase and the reception area and removed it to create an intermediate lobby from the lower level which leads visitors up to the reception area. “The initial design of the building separated the reception vastly from the rest of the office, so we brought it back up and integrated it into the space. A focal point of this space is the wooden division that was introduced as a screening element, to ensure that all visitors, no matter which department they are going to, must directly report to the receptionist in order to avoid unscheduled walk-ins,” he says. Ontarget was appointed as the interior designers on the project. Due to most of the layout being populated by closed spaces, special attention was paid to creating a more transparent and approachable environment, with the use of glass shopfronts
PROJ EC T # 4 BO N GAN I R AIN MAKE R LOG ISTICS
to offices and, more noticeably, bespoke shop-fitted screens, such as the wooden slatted screen in the main reception and the steel planters down the passages. Natural and warm undertones showcase the welcoming culture of the company and complement the contemporary industrial look. The boardroom and executive wing were designed to reflect the individual personalities of the Exco team, while encompassing a feeling of respectability and comfort. Acoustic tiles were specified throughout due to their sound quality properties, and flooring-wise, hardwearing vinyls were used for high-traffic areas and carpet tiles for the office spaces. Indoor planting contrasts with the industrial feel of the spaces. The company already had a selection of good furniture from their previous office, which they added to as required. Despite a tight timeframe, the joint design team of Architects of Justice and Ontarget delivered a modern, industrial-inspired interior to the offices, transforming what could have been an ordinary office interior into a space that blends comfort and professionalism and supports the wellness of its employees.
A wooden element was introduced as a screening and wayfinding device, to ensure that all visitors can easily find the receptionist.
PROFESSIONAL TEAM DEVELOPER: Fortress Reit Ltd TENANT: Bongani Rainmaker Logistics (Pty) Ltd INTERIOR ARCHITECT: Architects of Justice EXTERIOR ARCHITECT: ICM Architectural Studio QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Quanticost Quantity Surveyors CONTRACTOR: Abbeydale & Civil (Pty) Ltd INTERIOR DESIGNER: Ontarget FIRE ENGINEER: Chimera Fire Protection Consultants ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: MNS Consulting Engineers STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: BSM Baker Consulting Engineers
30 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
ON SITE
OUTDO O R
LOITERING WITHIN TENT Bushtec Safari, renowned supplier of Africa’s most pristine and prestigious tented accommodation services, is proud to have constructed the recently opened tented lodge at the luxury eco-resort Kingfisher Lodge in the UAE. The brand sees this project, commissioned by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and constructed exclusively by Bushtec Safari’s team of multi-disciplinary experts, as its magnum opus. Situated on a strip of conservation land off the coast of the Oman Gulf, Kingfisher Lodge is surrounded by a forest of mangrove trees and precious shrubbery. Because of this, it was of great importance that the building process be environmentally responsible, and the positioning of the eco-lodge be stringently respectful of the natural resources in the area. The Bushtec Safari team carried out this most important task with great care and diligence. The company’s experienced team of accommodation specialists works closely with clients throughout the planning and construction phase, paying close attention to retaining client buy-in. Since the company offers turnkey solutions, it is their highest priority to provide a one-stop-shop for all client needs, from the foundational requirements of installation to the minor details such as interior decor. This project was conducted on a scale far greater than any project preceding this and took a full year to complete. Being that Bushtec Safari prides itself on its turnkey capabilities, which translates
to providing cradle-to-grave solutions, this endeavour ventured well beyond merely building the lodge. The foundations of the development began at tent designing and camp planning, conducted by a highly practiced team of architects, designers and building specialists. The safari tents were then manufactured at the state-of-the-art Canvas and Tent factory in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal. Here, all products underwent rigorous quality assurance checks before being dispensed to the shores of the UAE. After numerous site visits, a large team of workers was sent to install the lodge. Installation involved not only the building of the fundamental structures, but also full electrical and water reticulation. Soon after this, a meticulous process of interior decorating
32 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
commenced, carried out by leading figures in the field, until a stunning picture of luxury accommodation excellence was created. When construction was completed in early 2018, Kingfisher Lodge already boasted an opulent array of structures. Among these are 20 luxury accommodation units, five of which are family units and 15 of which will accommodate couples and single guests. These tented
chalets include bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas and patios, as well as their own private swimming pools. Adding to the extravagant ambience of the resort is a complement of facilities to ensure every guest’s stay is optimally comfortable. These include restaurants, outdoor recreation centres, conference facilities, prayer rooms and two spas, for males and females respectively. The aim is to provide a nature getaway destination with all the spoils of daily city life. As part of their commitment to delivering products of utmost quality, Bushtec Safari complies with various international standards and quality control bodies. One of these is ISO 9001:2008, for which the company has been repeatedly reviewed over the years and found to be excelling in service delivery. www.bushtecsafari.co.za
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As the preferred supplier to luxury resorts across the globe, and with more than 50 years’ experience in creating extraordinary and innovative tented escapes, our clients trust Bushtec Safari. From the f irst introductory meeting and the site inspection through to the design process and the manufacturing and construction phases, we pay meticulous attention to detail, and we are always only a call away. By offering a full turnkey solution, we provide a single point of contact and guarantee the quality of our manufactured products, thus avoiding unnecessary project delays. To give you and your client peace of mind, we also only work with the best artisans and materials. It’s why we’ve built long-standing relationships with all our contractors. To create an unforgettable luxury travel destination, contact us.
Contact us on +27 (0)12 671 1117 | bushtecsafari.co.za | info@bushtecsafari.co.za
A CANVAS AND TENT company
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 33
>> O N SITE
OUTDO O R
THE GRASS REALLY IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE With water restrictions and some parts of the country experiencing drought, most people’s natural grass lawns are not looking their best (or in some cases have become a dry, dusty sandpit). The drive for sustainability and being eco-conscious homeowners is also a real consideration when it comes to maintaining the perfect outdoor area for your home. However, sustainability doesn’t mean that people must sacrifice their beautiful, lush green outdoor aesthetic.
In fact, artificial grass is becoming more and more popular these days with the demand for quality turf growing rapidly so people can enjoy a garden that gives an all-year-round gorgeous, green look and feel without wasting precious water resources. According to artificial grass experts, Nouwens Carpets, there are several quality ranges available for people to choose from that offer homeowners the various aesthetic attributes of an attractive natural lawn. Their
34 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
artificial turf landscape range has been developed specifically to harmonise with the natural environment and is very durable so, when well installed, can last for a long time. The Nouwens Carpets artificial grass range is also
one of the very few available in the South African market to offer an eight-year UV warranty. And as if the option of getting an artificial lawn wasn’t already tempting – there are also the added benefits of no mowing, no weeding, no seeding and no watering required. Plus, you could avoid the hassle of allergy-causing grass pollen and you can mitigate the use of fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical additives to keep your natural-looking lawn at its best! With all this in mind, and with many South Africans concerned about the future water reserves of our country, it makes sense to stage a lawn intervention with one of Nouwens Carpets’ impressive artificial grass ranges. www.nouwenscarpets.co.za
Home
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CRAFTSMANSHIP A rich heritage of designing iconic products and an unsurpassed attention to detail has led to Nouwens Carpets being the trusted name in durable, hardwearing and stylish carpets, with a solution to suit all budgets, applications and carpet specifications. facebook.com/nouwenscarpets www.nouwenscarpets.co.za
BRAAI & EXTRACTION SYSTEMS FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINER
Visit www.firefox.co.za to view our extensive range
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OUTDO O R
PERMEABLE GRASS BLOCKS USED FOR MASSIVE STORMWATER CHANNEL
Over 79Â 000 precast concrete Terracrete
end of Channel 1.
grass blocks, manufactured by Terraforce licensee and CMA member, Klapmuts Concrete, have been used to line a 6.5m-wide section of 1.8km stormwater drainage channel next to what will become the Vlakkeland low-cost housing estate in a peri-urban area on the outskirts of Paarl, Western Cape. The channel forms the major component of a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) designed to protect the new housing estate from water flows during heavy downpours. Specified by the Western Cape’s Provincial Government, it was designed by consulting engineers Lyners and Associates, based on input from GNEC (Guillaume Nel Environmental Consultants) and some initial stormwater surveys undertaken by Graham McGill of Graham McGill Consulting. The channel forms part of a system that has been designed to ensure that stormwater is managed and dispensed in a controlled manner. Several tributaries and stormwater pipes that previously flowed into evaporation ponds on the land earmarked for the new housing estate now drain into the main channel and two tributary channels. The unlined section of the main channel was designed to accommodate a 1:100 year flood (50.2m2/s) whereas the lined section
The pond further reduces the flow rate and prevents surges by releasing water gradually through a 450mm outlet pipe at the far end of the pond. When the pond fills to capacity, the overflow pushes back into the main channel at the entrance to the pond. A secondary, smaller attenuation pond has been excavated immediately above culverts that have been installed under a tarred road adjacent to the estate. Grass has been planted on the floors of both ponds to minimise dust during dry periods and to encourage water infiltration. The main channel is composed of three material layers: the sub-soil, which was compacted with rollers to 93% MOD AASHTO; a layer of Grade A2 geofabric, which prevents the blocks from settling too much and allows filtration while preventing the washout of locally sourced bedding sand (20-30mm); and Terracrete grass blocks. The Terracrete blocks are being filled with a bio-charcoal material and mushroom spores, the former to absorb pollutants in the water and the latter to recharge the charcoal and keep it fit for purpose. Water-purifying plants are currently being grown in a nursery to be planted in and around the blocks, as the stormwater from this channel ends up in
can accommodate a 1:5 (18m2/s) year flood. The Terracrete blocks and mini gabion dams reduce flow-rates and allow the SUDS system to better filtrate any runoff. The other major component of the system is a large attenuation pond at the bottom
the Berg river. The channel banks above the blocks are being planted with grass. The main channels and bulk earthworks, including the attenuation ponds, were constructed by JVZ Construction. www.terraforce.com
Find a supplier www.terraforce.com
Tel: 021 465 1907
WWW.LEADINGARCHITECTURE.CO.ZA OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 37
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FSG PROJECT WATCH: SOUTH HILLS PARK Specialist landscaping company FSG loves projects that uplift the community with recreational areas. The children’s park at South Hills Park south of Johannesburg is a great example of a project that will add greatly to the quality of life the children in the area enjoy. This communal space will benefit those making use of the housing development of Calgro M3 Development.
FSG IN ACTION FSG has taken this barren area of around 14 000m2 and created a safe haven for children and families to enjoy. The brief given to FSG required an environmentallyfriendly approach to the project, reusing and recycling as much as possible. The area needed to be a lush, grassy park furnished with braai facilities and recreational play equipment for children. This landscaping project required FSG to make major positive changes both to the visible landscape and the soil quality to ensure that the newly planted fauna and flora thrives.
Adding plants to the landscape meant a comprehensive planting plan was needed, containing lots of water-wise plants that will offer pops of summer colour. Flowering plants such as Limonium perezii, Strelitzia reginae and Carpobrotus edulis groundcover add the desired summer hues. Winters will also be vibrant, thanks to the succulent groundcover Crassula ‘campfire’ and the pink plumes of Melinis nerviglumis. Some of the unique design ideas used at South Hills involved incorporating and making use of as much of the existing ‘waste’ materials from the site as possible. Therefore, FSG implemented a “reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy in a very practical way. Grassy berms and slides were created from broken and unused water pipes. A sandpit area was surrounded by colourful, painted secondhand tyres salvaged from the site and around town to lighten the area with fun and colour. Jungle gyms for children are accompanied by outdoor gym equipment suitable for adults,
38 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
as well as cycling pathways for commuters and benches for families to sit down on and take in some fresh air. Informal sports fields for soccer and netball allow people of all ages to enjoy outdoor sports.
ROCKS AND CURVEBALLS This site was challenging because of the abundance of rocks that were found in the area. FSG incorporated them into their plan creatively, using them to create a natural, visually appealing edging for the garden beds. Nature threw them another curveball with the shallow rock bed situated exactly where they had planned for the children’s soccer field and the netball court to be, making it very difficult to level the ground. They addressed the challenge by bringing in soil from an
outside source and creating an even layer of ground over the rock bed. They also had to incorporate the four existing stormwater channels, by making an informal bridgeway, using discarded bricks for the bicycle path to connect throughout the park.
A HAPPIER COMMUNITY The community now has a free-to-use communal park. The lush grass is great for picnics, while braai facilities allow for family gatherings and food preparations. Fitness enthusiasts can jog along the pathways or enjoy a game of soccer on the sport field. Parents can relax, seated on benches as their young children enjoy the jungle gym equipment, sandpit and repurposed slides. www.fsgpropertyservices. co.za/fsg-landscaping/
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KITCH E NS
THE SECRET INGREDIENT FOR A MODERN KITCHEN Some children dream of being astronauts, explorers or artists. From a young age, Jean Pierre Pastor knew he wanted to be a chef. Inspired by his mother’s great cooking, he cultivated a passion for food early in life and ultimately realised his dream: opening his first restaurant in 2000, called La Fata Bema. Pastor opened his latest destination, Meltemi, in Northern Italy in early 2016. Named after and inspired by the northern winds of the Aegean Sea, there he sets himself apart from the local competition by offering a menu comprised strictly of seafood dishes. A contrast to traditional cuisine of Parma, which is very meat and dairy heavy, his playfully unusual offering has
been welcomed in the area. Pastor’s appetite for quality cuisine, however, is not restricted to cooking. Shortly after opening Meltemi, he expanded it to include a cooking school, to provide a creative space where the public can participate in his passion. Pastor explains: “The cooking school is for people who wish to learn. It’s not for professionals, but for people who want to have a good time cooking, trying out and discovering.”
A MODERN GEM From the outside, Meltemi blends into its surroundings. It is a historic building in a very old city. Just across the road, the medieval Palazzo Tirelli boasts a fifteenth-century
40 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
brick façade. Pastor, however, opted for a more contemporary kitchen, in contrast with the surrounding architecture. Alongside the benefits of up-to-date appliances, Neolith worktops deliver a range of advantages for both experienced and beginner cooks. From slicing and dicing to plating and presenting, the Sintered Stone is at once chopping board, trivet and backdrop. Pastor explains: “We have chosen Neolith because the surface is easy to clean and very hygienic. It doesn’t stain, it doesn’t scratch, and we can put hot pans on it. The product doesn’t change, so we know it will look as attractive no matter how many dishes are prepared on it.”
DISHES IN THE DARK While the kitchen is typically the realm of chefs, this cookery school is for everyone. As a space that has new people constantly coming into it, including novices, a relaxing and attractive décor in which visitors feel comfortable to learn and make mistakes was crucial. While many professional kitchens opt for a mixture of the traditional steel and white, Pastor has cultivated a warm, dark atmosphere, achieving a more tranquil ambience. Neutral walls and deep grey cupboards are complemented by understated lighting while a metallic, illuminated extractor fan makes a dramatic statement, drawing attention to the large kitchen island in the centre of the room. To complement the existing décor, Pastor chose dusky Neolith Basalt Black for the cookery school’s substantial worktop. In line with the current trend for inkier tones, the fine-grained igneous pattern has an enduring appeal that will see the culinary space adapt seamlessly to changing fashions and tastes. www.neolith.co.za
Kitchen Island: CALACATTA SILK | Private residence Ibiza | Designed by: Natalia Zubizarreta
www.neolith.com
NEOLITH®: DESIGN, DURABILITY, VERSATILITY, SUSTAINABILITY. Interior and Exterior applications: Countertops, Flooring, Cladding, and Furniture. Resistant to stains, chemicals, extreme temperatures. Light and 100% natural. Maximum format, minimum thickness, different finishes. More than 20 selections available.
TheSize Surfaces South Africa I www.neolith.co.za I Caroline Beyleveld hello@neolith.co.za I 076 771 6739
2017
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KITCH E NS
GROHE EUROSMART – THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE IN HIGH-QUALITY FAUCETS With more than 30 million faucets installed to date, Eurosmart is the best-selling line of GROHE faucets worldwide. Eurosmart combines high quality with an attractive design and innovative technology. Whether it is in residential bathrooms and kitchens or in public and commercial settings, Eurosmart represents value for money. Launched almost twenty years ago, the Eurosmart line has benefited from a steady string of improvements ever since. Today it offers the greatest user comfort, the best technical functions and the most stylish looks since its launch in 1999. At the heart of Eurosmart’s enduring functionality is GROHE
SilkMove technology, whose unique smoothness of operation allows for accurate water control at all times. There is also a Eurosmart model featuring GROHE SilkMove ES, which helps save energy and carbon emissions by releasing only cold water instead of mixed water when the faucet is activated with the lever in its default centre position. In addition, water consumption can be capped at 5.7 litres per minute, thanks to GROHE EcoJoy technology. Apart from its distinctly contemporary design, the key to Eurosmart’s universal appeal lies in its extensive range of models and variants. While the basin faucets are available in a range of sizes from small to
large, the shower and tub faucets come in wall-mounted and behind-the-wall versions. The kitchen line-up includes single-lever mixers of various heights as well as wall-mounted models. Add to this the brand-new single-lever model with extractable dual-action spray, which uses GROHE EasyDock for easy retraction and docking. The Eurosmart range is completed by a bidet faucet plus a variety of touchless faucets for public bathrooms, as well as for residential guest bathrooms. With its clean and sleek
OLA 20 DESIGN BY
42 LEADINGARCHITECTURE & DESIGN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018
aesthetics, its high build quality and finish, as well as its extensive variety of models, Eurosmart remains one of the most popular choices when it comes to specifying faucets for a wide variety of projects. Favoured by many international architects and interior designers, Eurosmart can be found in countless residential complexes, hotels and public buildings around the world. www.grohe.com
IN PREMIUM PERFORMANCE EUROSMART For almost 2 decades, its legendary quality has made the GROHE’s Eurosmart range the obvious choice for planners, architects and plumbers. Making it the number 1 worldwide with over 30 million sold. With its wide range of designs and functionalities, its long-lasting GROHE SilkMove Technology and German engineering know-how, Eurosmart is valued for every kind of project – bath, kitchen, commercial, large-scale or small. Eurosmart: always a first class choice since 1999.
Purchase yours today from groheonline.co.za/collections/eurosmart
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KITCH E NS
FRANKE KITCHEN TREND PROJECT Eurofit Kitchens & Cupboards walked away with the top prize for their kitchen design, incorporating the latest Franke SA range at this year’s Franke Kitchen Trend Project at the 25th edition of Decorex Joburg, presented by Plascon. Also competing in the event was Semble-It, Kitchen Spectrum and CHC Kitchens. The participants all planned showstopper kitchen installations that incorporated the latest Franke SA range, hinging on the theme ‘An Expression of Colour’. Each of the four kitchen models was assessed by representatives from Franke SA and the Kitchen Specialists’ Association (KSA), with the winning team taking home R15 000 worth of Franke SA kitchen products.
“The Franke Kitchen Trend Project is always an incredibly popular show feature as it expresses the best of the industry’s kitchen trends, styles and appliances in four completely diverse settings,” explains Franke SA’s National Sales Manager, Clinton Soutter. “This year was a particularly poignant
display as the exhibitors wanted to capture the essence of this 25-year-old exhibition while also portraying the modern trends that are warming up kitchens across the country.” While the participating kitchens explored various trends, such as the move towards natural finishes and
materials (particularly when combined with high-quality synthetic materials, for example, high gloss and matt Crystal acrylic doors), stronger, cleaner design features such as open shelves and bold, contrasting colours such as wood and matt black or even bright yellow, Ludi Szabo of Eurofit Kitchens & Cupboards says, “The trend is that there is no trend, so we offer beautiful kitchens all bespoke to our client’s specifications. You just can’t beat a well-designed kitchen that looks awesome.” Eurofit’s winning design included high-quality finishes, the newest hinges and runners from Grass, and new Franke worktops. www.franke.com/za/en.html
DESIGNED TO WORK FOR YOU
Geberit Southern Africa 6 Meadowview Lane Meadowview Business Estate Longmeadow, Linbro Park Johannesburg, 2144 +27 11 444 5070
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Geberit Southern Africa Rivercrest Park 11 Quarry Park Close Riverhorse Valley Durban, 4001 +27 31 579 3504
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Visit our showrooms at these locations or visit the website for more information.
www.geberitcollection.com
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Quar tz Worktops
0861 372 653 | enquir y.fsa@franke.com | www.franke.co.za
makeitwonderful.co.za
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CASE STUDY: OSIUMA COOKING SCHOOL WORDS STEFAN GUTSTADT, CULINARY EQUIPMENT COMPANY As the demand for quality chef school education continues to rise in South Africa, academies such as Osiuma Cooking School, set to open in 2019 in Joburg, are investing in their competitive advantage. To achieve this goal, the founders at Osiuma engaged with kitchen planning consultants Culinary Equipment Company to ensure that their offering meets the best in international standards. The school – which is destined to open in an existing building that will be fully renovated to incorporate a newly fitted kitchen and classrooms – gave Culinary the challenge of rendering a solution within certain structural confines,
With experience in the recent University of Pretoria and Jackie Cameron cooking schools in South Africa, Culinary was able to preemptively adopt best practices in the layout of the kitchen. Specifically, the kitchen is laid out to closely resemble a professional restaurant, allowing students effortless transition into the professional environment. Secondly, the kitchen is fitted with only professional appliances (custom designed by Culinary) that are correctly specified to meet the rigorous demands of the school’s syllabus. The flow and design is optimised to reduce the
learner would benefit from a fully fitted station. In the case of groupwork or shared assignments, the learners would also be ideally located in close proximity and be able to use their cooking stations collaboratively. Other key considerations include the layout of the facility to enhance the visibility of the lecturer’s demonstration cooking station, while including the maximum number of learner cooking stations possible. A cooking school yields the unique challenge of needing to be both rigid in design while being adaptable to the requirements of the learning
full workstations for learners, within the minimum space, with the highest number of unique setups and formats for the various learning modules, plus all ancillary spaces and areas too. As in any project, the challenges of site visits, meetings, changes and adaptations are all part of the kitchen consultant’s function. Culinary combines this expertise along with the manufacture and supply of the equipment for the project, installation and handover to the client. Such a tightly integrated partnership between the client and the service provider delivers
while still achieving the best ergonomic and practical layout for the various cooking and learning areas.
cost of equipment, by fitting shared hobs with individual ovens beneath for example, while ensuring that each
material – a multi-dimensional puzzle. The quality of the final result is achieved by maximising the number of
a lower-cost, high-return result and excellent speed to market. www.culinary.co.za
aesthetic mixers offer an elegantly discreet design, without compromising on functionality. This is perfect for an interior design concept which views the kitchen more as a living space rather than a work area. With the Hansgrohe Metris Select and Talis Select kitchen
mixers, you can control the water at the touch of a button. The select button makes your life more convenient by allowing you to turn the mixers on and off with barely a touch and within an instant – with your fingers, back of your hand, your forearm or elbow. www.hansgrohe.co.za
NEW HANSGROHE PRODUCT LAUNCH HEATS UP THE KITCHEN While Hansgrohe is known for being a leading bathroom specialist, kitchens have become an important focus for the company over the last few years - making the organisation a key authority on all that is design and function in both the bathroom and kitchen space. In line with this, Hansgrohe has just launched a new range of state-of-the-art stainless steel and granite sinks, as well as their innovative range of kitchen mixers - the Metris and Talis Select. This launch has brought kitchen sinks and taps to the SA market that have never been so pioneering in both form and function. The timeless wide design
and hand-brushed L-shaped basin rim makes the Hansgrohe sink a striking feature in any kitchen, with the minimalistic design blending perfectly with the ambience of a modern kitchen. Choose between the five different sink sizes in stainless steel as built-in, undermount or flush mount to combine with a premium Hansgrohe kitchen mixer for a perfect fit. The granite sinks are also available in five different sizes in either undermount or built-in with three different colour options, graphite black, stone grey and concrete grey. To compliment the stainless steel and granite sinks, the
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STYLE ALERT METALLIC-LOOK TILES WOMAG – suppliers of premium quality natural stone tiles and surfaces, quartz-based tops, porcelain tiles and slabs, design-led sanitary ware
and taps – is delighted to introduce a new range of metallic-look tiles for walls and floors. Take a look at these three. www.womag.co.za
Syncro Acero: Grey and white patches, sporadic black speckles.
Broadway Décor Grey: Silver and dark grey striped ridges with a glitter effect.
Fusion Iris Natural: Featuring an explosion of colour in a bold yet elegant design.
THE ICONIC AGA OVEN TIMELESS APPEAL In the year 2000, the BBC published a retrospective documentary, highlighting what it considered to be the top three design icons of the 20th century: first was the CocaCola contour bottle, second was the VW Beetle, and third was the Aga Cast Iron Oven. With the trend for larger kitchens throughout the 20th century to accommodate new inventions such as automatic washing machines, and smaller rooms like sculleries and pantries being incorporated into the kitchen itself, a greater emphasis on utility and function ensued. In the post-war world, the urge for a bright new future also made the most of new materials like plastic laminates which changed the face of kitchens in Europe for years to come. AGA wanted to
reverse this trend and introduce a warmer and more liveable kitchen designed around family lifestyles, with ovens that were robust and built for a lifetime, in the heart of the home, by applying heritage ideas to modern culture. When you have an AGA cooker, you know that you have a true icon, a piece of history. Although the style remains ‘vintage’ or ‘retro’, it is actually simply timeless, and the brand continues to innovate to ensure that you can get your desired aesthetic, along with the latest colour trends and cutting-edge technology along with modern convenience. New colours are available in the AGA 60 – which, at just 60cm wide, is perfect for smaller spaces – as well
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as three-oven and fiveoven Total Control and Dual Control models. www.agaliving.co.za
Johannesburg 011-467-7525
Pretoria 012-998-6713
The Gantry, Cnr Witkoppen & The Straight, Lonehill (opposite Sevens)
Atterbury Decor Centre, Cnr Atterbury & Windsor, Faerie Glen
Experience true craftsmanship
Blue Ágata Granite
08611 WOMAG (9•6•6•2•4)
Cape Town | Paarden Eiland | Strand | Fourways | Pretoria /WomagSA
/womag_sa
womag.co.za
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OUTDOOR LIVING CAN BE SAFE Outdoor living is one of the greatest attractions of living in South Africa. But the open design of beautiful patios that encourages this alfresco lifestyle is what also makes them vulnerable to encounters of the criminal kind. Trellidor has several solutions to this problem, without detracting from the charms of elegant architecture. Security screens are often the preferred design for highend homes and were first introduced to South Africans by Trellidor. They are one of the most attractive security
windows are left open to enjoy the view or allow in fresh air. The mesh panel screens out the worst of the UV rays while allowing some airflow inside.
not considered high security. The other looks very similar but has in-built strengthening features that make it a genuine security barrier in addition
a wall or ceiling cavity in a new build or renovation. The shutter is then out of sight until needed for protection. Various curtain designs are available, including punched or solid panels as well as a combination of these, such as a solid curtain with a viewing panel at a designated height. The shutters can be automated and integrated into a Smart Home system. All these security products are available from Trellidor franchises countrywide. Consultants offer a full service, from providing specifications
products on the market, consisting of a steel mesh panel in an aluminium frame. The units are fitted parallel to the door or window and designed to match its operation. They are often mistakenly thought to replace windows or doors because of their sophisticated design. In reality, security screens stay closed and locked when doors and
Louvre shutters are gaining in popularity because they are seen as part of the interior design rather than a standalone security barrier. There is a misconception that all louvre shutters provide security, whereas in fact very few qualify as true protection from intruders. Trellidor offers two louvre designs, one is lockable but
to enhancing an interior. This second option replaces burglar proofing, curtains and blinds in one lovely product. Aluminium roller shutters are often selected for patios because they can be rolled up into the shutter box to expose the view. Trellidor consultants are able to provide the specifications required to recess the shutter box into
during the design phase, to recommending barriers fitfor-purpose, to installing and handing over to the end-user. Selected Trellidor franchises are also authorised distributors of the Taylor Blinds range of roller, Venetian, vertical and woven blinds, as well as NMC Decoration’s cornices, skirting and wall panels and tiles. www.trellidor.co.za
division supplying customers throughout Africa. The company’s manufacturing businesses supply reinforcing bar, reinforcing mesh, flat products, fencing and roofing products and offer coil processing, de-coiling and cutto-length services. NJR Steel Fencing is based
in Labore, Brakpan, and supplies and installs De-Fence fencing commercially to the construction industry and property developers. NJR Steel branches stock the full range of De-Fence products for fencing contractors, installers and the public. www.njrsteel.co.za
DE-FENCE TOTAL PERIMETER PROTECTION De-Fence is an exciting brand recently launched by NJR Steel as a result of increasing customer demand for a full range of quality, high-security fencing products. De-Fence panels, posts and flat bars are designed in a modular system for ease of installation, and to meet all levels of security. De-Fence fencing has been installed around the perimeter of Pirates Sports Club, Durbanville Hills Winery, Dikololo Game Reserve, Magalies Park, The Wilds Municipal Nature Reserve, Tsogo Sun Hotel PE, and many more well-known destinations
throughout South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho. NJR Steel Fencing also manufactures cantilever gates, sliding gates, pedestrian gates and security gates using the same De-Fence panels, creating a uniform look and feel. Since 1980, NJR Steel has grown from a single operation to a group of companies that now manufacture and distribute a broad range of steel products and valueadded services, through a network of 17 merchanting businesses located across five provinces, and an exports
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GO AHEAD, BE CONTROLLING We’ve all had it: that nagging feeling you’ve left something burning, running, unlocked and half open after you’ve left the house. The feeling usually strikes when it’s too late and you’re halfway to the Bahamas with that thought stuck in your head, that something terrible is happening back home. No, you can’t call Siri and ask if the kitchen door is locked (not yet anyway), but you can thank BNC Technology for offering you a window to every room in the house, no matter where in the world you roam. Thanks to super-intelligent security software available from BNC Technology, you can now relax. It’s called Control 4 and it’s a game changer for any contemporary, automated living space. “Control 4 is an advanced system with multiple interfaces and artificial intelligence,” says BNC
Technology Founder, Nick Caripis. “No matter where you are in the world, you will be able to access live footage of your home camera systems and control all access points using a state-of-the-art app.” And for all hybrid aficionados, there’s a standout feature of Control 4 called Mockupancy – a stroke of tech genius, really. With Mockupancy activated, the system will run through recorded data that mimics the type of occupancy within the household. This means, lights will routinely switch on and off, the television will play in the background and any other technological activities that the data has recorded over real time will run automatically on repeat. The feature acts as a camouflage of activity, to deter potential threats. So basically, it looks like you are home when you’re not – because actually, by now, you’re finally in the Bahamas.
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In addition to its top-of-therange security capabilities, Control 4 blends with the architecture of the home following the trend by which security systems not only protect homes, but become a part of their overall aesthetic.
Control 4 is a seamless security option from BNC Technology Home Integrated Solutions and is highly recommended as a premium automated solution for futureforward spaces. www.bnctechnology.co.za
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REYNAERS ALUMINIUM SYSTEMS GUARANTEE SAFETY LEVELS FOR BUILDINGS Ensuring safe building elements is one of Reynaers’ top priorities. To achieve this, Reynaers created a dedicated test centre where all tests are monitored rigorously. Apart from the internal testing facilities, the Reynaers Technology Centre provides full support for testing at external test labs. Reynaers’ expertise comprises of extensive advice and support, manufacturing of test elements and installation on location. The effect of soft and heavy body impact and burglar attempts are meticulously tested at the Reynaers Technology Centre. Tests on the impact of bullets, smoke tightness and leakage tests, as well as the resistance of systems against fire breakthrough, are performed in certified test labs.
SHOWCASE PROJECT: BELGIAN EMBASSY KINSHASA
INTERNAL SAFETY TESTING At the Reynaers Technology Centre, several tests are performed to measure the impact and burglar resistance of a system. An impactor in the form of a double tyre is used to measure the effect of soft and heavy body
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impact on the element. Our testing facilities are also fully equipped for static, dynamic or manual burglar testing.
EXTERNAL SAFETY TESTING Tests on the impact of bullets on Reynaers profile systems are performed in certified test labs such as TNO and the Royal Military School in Europe. The resistance of systems against fire breakthrough are also tested in close cooperation with various accredited European labs such as WFR, IFT, Efectis Group and ITB. Tests on the smoke tightness, as well as the smoke leakage of the systems are performed in certified test labs such as ITB, IFT and MPA Braunschweig. www.reynaers.co.za
The modern building with its large roof terrace is the first passive building in a tropical climate. The embassy was awarded a BREEAM certificate with the rating ‘Excellent’. This project has five floors with 5 200m2 of office space on both sides of an elevated driveway with a glass entrance. Various Reynaers aluminium systems were used for this future project, including bulletproof and fireproof systems.
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WO O D
10 REASONS TO CHOOSE WOODEN WINDOWS Wooden windows are a great architectural detail in any home. However, it is not only their aesthetic appeal that makes them an optimum choice, there are several other aspects to consider. Cobus Lourens from Swartland Wooden Windows and Doors offers a few pointers on what makes wooden windows so appealing.
1. BEAUTY AND APPEAL The rich grain and organic texture of solid wood makes beautifully crafted wooden windows a wonderful addition to any home or building. Lourens says there is no argument that wooden windows add an element of visual beauty to any architectural design they grace.
2. VARIETY OF STYLES It is important that the style of the window you choose pairs well with the architectural style of your home. Lourens says wooden windows offer a wide range of styles and designs. Swartland Wooden Windows and Doors offer sliding sash windows, mock sash windows, horizontal gliding windows, full pane windows, small pane windows and top-hung windows.
3. MADE TO SUIT SPECIFIC CLIMATES It is important to choose materials that suit the specific climate you are living in, says Lourens. “Swartland makes its wooden windows from wood that has been specially kiln-dried in their own kilns to ensure that it has an eight percent moisture content, which is the most suitable for the South African climate.”
4. MADE FROM SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL Wood has a much smaller carbon footprint than other materials used to construct windows. When compared to a similar type of window made from wood, it would take 4.41 times the amount of energy to make it out of UPVC, 6.34 times the amount of energy to make it out of aluminium, and 11.7 times the amount of energy to make it out of steel, explains Lourens. “Swartland uses only wood from strictly monitored sources,” he adds.
5. LONG-LASTING AND DURABLE If well maintained, Lourens says, wooden windows can last for decades. There is no reason why wood shouldn’t last for over 50 to 100 years, and even after that time, windows can often be renovated and restored, whereas this is not always possible with other substrates.
6. INSULATION QUALITIES Wood is an extremely efficient insulator.
7. DOUBLE-GLAZING Double-glazing and insulation can easily reduce the energy spent on regulating the temperature in your home by as much as 50 percent. Wooden windows were not always available with double-glazing, but now they are with Swartland’s range of double-glazed wooden windows.
8. EASY TO MAINTAIN Many consumers were wary of wooden windows as they required a lot of
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maintenance. However, since water-based sealants have been introduced to the market, maintaining wooden windows is quick and easy. Swartland’s Maxicare water-based sealant can withstand temperature fluctuations, it makes the wood heat-reflective (in darker colours) and fungus-resistant, it prolongs the longevity of the wood, and it is touch-dry within three hours.
9. WOODEN WINDOWS CAN COME PRE-SEALED AND PRE-GLAZED With Swartland’s new Ready 2 Fit range, wooden windows
are now available 100 percent complete, pre-sealed and pre-glazed. When they arrive on-site, they are ready to be installed, with no further labour required, saving the builder and homeowner time and money, says Lourens.
10. WOODEN WINDOWS ARE TIMELESS Today, antique wooden windows are still in demand, and it is easy to understand why. Lourens says fashions and styles may come and go, but the classic beauty of wood is something that lasts through the ages. www.swartland.co.za
The Lotex range of quality imported solid composite decking products will finish and compliment your housing projects and building investments.
LOTEX SOLID COMPOSITE DECKING FEATURES: • No cracking, warping or splitting • Water proof, corrosion-resistant and non-toxic • Low maintenance with no painting required • Easy to install • Weather resistant and durable • UV and color stability • Eco-friendly APPLICATIONS: • Decking, cladding, pergolas balustrades, gates and outdoor benches • Seaside and wetlands • Water platforms • Park roads, landscaping and municipal projects.
Switchboard: (011) 964-3900 Sales Office: 082 414 8402 Website: www.nla.co.za Email: info@nla.co.za
Solid Coffee Solid Grey
Easy to install clip system with frame
Our vast range of expertise within NLA, combined with our culture to exceed customer expectations, through exceptional service and sincere relationships, allows us to provide our valued customers with a unique solution to their specific project and budget requirements.
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SUSTAINABLE RHINO WOOD SETS THE STANDARD FOR ECO-SAVVY LODGES High-end travellers with sustainable mindsets are increasingly viewing bush and game lodges through a more holistic lens when considering which to choose for their next back-to-nature getaway. As a result, eco-savvy lodge owners have become more conscious of the need to incorporate sustainable building materials. Naturally, they rely on their architects for solutions on how to balance luxurious comfort with minimal damage to the environment, wildlife and surrounding communities. Designing and building a lodge has its own specific set of challenges logistically, but also requires architects to consider the surrounding environment with even greater sensitivity. As it is for most lodges, natural timber is a preferred building material, making it a great way to introduce clients to Rhino Wood – the sustainable, locally sourced, naturally modified timber well-placed to be used where endangered hardwood timbers were traditionally used. A great example of such a sustainable, eco-savvy ethos is the breath-taking Singita Pamushana lodge in Zimbabwe. During its recent refurbishment, the decking in the main area was replaced. In line with its green character,
material selection was key. The design team had no intention of using indefensibly sourced timber, which has a significant negative impact on the planet. They sought options that
would complement the natural features of the lodge and meet their low maintenance, sustainable criteria. Rhino Wood was a natural choice: homegrown, chemical free, durable and long-lasting. Additionally, Rhino Wood was able to custom produce three distinct timber profiles, now a unique feature in Singita decking areas across the portfolio. Raw material for Rhino Wood comes from sustainably managed South African pine plantations. The pine is transformed into Rhino Wood using a unique and patented, chemical-free two-phase process
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that includes both thermal modification and impregnation with a unique wax blend that increases its dimensional stability and its resistance to rot, insects and decay. Stringent international and local testing of Rhino Wood has proven that it is able to withstand the harshest external conditions and that in some instances it outperforms some of the most desirable tropical hardwoods. Rhino Wood simply ticks the box with eco-smart consumers who want to know the origin of the products they use and whether the manufacturing process is environmentally friendly.
CHARACTERISTICS • • • • •
Dimensionally stable Chemical-free Durable Resilient Low maintenance
• Fungal and rot resistant • Wood borer and termite resistant • Multi-functional www.rhinowood.co.za
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DIBUKA The Embassy of France in South Africa, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and the Alliance Française of Johannesburg are proud to present the newly revamped francophone multimedia library, named after the Setswana word for books.
Dibuka is today the biggest francophone multimedia library in South Africa with a collection of 17 000 documents, including books, DVDs and CDs. Fifteen years after its creation, the need was felt to reposition Dibuka according to library uses that have evolved over the years. The aim of renovating Dibuka was to come up with an open and welcoming place in which multiple activities can take place and where the idea of meeting and the notion of experience prevail. The Johannesburg-based design firm Urban Works was commissioned to redesign the space accordingly. Urban Works is an inter-disciplinary studio that has been involved
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in various projects, from city planning for places such as Ivory Park, to smaller scale projects such as the design of the Flame of Democracy at Constitution Hill. Urban Work’s priority is to transform and reinvent existing spaces to fit the evolution of uses and society. Urban Works worked closely with The Coloured Cube to create tailormade furniture for the library, using local materials and coming up with high-quality products. The Coloured Cube’s mission is to promote the local makers in Johannesburg, bringing together a range of creatives, businesses and property developers through the love of making.
I NTE RI O R D ESIG N
A FEW WORDS BY THIRESH GOVENDER FROM URBAN WORKS
One of the radical changes with Urban Work’s proposition for Dibuka has been to bring more luminosity into the library to turn it into a comfortable environment with natural daylight, where one can read, study or just relax. The choice of clear wooden furniture and pastel colour adds to the cosiness of the place while bringing a playful feel to it. Regarding the overall arrangement plan, it allows to highlight Dibuka’s specialised book collection, creating specific spaces for French learning material, children’s literature and bande dessinée (literally ‘drawn strips’, it refers to the tradition of Franco-Belgian comics, also known as BDs). Added to
that, the mezzanine has been transformed into a cinema loft that can also host talks and panel discussions. Images on the walls of Dibuka, extracted from the comic strips Aya de Yopougon and Le Monde d’Edena, add the final touch, ensuring that the entirely revamped Dibuka multimedia library is an inviting space for all. www.ifas.org.za
“Contemporary libraries need to be more than a place to read, collect and store books. They need to cultivate a sense of discovery, learning and dialogue. It also needs to confront the assault of digital media in eroding its value as a physical place to meet and engage. The recent refurbishment of the Dibuka Library at Alliance Française sought to bring lightness and fun to the space to make it more functional to a multiplicity of different library user needs. As such, attention has been given to a children’s reading area, a comic book reading lounge, cinema, group and individual study area and digital media. Careful attention has been paid to creating different types of user comforts – from walking through the space, browsing, siting, studying or dialogue. Modular furniture allows for the compact space to meet multiple user-centred requirements. Plywood, a strong, readily-available and light material, is used for all new joinery with a bold and bright colour palette complementing the light plywood grain, animating the library interior.” www.urbanworks.co.za
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DRAWING BOARD
SIKA TECHNOLOGIES AID THE UPGRADE OF THE BOULEVARD - CAPE TOWN The Boulevard in Woodstock, Cape Town, is a beautiful, upmarket glass building that was recently in need of a facelift to ensure its structural integrity. The project involved resealing the glass windows from concrete to frame. When Ross Hall from Ultimate Heights, the main contractor on site, contacted Jan Ellis, technical sales consultant at Sika SA, Ellis recommended Sikaflex-AT Faรงade, a high performance elastic joint sealant. Sikaflex-AT Faรงade is a one-component, moisturecuring low modulus elastic sealant designed specifically for joint sealing of movement and connection joints, porous and non-porous substrates. Offering excellent workability
characteristics as well as low stress to the substrate, it is solvent-free and silicone-free. Although primerless adhesion on many substrates is possible with Sikaflex AT Facade, the extreme weather exposure of this building necessitated the specification of a primer. On completion of the initial part of the project, the contractor addressed the exposed external concrete of the building which was to be coated with Sikalastic-152. The concrete was laden with cracks and pores resulting in water forming internal ponds, which required a protective waterproof coating. The product was applied as a two-coat system at a 3mm thickness. Sikalastic-152
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is a two-component fibre reinforced mortar, with a low elastic modulus, based on cement modified with special alkali-resistant polymers. It contains fine particlesize selected aggregates and adequate additives for waterproofing and protection
of concrete subgrades. The client required an earthy, natural look for the finish and consequently a final coat was applied including a stipple finish incorporating river sand in the Sikalastic-152 to achieve the desired effect. www.sika.co.za
LEDVANCE.COM
Light is personal Success the easy way with LEDVANCE® LED luminaires. All the features you need in your daily work: high efficiency, proven quality and easy installation.
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WINDOW BLINDS AND GREEN LIVING The era of simply covering an opening for privacy is long gone. Professionals are expected to specify products that cover a huge spectrum of benefits that exceed privacy. Window coverings now have to offer additional functionality, such as filtering heat and light as well as reducing sound. They should be manufactured with the least harm to the environment and, finally, be fully recyclable at the end of their lifespan. The Blinds Syndicate has invested time and money in sourcing products that ensure it remains at the cutting edge of the latest developments regarding these vital specifications. Its partners, Junkers and Mueller Technical Textiles in Germany, have been world leaders in bringing to the market products that set new standards constantly. They conform to almost every international standard that is relevant for manufacturing responsibly, to ensure the product has a cradle-to-grave lifespan that is environmentally friendly.
SOUND REDUCTION • JM Novo Acoustics Sound reduction is increasingly sought-after when specifications need
to be prepared. One of the fabrics on offer, Novo Acoustics, combines refined textile character with technically sophisticated functionality. The Trevira CS fabric has very good soundabsorbing properties, and is therefore ideally suited for creating a pleasant room atmosphere. The elegant ribbed texture conveys great aesthetic appeal for high-quality furnishings. There is also an aluminiumvapour coated version that reflects incoming sunbeams. This is particularly effective for temperature control. To complement this range, there is also a printready fabric for maximum customisation.
SOLAR AND LIGHT REDUCTION • JM Silkshade Silkshade is a collection of PVC-free screen fabrics. All product variants are flame resistant. The grid-like fabric structure prevents invasion of privacy from the outside and eliminates glare while still allowing a view of the outside. According to individual requirements of shading and heat control, you can choose between qualities
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with different openness factors and various finishes, with the reverse side of the product being coloured or aluminised. In addition, there is a product with a darkened finish. This range also carries a printready fabric for maximum customisation.
PRODUCTS Blinds Syndicate offers a large number of window blind operating systems while utilising the same fabric collection that makes the brand a dream for specifiers. • Roller Blinds Roller blinds are hugely popular as the highly technical textiles used in their manufacture helps them regulate solar light and sound. Roller mechanisms are sourced mainly from Australia. The ‘engine’ of the blind is made of sturdy, high-quality metals and plastics ideal for commercial application. • Pleated Blinds Blinds Syndicate has been offering this product for more than seven years and has mastered the
manufacturing of a highly effective window-covering product. Teaming up with Bloecker from Germany, they produce under license their highly successful pleated and honeycomb systems. The pleated system has the Silkshade collection as part of the product offering, which gives designers a tool that can cover almost any complicated window shape with the added benefit of matching fabrics that may be used for roller blinds. This helps bring a project into a perfectly co-ordinated plan. • Vertical Blinds Many say vertical blinds have reached their peak and may be waning, but they are still one of the company’s most cost-effective, functional products. It is predicted that vertical blinds will make a comeback. Now that they have access to highly engineered fabrics for this collection, and by eliminating the troublesome bottom chains, designers are re-looking this type of blind with renewed interest. www.luminosblinds.co.za
Your architectural masterpiece should always have the perfect finishes - from paving & garden kerbs, to enhancing surrounding landscapes. Technicrete has expanded its wide range of industrial and infrastructure concrete products, and today has the most comprehensive range of concrete products across multiple industries. From paving to kerbs and retaining walls, the Technicrete range takes any architectural design, refurbishment and investment to perfect completion. Occupying a unique and significant place in the precast concrete products market, Technicrete is poised to make your investment, perfect.
Paving for:
Retaining walls for:
• • • •
• • • •
Driveways Roadways Pavements Walkways
www.technicrete.co.za Technicrete is a subsidiary of ISG, a leading supplier of innovative infrastructure products to the construction and mining markets in Southern Africa.
Earth embankments Steep channels Slopes Bridges / river banks
paving | mining | masonry | kerbs erosion protection | retaining walls | drainage Tel: 011 674 6900 Maxi call: 0861 266 267
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4 MILLION COROBRIK FACE BRICKS CONTRIBUTE TO NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN JOHANNESBURG Development in South Africa’s housing market continues on an upward trend with quality, sustainable products, such as Corobrik’s face brick range, proving a primary choice for developers. Johannesburg’s Route 82 Security Village is one such example, with construction of the 852 modern apartment units incorporating a total of 4 million of Corobrik’s Montana and Nebraska Travertine face bricks. “The implementation of quality homes in this housing sector is key to the creation of harmonious communities and an efficient economy,” said Corobrik’s Commercial Director, Musa Shangase. “Developments such as Route 82 are providing really appealing homes for families, near access routes and viable employment. The finished product is a captivating visualisation of the impact Corobrik’s face bricks have, not to mention the numerous associated benefits in cost, maintenance and living quality.” Corobrik face brick is an aesthetically appealing, high-quality product with its roots deep in South Africa’s building fabric. The bricks do not accrue painting bills every three years or so and possess sound environmental credentials. Route 82 Security Village offers residents a home with 24-hour security, modern interior finishes, laundry services and designated carports. For the construction of the variety of two- and one-bathroom units, Central Development Projects immediately turned to the robust brick as a first choice. “The Corobrik face brick
options are substantially stronger and can handle pressure of 35MPa,” explained Vincent Claassen, Project Manager. “We felt that the red bricks blended really well with the red building sand used and further added to the overall aesthetic presentation. The residents will benefit further, regarding safety, through a range of expansion joins that prevent internal wall cracks and enhance the structural stability. Polysulphide then covered the joining expansion openings to give the wall a smooth finish.” According to Claassen,
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Central Developments Projects selects Corobrik’s face bricks for rental projects because the initial expense is quickly mitigated by the need for plaster and paint, as well as the lack of maintenance required. This results in big savings for the company and consumer. “Central Development Projects has always been extremely satisfied with the service rendered by Corobrik, through fast delivery on site and zero down-time with the project plan guidelines,” said Claassen. There have been several insulation techniques incorporated in the design
that are enhanced by the natural thermal properties of Corobrik’s face bricks which regulate internal temperatures. This saves costs on artificial heating and cooling systems. Construction started in 2015 on phase one, with more phases added year-on-year. A total of 852 units will be completed by the end of 2018. The popularity of the complex, with its full offering and quality finishes, as well as the affordable nature of the units, has resulted in increased demand and potential for more phases in the future. www.corobrik.co.za
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WHY EARLY-STAGE POOL DESIGN PLANNING IS CRITICAL TO THE LONG-TERM OUTLOOK ON LOWERING SA’S DROWNING STATISTICS Pools are still not being planned or designed correctly for safety, and this is having a direct impact on child drownings, according to PowerPlastics Pool Covers, the leading pool cover supplier in South Africa. “We get the calls all the time: ‘Just finished building or refurbishing my pool and outdoor area. Can you come out and design a pool cover as I have small kids?’ We get excited, knowing we can add a beautiful finish to the new pool area, only to find the pool can’t be covered. Either it’s a rim flow pool, or it has a fountain or some kind of water feature, a fire pit, multiple levels with a jacuzzi on the side, etc. And there is just no way we can secure the pool for children. Basically, their pool builder and architect haven’t given a thought as to how the pool can be made safe,” says Caryn Formby of PowerPlastics Pool Covers. The topic of pool safety
legislation has been on the cards for a long time and for good reason. Local drowning statistics are too high. This is one form of child mortality that is entirely preventable. This means a considered design to the pool, and a pool cover specialist should be a part of the project team from the start. When it comes to fitting a solid safety cover, the perfect pool is one with clean lines, no extruding features that will interrupt the cover, a single level pool and 600mm of durable/sturdy paving or decking on the long edges, and 800mm on the shallow and deep ends. This allows for a cover such as the PowerPlastics Solid Safety Cover, which meets USA safety standards. The most important criteria for a safety cover are: it prohibits any object measuring 114mm in diameter from accessing the water or slipping under the cover; the fastenings or securing points
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must not be workable by a small child; it must have a tensioning system and a weight tolerance of 220kg; and after rainfall or if garden sprinklers are used, the water must drain off unaided and the cover must be dry within five minutes. PowerPlastics Pool Covers has recently launched an internal process to offer special design approaches to accommodate unique pool shapes and designs. This comes at a higher, customised
price to the consumer but at least most pools are then made safe. “We welcome participation from the design, architectural and building sector as we continue with our efforts to lower local drowning statistics within the domestic swimming pool sector and reduce the environmental impact of domestic pools,” concludes PowerPlastics Pool Covers. www.powerplastics.co.za; www.topstep.co.za
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Enlightened Architects
- choose aluminium for superior efficiency, innovative options and environmental Aluminiumsustainability. is the environmentally friendly and efficient choice for buildings.
Take the world’s tallest building in Dubai, which has a 132 000m2 aluminium façade. From design and construction to operation, maintenance and renovation, creating responsible ecosystems that consume less is imperative. Hulamin rolls, extrudes and finishes aluminium for roofing, sun control, guttering, fenestration and endless components.
NOT ALL WATER TANKS ARE CREATED EQUAL As more South Africans realise the need to reduce their reliance on municipal drinking water, sales of water storage tanks have significantly increased. This boost for established tank manufacturers and brand-new entrants has unfortunately led to a greater risk for the building industry and architects specifically, who are faced with a bigger choice of tank brands but without fit-for-purpose certification. As a result, the Association of Rotational Moulders of Southern Africa (ARMSA) developed the SANS 1731:2017 standard in conjunction with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). This standard offers a warranty to the broader construction, architecture and design, landscaping, plumbing and built industry that tank manufacturers conform to world best practise and that the polyethylene (plastic) tank purchased has been properly designed and manufactured to be fit for purpose for the length of its warranty life. “It compels tank manufacturers to toe the line,” says Wayne Wiid, ARMSA Chairperson, “because no tank manufacturer can claim compliance without formal certification.” ARMSA appointed Productivity Engineering and Services Consultants (PESC), an independent auditing
Think Hulamin for your next project.
company, to regularly audit tank manufacturers and issue SANS 1731:2017 certificates to those who comply. Without the PESC certificate there is no guarantee that tanks have been thoroughly tested and certified.
WHAT DOES THE SANS 1731:2017 TANK STANDARD INCLUDE? • Provides specific criteria in terms of the source of raw material, ultraviolet protection, overall weight, wall thickness, light penetration, stress crack resistance and impact strength for a range of different sizes. • Ensures that the production methods used to manufacture the tanks comply with best practise. • Requires that traceability is built into the manufacturer’s control systems. • Includes an audit check for actual storage volumes versus stated volumes. • Evaluates the overall appearance of the finished tanks. • Certifies the requisite number and type of fittings and the date of manufacture. For more info on the standard or compliant manufacturers contact info@armsa.co.za or the appointed tank standard auditor, francois@pescon.co.za www.armsa.co.za
www.hulamin.com
The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa incorporates aluminium, with a weight of up to five A380 aircraft, to achieve its incredible height. Hulamin rolls, extrudes, paints, powder-coats and finishes aluminium for roofing, structural, sun control, guttering, cladding, fenestration and endless components – delivering superior lightness, strength and durability. For your next building - Think Hulamin
www.hulamin.com
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2018/09/26 10:19 AM
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POLYFLOR SA LAUNCHES PALETTONE TO SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET
REAL BENEFITS AT D&G we understand that customers differ and thus need different solutions. By offering services ranging from quick turnaround times, project management, job specific packaging to level 2 BBBEE supplier status, we are able to service a wide range of customers effectively. ✔ Decades of seasoned building experience ✔ Efficient, streamlined processes ✔ Best prices ✔ Ironmongery specialists (qualified to supply ironmongery projects – large and small)
51-61 Sylvester Ntuli Road Durban 4000 selvin@dghardware.co.za www.dghardware.co.za
031 942 4344
Polyflor SA recently launched Palettone PUR, Polyflor’s new range of spectacularly colourful, homogenous flooring collection. According to Tandy Coleman, CEO of Polyflor SA, Polyflor has spent the past four years delving into the psychology, philosophy and trends of colour in every aspect of our world. The psychology of colour and the new and different ways in which complementary and contrasting colours are being used where we live, work and play, have resulted in in-depth studies aimed at determining the effects of colour and how to use them – which colours stimulate thinking and concentration, which are soothing and restful, and whether colours help inspire thinking or create a feeling of wellbeing. In choosing colours for Palettone, the Polyflor product design team started with 200 colours. However, taking all their research into account and focussing on the colours that stem from nature, they settled on seven colour palettes comprising a total of 50 different shades – including classic neutrals, soothing pastels and daring brights. Each Palettone design is made up of a solid colour base and complementary toned highlights. The collection includes shades designed to inspire commercial projects, with their aptly named titles such as Lunar Landscape, Festival Field, Faded Denim, Sugar Candy, Cayenne Heat and China Clay. Explains Tandy: “This floor is truly suitable for use in any area of design – from healthcare to education, retail to
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commercial. Designed for contemporary interior design schemes in commercial, leisure, retail, education, healthcare and office projects, the durable Palettone sheet vinyl flooring features a non-directional, semi-matt emboss for the even distribution of light reflectance. All 50 Palettone shades have a matt surface with a PUR coating for easy maintenance and are available in 2m x 20m sheet format. 12 of these shades are available in 608 x 608mm tiles and six are available in static dissipative (SD) sheet specification for use in areas where static control is required, such as in telecommunications installations, computer rooms, electronic manufacturing and healthcare facilities, such as scanner rooms, X-ray suites and operating theatres. Combined with a superior closed surface finish, this range offers high-quality, cross-linked, UV-cured polyurethane reinforcements that protects the floor covering by resisting soiling and scuffing, as well as enhanced PUR protection that creates a polish-free maintenance regime for the lifetime of the flooring. It has low VOCs and carries an unprecedented 15year warranty. “The new Palettone collection offers our customers the widest variety of homogeneous vinyl flooring designs to date, with a shade available to complement every interior design scheme imaginable,” Tandy concludes. www.polyflor.co.za
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BUILDING DESIGN MUST INCORPORATE EFFECTIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT All buildings in South Africa ASP Fire CEO Michael need to comply with the van Niekerk requirements of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, 1977 (Act No. 103 of 1977), Fire Protection, as set out in SANS 10400 Part T: 2011. Effectual fire safety solutions consider the dimensions and construction of the building, the materials used, and the occupancy and storage of items in the building. These all fall within the prescriptive requirements set out in SANS 10400-T. ASP Fire CEO Michael van Niekerk says that any digression from the prescriptive requirements requires a rational design to be completed in accordance with the fire engineering methodology framework requirements of BS 7974. The Application of Fire Safety Engineering Principles to the Design of Buildings, supported by the published documents, form an integral part of the BS 7974 framework. Correct and proper fire engineering principles ensure that the design complies with the life, building, fire behavioural and environmental fire safety objectives required by law. “In the event of a major fire that results in immense damage and the possible death of occupants, the fire engineer will be held liable,” says Van Niekerk. “Rational design takes into account the behaviour of a building during a fire and designs the structure accordingly, thereby minimising the potentially devastating impact it might have.” Upon the completion of the fire-risk assessment and drafting the rational design report, ASP Fire provides the client with practical actions to implement. The report comprises a detailed and documented objective fire-risk assessment, as well as fire engineering calculations and analysis where required, covering all aspects of fire risk and safety. “This guides the client in protecting its business, employees and customers by providing prioritised recommendations for action, in order to rectify problem areas and strengthen existing fire safety procedures. This also ensures that the client complies with fire safety regulations for the protection of life, property and the environment,” Van Niekerk elaborates. As part of its value-added service, ASP Fire also works closely with insurance brokers and underwriters to address a client’s fire risk based on the outcomes of the fire safety risk assessment report. “We also provide flammable liquid store designs and certification, special risk fire protection systems, visual safety awareness programs, SHEQ safety file drafting and implementation, emergency response and business continuity plans, emergency evacuation plan design, emergency evacuation drills and fire equipment training,” adds Van Niekerk. ASP Fire also offers standardised and customised client training. www.aspfire.co.za
H SYSTEMS is a leading supplier of aluminium systems and accessories to the architectural market in South Africa. Not only do we supply the South African systems but we also stock unique curtain walling, sliding doors, cladding and tilt and turn window systems. We are owned by an international aluminium company Corialis www.corialis-group.com/en.
H SYSTEMS YOUR GATEWAY TO A BETTER VIEW. www.hsystems.co.za Unit 3 Poplar Park 16 Lancaster Road Benoni South Gauteng 1508 011 748 2660
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BESPOKE FIXING SOLUTION CREATED BY TAL FOR THE NDZUNDZA/NZUNZA PORTRAIT TAL is proud to have supplied a bespoke fixing solution for the Ndzundza/Nzunza Portrait, a larger-than-life art installation on the west wall of City Property’s North City House in Braamfontein, now renamed Nzunza House. Working closely with the artist, Hannelie Coetzee, a bespoke fixing solution was developed exclusively for this installation, which was officially unveiled on Women’s Day, 9th August 2018. Using the concept of pixels as inspiration, Hannelie created the portrait using ceramic plates, bowls and cups from the Johannesburg-based manufacturer Liebermann Pottery. Each piece of crockery represents an individual pixel, which together created the stunning image of a Ndzundza/ Nzunza woman in profile. This awe-inspiring art installation extends some 5.5 metres wide, by 33 metres in height. The challenges of bringing the Ndzundza/Nzunza Portrait to Johannesburg were many, requiring a very specific solution, which TAL was happy to develop and manufacture.
The first issue was that the installation is on an exterior, west-facing wall of the building, subject to direct sun in the afternoons, as well as rain and frost as the seasons change. Furthermore, the ‘tiles’ were pieces of crockery and the individual items were preassembled onto a mesh backing, effectively creating a giant mosaic mural. Finally, Hannelie required a specific colour finish between the individual items to complete the aesthetic impact of the portrait. “After much consultation and rigorous testing, both a suitable product and a technical specification for the installation was developed,” says TAL Technical Executive, Obert Rukato. Nzunza House was previously covered with mosaics that had been removed, so a TAL Keymix and TAL Keycoat primer slurry coat was applied to the entire façade to prepare the surface for the installation. This slurry coat provides a level of water resistance to the installation, as well as providing a suitable surface for the adhesive system to bond onto.
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Secondly, a highly flexible installation system was essential so that the installation could flex and move with the anticipated thermal expansion and contraction, without fear of cracking or delamination of the crockery items. Equally important, movement joints that extend all the way to the substrate throughout the installation were specified and established at regular intervals. As Johannesburg experiences hailstorms, the larger pieces of crockery within the artwork were treated with a poly-propylene coating to protect them from damage. To ensure a strong bond between these pieces and the tile adhesive and grouting system, a TAL Keymix and TAL Keycoat primer slurry was applied to the back of each individual piece before being assembled onto the mesh backing. Additionally, these were positively fixed to the surface through carefully drilling through the larger plates and bowls, anchoring them not only with the tile adhesive but also with screws into the wall. When installing mosaics or items like this, the bonding and grouting is generally done in one application to ensure a good bond. Thus, any voids between the plates, cups and
bowls within the installation were filled with the bespoke adhesive and grout from TAL, delivering a smooth finish. “As a company with over 40 years of working in the tile adhesive industry, to be able to contribute to this project was a great privilege. To have played our small part in bringing this artwork to the city gives us great pride,” concludes Rukato. www.tal.co.za
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THE MODERN VINYL Belgotex has recently relaunched their selection of cushion and luxury vinyl tiles. Each range is available in organic wood-look tones and textures to bring your workspace down to earth. It’s wonderfully tactile, so who said it should only live on your floor? We love it as a wall covering too! Hygienic, scratch-resistant and easy to clean, these inviting, warm and reliable surfaces give you the look and feel of wood with the added benefit of easy maintenance. Vinyl is a soft floor covering, which means it delivers padded acoustic benefits underfoot that offer the perfect solution for the bustling work environment. Vinyl floors aren’t
water-sensitive as they are made from virgin PVC, so they won’t lift, swell or delaminate. Better still, the protective wear-layer ensures the surface stays scuff- and scratch-free. Belgotex vinyl offers flooring solutions made for high- and medium-traffic areas, so it’s the perfect floor covering for open-plan workspaces, busy lobbies and common areas. You’re sure to find the perfect colour and texture from Belgotex’s diverse range, empowering you to create an ambient workplace. It’s a great way to provide a foundation for calm productivity and a natural canvas beneath your furniture and décor items. www.belgotexfloors.co.za
Euro Rubber provides eco-friendly, durable quality products for waterproofing, air barriers and surface protection.
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sales@eurorubber.co.za 087 195 1029 www.eurorubber.co.za
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>> FE ATU RED D E SIG N
Kino
A
s recipients of Best Furniture Design at the recent 2018 100% Design South Africa, held alongside Decorex in Joburg, Cape Town-based design duo Kino made an impression on the public and its peers with strikingly minimal pieces. Having launched Kino at the show last year as part of the 100% Talent feature, Nico Hendriksz and Anton Louw walked away with “Best of 100% Talent”, propelling them into a year of positive forward momentum. “Getting a stamp of approval from design professionals and
the media is incredibly valuable to us and encourages us to continue what we love doing,” comments Nico. The Heildronk Kas (‘heildronk’ means a toast in Afrikaans) was designed to showcase the creativity and craftsmanship inherent in working with wood as a medium and the beauty of American Walnut and black Ash. Nico and Anton started their workshop doing odd manufacturing jobs and custom pieces. “It was an important time in our careers in that it allowed us to hone our skills and develop deeper material knowledge,” explains Anton. But the projects weren’t rewarding enough in terms of
the expression and scope they offered. Desiring a project that they could call their own, and that allowed them the room to develop a range of products that expressed their own design identity, they started Kino. Balancing considered craftsmanship with contemporary lines, the pieces speak to a modern design lover, who appreciates a pared-back aesthetic but not at the cost of skilful manufacturing. “Our products are not mass-produced in a large factory. Instead, each is made to order by a small team of skilled and passionate craftsmen,” notes Nico. This ensures that each item is made with care from start to finish, an approach that adds value to the
story of the product. Kino’s new Neut collection (‘neut’ is the Afrikaans word for nut) was inspired by the use of American Walnut and takes this exploration of method and medium still further – it was designed to celebrate the natural beauty of timber. “We kept the design of this range very simple, with considered details that would complement the natural grain in the timber,” explains Nico. The first range the duo has designed using wood exclusively, without combining it with other textures or contrasts in colour, Neut celebrates the material in its truest form. www.100percentdesign.co.za; kino.co.za
Cape Town-based design duo Anton Louw and Nico Hendriksz of Kino with their Heildronk Kas.
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Distinction
Alania’s reputation for delivering uncompromised quality, leading technology and exceptional turn around times is underpinned by an astute understanding of and respect for the design intent.
to the last detail
Implement your projects efficiently and to the finest levels of detail with Alania. www.alania.co.za
JHB • DBN • CPT
