African Design Magazine May 2015 | Page 54

Unity: A facility that reflects the strength of a leading enterprise To optimize the site, Crossboundaries gathered all business functions under one roof, resulted in a rectangular standalone building that presents strength and authority to the public. Following the idea to boost Aimer’s operational efficiency in order to move up the value chain, Crossboundaries responded with detailed research and understanding of how Aimers goods, employees and visitors navigate within and between the spaces. The west public entry into the 12m high lobby invites visitors to the southwest corner of shop and Aimer museum, as well as the ground floor conference centre that will host industry events. Above the conference centre and lobby is the office area, which shares a communal deck with the manufacturing areas, cutting down 54 africandesignmagazine.com in-house communication time between administration and production. Not only does the complex serve conventional factory needs in a modern way, but it also creates a factory community based on the communi