Winner Factory and Warehouse Category:
Value Logistics Distribution Centre
The judges said of Value Logistics’ new Distribution Centre, in Kraaifontein, Western
Cape that “this is one of those model projects in which from start to finish one can
see that the structure was well-designed, that the team worked closely to make
the programme work and that the architects could fulfil their vision of a highly
aesthetically pleasing office facility.”
They added: “In order for Value to offer its wide range of logistical services, it needs to
have distribution centres which enable them to offload, sort, store, reload and deliver
any product imaginable, from the biggest to the smallest quantities, both domestically
and internationally and that the new facility fulfils these requirements ingeniously.”
The installation consists of two warehouses, one for Value Logistics (about 13 000m²)
and one for Freightpak (about 7 000m²), as well as support facilities such as wash bay
and vehicle inspection, despatch, refuelling, gatehouse and canopies to many of the
structures.
As one would expect these warehouses are massive with columns spaced far apart
with the double pitched roof (the Klip-lok roof sheeting was of course rolled in long
lengths on site) supported on light transverse roof trusses, which in turn are carried
by long span longitudinal lattice girders between the columns. In this instance,
the lower sections of the columns are made using tilt up concrete columns. “The
substantial clear height inside the buildings takes you by surprise, until you notice the
very high racking storage areas. Of course such buildings by their very nature need
height for storage and for handling operational vehicles,” the judges said.
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africandesignmagazine.com