Architect and Builder August/September 2019 | Page 50

The client’s brief, which included green building
principles, meant that the building was placed
on an east-west axis, making the most of the
streetscape of Voortrekker road, which incidentally
and conveniently runs along an east-west axis.
The considerable amount of space required
resulted in a large building footprint which was split
into two main forms separated by a glass enclosed
atrium. The design of the building recognises the
independence of the branches by introducing
dedicated floor plates to individual branches.
These floorplates are further separated by the
atrium, intended to be the principal circulation
space of the building and also allowing daylight
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to penetrate deep into the building. The bridges
crossing the atrium were designed to connect the
departments visually and allow for shorter travel
between branches. Specific features, such as the
auditorium, canteen and small meeting rooms,
were placed at the main entrance level where staff
can meet informally.
The building has been vertically broken
down into three layers, namely the basement,
ground and first floor and the top floor. This
layering of the building is visible in the choice of
materials - concrete, aluminium and glass - and has
been further accentuated by introducing setbacks
to the façades. The lower floors, which include
Water & Sanitation