Architect and Builder August/September 2019 | Page 72

78 Corlett Drive, Melrose North
OVERALL GREEN AWARD
78 Corlett Drive is an innovative office development
located on a brownfields site in the heart of Melrose
North, Johannesburg. The project is leading the local
green building sector into a new phase of evolution by
achieving a Net Zero Carbon Level 1 Certification as well
as a World Leadership 6-Star Green Star Office v1.1
Design Certification. These accolades have led 78 Corlett
Drive to be awarded the Highest Rated Building Award
for 2018, presented by the Green Building Council of
South Africa (GBCSA). The GBCSA Net Zero Certification
awards projects which go beyond the partial reductions
recognised in the current GBCSA tools, and have taken the
initiative to reach the endpoint of completely neutralising
their environmental impact.
The building’s design incorporates strong minimalist
geometries with a simplified rectilinear floor plate,
elevated on columns to provide sheltered tenant parking.
The building gently interfaces with the ground plane
through a glass fronted lobby, housing the reception
concierge and main circulation core. Elevated above is
an array of fixed modular shading louvres acting as both
a dynamic façade treatment as well as a highly efficient
passive shading system. This was achieved through an
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interconnected process with lighting & façade specialists
as well as advanced modelling software. The result is
an iconic street presence which protects the building
occupants from the harsh summer sun whilst ensuring
the modular aluminium-clad construction method created
almost zero material wastage. Sliding shutters along the
adjacent façades creates an ever changing aesthetic,
affording occupants the ability to adjust the amount of
natural light, heat and glare that can enter their space.
The extension of architecture into smart urbanism is
incorporated into the projects fundamental planning. The
incentive to utilise electric cars is promoted by providing
dedicated parking bays, complete with an electric car
charging station, powered by the high performance solar
array that crowns the building. The solar array has an
annual output of 92,000kWh and will tie directly into the
grid. The building is also one of the few in Johannesburg
to actively promote cycling to and from work by including
safe and sheltered bicycle storage racks, together
with a cyclist’s bathroom & changing facility. With the
building located less than 1 kilometre from 6 major bus
transit stops as well as numerous other taxi drop-off
points, it is uniquely positioned to seamlessly integrate
SAPOA Awards