CATEGORY WINNER : COMMERCIAL OFFICE DEVELOPMENTS Ridgeview Office Development
The Ridegeview commercial office building , developed and owned by Growthpoint Properties Ltd , was completed in December 2015 . It is prominently positioned alongside a busy traffic circle near the Gateway Theatre of Shopping and located in the prestigious Ridgeside Office Park – a soughtafter node in Umhlanga .
It is one of two buildings on a shared site , designed with a shared super- basement and common facilities to maximise efficiencies in capital and operating costs and minimise the impact on the environment . Ridgeview consists of four basement levels , with four levels of offices above . The total GLA of the building is 6,650m 2 , of which about 50 % has been let to key tenant , AECOM .
Ridgeview is the first building in Durban to achieve a 5-star Design Rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa and the AECOM interior fit-out is currently being assessed for an official 4-star Green Star Interiors rating v1 rating . The building is designed using current technologies and innovative methodologies to deliver costeffective high grade work space .
The architectural expression of the complex is characterised by a suite of crafted façades which contextualise the construct in its sub-tropical environment . The design solution maximises usable floor area ratios whilst still maintaining a human scale and high grade architectural quality .
The most remarkable feature exhibited by the buildings is their filtered façades on the south west and north west façades in response to the sites ’ urban interface and solar orientation . Highly tuned and carefully shaped fritted glass solar fins are suspended off curtain wall office fenestration on these key facades . These elements are both visually permeable and view friendly , providing a constantly variable and unique , functional building skin which delivers beautifully controlled light into internal spaces .
Entrance to both is gained off an indigenous landscaped central parking courtyard via voluminous atria . Transparent entrance articulation announces the reception foyers and the spaces are warmly treated in timber clad ceilings and crafted reception joinery . Internally , the office floor plates are arranged over four levels above the entrance space . Visual connection to the courtyard , busy urban condition towards Gateway , to distant ocean and to Durban ’ s CBD views is achieved on all workspace levels . Careful consideration in respect of capturing external views , balance of work functionality and communal spaces have certainly delivered an outstanding workplace environment in these buildings and have set a new paradigm for Umhlanga ’ s office park offerings . Rudolf Pienaar , Growthpoint Properties Divisional Director : Offices , comments . “ Growthpoint ’ s Ridgeview development has created unique and leading-edge offices on an excellent site in a sought-after business precinct of Umhlanga . It has created an excellent asset for our portfolio , the greater Durban area and the environment . Receiving this award from SAPOA is testament to the work of all our people in making Growthpoint ’ s offices amazing workplaces where businesses and their staff can really thrive .”
Developer : Growthpoint Properties Architects : Elphick Proome Architects Project Managers : AECOM Quantity Surveyors : FWJK Structural Engineers : Aurecon Civil Engineers : Hatch Goba Fire Consultants : Aurecon Sustainability Consultants : AECOM Main Contractor : WBHO
8 SAPOA Awards