ROCHE HEAD OFFICE+ DISTRIBUTION CENTRE

Project Description

The new South African headquarters outside of Cape Town of the international pharmaceutical company Roche, called for a ground floor administration and logistics space with upper floors for laboratories and offices.

Importantly the building had to speak to the company’s corporate design philosophy and comply with their international quality, construction and performance criteria. Localised considerations of site, orientation, rainfall and climate required adaptation of detail and construction methodologies to achieve these outcomes.

The building provides an elevated, first floor open courtyard looking out to the west and the adjacent main arterial route, protected on the other three sides by the first and second floor structure. Cape weather can be extremely windy with high rainfall during winter months and so it was key to provide an accessible outdoor space to the offices with some protection against the elements.

Development Data Project Role

Site Area: 33 288m²

Gross Floor Area: 9 904m²

Total Floor Area: 8 630m²

Site Dims: 223m x 176m

Height: 3 Storeys

Coverage: 3 755m²

Project Value: R60 million £2 850 000

Lead design architect tasked with taking over initial proposal and developing building in line with client international corporate identity. Completed all detail documentation and construction information for issue to site.

Entire project and all work performed remotely and co-ordinated through BIM360 with project team during Covid pandemic lockdown.

First floor areas were set aside as laboratory spaces with specialised air handling units, medical gas supply and chemical storage established on the flat roof. The second floor houses all administrative and office spaces with area on the south wing set aside for future expansion. Bulk services and infrastructure had to be provided as part of the establishment of the Brackengate economic zone in which this project is located. Stormwater attenuation, bulk electrical services and roads were accommodated on site together with all parking situated to the east of the building as one approaches the building. Truck access to a separate delivery hardstand area provided the access to the ground floor warehouse area where shipping of manufactured products from the labs could be sent. Sun studies on the north, east and especially western facade, where the most aggressive sunlight is received, resulted in large, perforated shading panels being installed to the highway-facing west facade. The ground floor double volume re- ception and circulation cores leads one up through the floors with additional shafts provided for future possible use in a multi tenanted fitout scenario. The building was completed in December 2019 after 9 months construction and handed over to the fitout contractor who took over the specialised installations required for the laboratories and plant equipment.

Half the project site was allocated to this building and parking requirements, with planning beginning on Phase 2 as a second office and logistics centre adjacent to this structure. The combined infrastructural and stormwater attenuation requirements have been designed and built as part of this initial phase which will simplify the future expansion to these headquarters.