African project
GE Africa Innovation Centre
– South Africa
T
he brief to Paragon Architects by GE
Global Properties with future client,
the GE Innovation Centre, was to
create a mixed-use, flexible, functional,
robust and sustainable environment
highlighting the key principles of GE,
industrial innovation and African
collaboration.
The building is a three-storey,
primarily East-facing glazed structure taking
advantage of the generally mild climate, with access
and parking on the West, and overlooking an iconic
golf-course to the South.
The vision was to provide accessibility to a healthy
environment and internalise this in the workplace
– promoting an integrated and balanced healthand wellness-driven work environment. Functional
spaces include a publicly-accessible ground
floor with a health-focused work café and digital
exhibition centre, collaboration zones, and an
outdoor collaboration area.
The restricted access first floor is devoted to
permanent tenanting and incorporates agile
workspaces and a fully-equipped GE Africa
Healthcare training centre. The top floor includes
a flexible learning and development centre,
collaboration rooms, and a multi-disciplinary
laboratory. The basement parking includes,
showers, bicycles and green leaf vehicles.
A holistic view was adopted for the building.
Paragom Architects have arrived at a stage of
sustainable design internationally with a minimum
level being quite high. Being more than the sum
of its parts, the overall fit-out aims to achieve
substantially more than the minimum levels set out
by GBCSA and LEED for an interior rating. These
include:
• Intelligent building monitoring system
• Live on-screen energy/waste and water usage
reports.
• World Class VRV Aircon system incorporating high
levels of Fresh Air Input, and heat recovery systems.
• The building aims to operative more efficiently
than the market average.
• Xeriscaped gardens, and water efficient Planted
walls.
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