African Design Magazine September 2016 | Page 28

African project 1948 Houghton Estate – South Africa characterizes our work. Also the curved façade, cantilevered facing Oxford Road with the tenants’ bold signage. The Inspiration Factors in the environment affecting the design were the west facing orientation, the wonderful views both east and west, and the traffic noise of Oxford Road. “Inspiration for the design was the work of Gerrit Rietveld, as well as the Passing Planes which we use in our buildings, also our use of colour in our work. However when SaatchiAbel arrived we had to change the colour scheme to their corporate colours of black and white,” says Schlapobersky. Sustainability Sustainable initiatives incorporated in the design are the triple volume entrance foyer and the resulting fire protection solutions, the use of low E glass throughout, the insulation of west facing walls and the outdoor spaces provided on all floors, especially on the roof top terraces. Conclusion “We have a close working relationship with the contractor, Barrow Construction, which endured until SaatchiAbel arrived, then the challenge was to accommodate their specific needs and colours. Looking back, we are happy with the result and feel enriched by the experience. More importantly, SaatchiAbel feel the same way,” says Schlapobersky. The Project Team Architects: M/Architects Main Contractor: Barrow Construction Client: Barrow Construction Interior Design: Tonic Structural Engineers: Kantey & Templer Mechanical Engineer: Adaptive resources Electrical Engineer: One Zero 28 africandesignmagazine.com