African project:
Oxford Terrace
Use of colour
“Coming from a generation of colourless
Johannesburg buildings and an education that
extolled the virtues of using ‘natural’ materials,
we never lose the opportunity to inject colour into
our buildings,” says Schlapobersky. “This is tricky.
First of all because the use of colour in buildings is
complicated and launches into the field in which
most architects have not been trained. Secondly,
there is also the possibility of client resistance to
using bold colour. Some like it and some do not. What
we have found however is that tenants, particularly
if they are occupying the whole building or a major
part of it, respond positively to the use of colour
on the building and encourage us to include their
corporate colours in the design. At times they have
even requested we change the colour of the building
in order to incorporate these colours.”
The majority of the building is painted Plascon’s
Artist Canvass and we have made use of Plascon’s
Crazy Daisy on the north fire escape, Burnt Horizon
(bright red) on the south western fire escape,
Buckskin Brown on the north façade and Grapes
Treasure (purple) on the east façade facing the
residential area. These colours are combined with
a dark tinted glass used throughout. The main
staircase on the west side of the building is glazed in
different colours of glass.
Energy Efficiency
• The building has been designed to confirm to SANS
10.400-XA requirements for energy use buildings. It
incorporates the following features:
• Low E laminated glass is used throughout the
building in all the windows
• Hot water supply is by means of heat pumps with
all the piping insulated
• The building envelope: the building has been sited
with orientation and sun angles in mind. Extensive
shading is used where required All the fenestration is
in accordance with the SANS requirements and low
E Pilkington glazing is used throughout. The roof is
insulated with 100mm thickness of polystyrene
• LED lighting is used throughout. All rooms (and the
basement) are fitted with lighting sensors. AD
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