African Design Magazine ADM #40 May 2018 | Page 46

OANDO WINGS, NIGERIA
outlook to the planned retail ground floor
spaces. Other areas are landscaped using
a predominantly hardscape due to high
winds at times and maintenance issues.
Challenges
Shortly after site handover, the project
became embroiled in a land claim dispute
which took some months to finally resolve
before the earthworks and piling could
commence in March 2013.
The design offered some unique
challenges. Delivering a building
constrained by a previously approved
scheme created very clear parameters
for engagement. Due to the fact that the
client body was largely made up of South
African investors, the understanding
related to the operation, leasing and
management of the product differed
from its predecessor and needed to be
changed to the new requirements.
“Design challenges lie in the
communication of the ideas. Due to
the distances and network constraints,
communication and delivery of
information is key to final implementation.
A robust design interrogation which
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AFRICAN DESIGN MAGAZINE © | MAY 2018
leads to a fully resolved solution
is essential. This project was
delivered using REVIT which is a
drawing package facilitating the full
development and documentation
through a BIM, 3-dimensional
modelling process. This process
definitely limits coordination
errors and improves the final
resolution of detailing. This project
was completed with architectural,
structural and mechanical
disciplines all co-ordinated through
the REVIT application,” Dukes explains.
The site and the requirement to create
parking in a basement effectively
submerged below the water level in the
creek created a series of engineering
challenges. The soil conditions required a
piled solution with a raft to the full extent
of the basement footing. Effectively
this created a situation whereby the
engineers were dealing with a basement
or sub-structure below water level that,
due to hydrostatic pressure, would push
up vertically from its base level. A system
to dewater the site using wells was
designed to neutralise the hydrostatic
upward pressure until sufficient weight
was achieved through the construction
of the towers to counter the effect of this
upward force.
“The project faced numerous financial
challenges related to import duties,
and the severe depreciation of the
Nigerian Naira which created significant
complications with the purchase and
importation of materials from overseas
suppliers. We were able to secure early
purchase for the majority of items
thereby reducing a significant amount of