5 minute read
Food for thought
A dominant over-sailing roof caps and frames the transparent atrium while angled supports signify the building's entrance.
This 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.
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 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.
The office building displays an interlocking sectional typology that is generated around a central linear atrium.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Inspiring messages mounted, etched and patterned into walls in large typography feature throughout the interiors of RCL Foods' new headquaters in Westville, Durban.
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
