African Design Magazine ADM #39 April 2018 | Page 17

COVER FEATURE
shines onto the workspace.
Blinds have been installed to
all office floors to mitigate the
above and optimal occupant
comfort is ensured.
development. These include sensor
taps in the ablutions facilities,
kitchens and pause area faucets.
In addition to this, all showers in
the building are fitted with low-
flow showerheads. These initiatives
collectively reduce the building’s
potable water demand, and thus
reduces the pressure from the
already stressed municipal supply.
A significant portion of the building
occupants will have a direct line of
site to the outdoors. This means that
people can adjust the focus of their
eyes beyond the building, helping
to prevent eyestrain. Research has
shown that these micro-breaks can
improve concentration. The extensive
glass façade as well as internal
atriums also allow ample natural light
to enter the building, resulting in a
reduced need for artificial lighting.
Glass façades often come with the
downside of daylight glare which can
be very uncomfortable for building
occupants seated where direct sun
Energy saving light fittings have
been installed throughout
the building. Office floors and
meeting rooms have also been
fitted with occupancy sensors,
with lighting zones no greater
than 100 m 2 .
All water use and major energy
consuming equipment is metred
and connected to the building
management system for real-time
monitoring, allowing timeous reporting
and response on all faulty systems.
This ensures that the building
operates as per the intended design.
The interior of the building is finished
with materials that provide building
users with a desirable acoustic
environment. Multiple roof layers
contribute towards the reduction of
external noise pollutants travelling
into the workspace. These include
steel roof-sheeting, slip-sheet roof,
layers of gypsum plaster and acoustic
ceiling tiles. Tremendous commitment
and effort from the multi-disciplinary
project team has ensured a high-
quality and aesthetically pleasing
development.
Teamwork overcomes challenges
The fast-track two-year timeframe
of the project was challenged by the
AFRICAN DESIGN MAGAZINE © | APRIL 2018
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