PROJECTVIEW
32 NAPIER, DE WATERKANT
The mixed used development,
32 Napier, was officially launched
in February with several residential
units being sold within hours of
the launch.
The development is located on
the corner of Napier Street and
Moreland Terrace in De Waterkant,
taking advantage of the site’s
prime location with views towards
the mountain and sea.
Made up of 19 residential apart-
ultimately the output of the company and
the attraction and retention of talent.
Building Planning and Aesthetic
The site takes up a substantial footprint
which is largely east/west facing with a
steep slope from the road on the west to
the watercourse on the east. The typical
floor plate of the building is planned around
four north/south orientated wings.
The idea here was to minimise the
exposure to east/west sunlight while
creating a very interesting and dynamic
f açade. The ground floor of the building,
on the other hand, is planned around
ensuring maximum street frontage so
that the building addresses the street
with a vibrant and interesting façade that
is full of more semi-public activities. The
roof of ground floor is used as an organic
landscaped divide that seems to emerge
from ground floor and acts as a visual break
between ground and typical floors.
The aesthetic of the building is designed
to be highly innovative and progressive. The
form and finish of the building is intended
to reinforce a corporate statement that
its user is setting a new benchmark in
its industry.
Vertical Integration
A decision was made to minimise the
number of floors in order to ensure optimal
vertical integration between business
units. This resulted in large floor plates
which were connected with a huge multi-
volume atrium that ensured a strong
visual connection between floors and also
ensured ample natural light throughout
the building.
Public vs Private Activities
The various functions of the building are
planned around appropriate levels of
privacy. The majority of public/semi-public
activities are located on ground floor and
around the major circulation cores on each
floor. The intention was for these spaces to
be vibrant and interactive meeting spaces
that encouraged creative and informal com-
munication. They are strategically located
in areas that the majority of the building’s
users will pass through on a daily basis.
ments, one and a half floors of
commercial space, and 141 parking
bays, 32 Napier is expected to be
completed by March 2018.
The ground floor provides over
320m 2 of office space, whilst the
first floor comprises retail space
with a wrap-around terrace as
well as one 2-bedroom and one
1-bedroom apartment. Each sub-
sequent upper floor comprises
of
one
2-bedroom
and
four
1-bedroom apartments with two
2-bedroom penthouse apartments
on the fifth and final floor. Three
levels of underground parking will
be added below Napier Street,
stretching
towards
the
Cape
Quarter, adding vital new parking
for the area.
32 Napier is part of the trendy and
vibrant De Waterkant Village, with
its cobbled streets and sidewalk
cafes, and is also part of the Cape
Quarter Lifestyle Village.
Tower
Property
Fund
are
the
owners and developers behind the
project, which was designed by
dhk architects.
FWJK is responsible for project
management, quantity surveying
and development management.
www.32napier.co.za
About Aevitas Group
Aevitas was founded by Luke Chandler in
2013. It is a young commercial architecture
practice with a strong focus on innovative
design. It aims to continually challenge
accepted norms in the goal to consistently
deliver unique buildings. Aevitas recognises
that the ultimate responsibility is to create
buildings that are bespoke, viable and
growing investments for its clients. It has
been involved in the design of a number
of new buildings at Waterfall, including
Novartis and Allandale.
Project Watch
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