MIXED-USE DE V EL OPMEN T Barloworld Automotive & Logistics Head Office, Irene Link precinct, Centurion
S marter and more diverse developments The convenience of mixed-use developments is peerless - and the implementation of Smart City technology and green building practices adds additional appeal
SMART CITY NODE, LANSERIA
Going Green The Barloworld Automotive & Logistics Head Office was the first building to be completed in Centurion’s new mixed-use Irene Link precinct, and achieved a 5-Star Green Star SA Design Rating. By TREVOR CRIGHTON
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he Barloworld Automotive & Logistics building forms part of a larger precinct within the Irene Link development, which has a green focus. The precinct will eventually extend along the N1, up to the Botha Avenue off-ramp and adds a new, vibrant centre of economic growth alongside the established Irene residential area. Developed by Abland Property Developers, together with Giflo and Som, the 5 700m² development accommodates 380 staff over four floors, and the building’s position offers staff both easy highway access and walking-distance retail, recreational and entertainment facilities. The office space also includes boardrooms, a canteen, gym, coffee shop and cyclist facilities. Consciousness around the use of water in the building played a major role in the building’s design and was one of the top-scoring sections in the assessment for its Green Rating. “A lot of time was spent optimising the effective collection of runoff water, storing and cleaning of the harvested supply,” says Abland’s Simon Van Helsdingen. “Water is collected from roofs and balconies, solids are removed and the water is stored in basement reservoirs. It’s then filtered and treated before being recirculated into the building as potable water, with a two-day backup supply.” Green credentials were top of mind for the architects, who balanced those requirements with creating an aesthetically-pleasing space – the near-360-degree views of Irene and Doringkloof also allow ample natural light penetration and its distinctive organic curves make the building easy on the eye. Double-glazing benefits both internal thermal and acoustic conditions, photovoltaic panels supply 25 per cent of the building’s electricity needs and a custom thermal energy storage (TES) system boosts off-peak cooling. “The concept was always to design a building that acknowledged its locality and communicated an architectural character that could be acknowledged in the rest of the precinct,” says Van Helsdingen. “The design team decided on ‘bestpractice’ development principles based more on effective commercial design and viable implementation than the traditional elements”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the development of the Lanseria Smart City node development during SONA in February. The president said that the precinct will not only be smart and 5G-ready, but also a benchmark for both continental and international green infrastructure. Plans include developing the area into an ICT, training, and research centre, with tourism and leisure attractions, while it will also become a manufacturing, logistics and business hub. It will use Lanseria International Airport as a hub and boost the area’s infrastructure significantly. “The initial draft masterplan for the new Smart City node is now completed and is currently being reviewed by the relevant municipal governments,” says Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa, head of the investment and infrastructure office in the presidency. “It will be released in September to developers and other interested parties through bilaterals and in November to the wider public through a range of channels.” Dr Ramokgopa says that the masterplan lays out the blueprint for the Smart City node so that the various private sector investments fit into a coherent City design, and to ensure all the economic and social impact multipliers kick in. “Beyond this, the master-planning approach directly supports the inclusion of green and smart infrastructure in public sector infrastructure at regional node level, including green sewage, embedded generation and microgrids, grey water re-use systems, waste-to-energy approaches and smart infrastructure management,” he says. ›
DID YOU KNOW?
The Lanseria Smart City node development will eventually host over 850 000 households and make it home to more than 2.5 million people, with commercial and office space on more than 1 000 hectares of land. Source: The Investment and Infrastructure Office in the Presidency.
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
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