Architect and Builder August/September 2019 | Page 99

ZIMMER BIOMET BIDVEST RENTAL PLUMBLINK
these newly evolved industrial facilities.
In order to keep key staff, both blue and
white collar environments need to match
their aspirations of competing offerings.
The industrial shed typology has long
been the problem with reconciling the big
box (warehouse) and the little box (office)
into a successful building form.
In EPA’s recently completed Cummins
buildings, one can see the incorporation of
all of the above. The office facilities include
gyms, canteens and all THE other features
associated with any P grade office block.
The warehouse design integrates and
enhances the overall design of the facilities.
In the design of the Cell C warehouse, the
building has become an iconic billboard for
the company on the national highway. In
the Plumblink design EPA have designed
a building that reflects and enhances the company image. The new Bosch facility
required a large office block integrated
into the 18,000m 2 warehouse. Being in an
industrial park and housing a large number
of offices, all auxiliary facilities needed to
be housed on site. and strong geometry. In EPA’s view,
Chilliweni and Bosch is the first of their
evolved designs, where the massing of the
entire facility is able to be sculpted into a
uniform building. Working with ubiquitous
industrial materials they were able to
sculpt out a singular contextual form that
is both functional and expressive of its
location and operation.
Empowered Spaces prides itself as
being in the forefront of the new Industri-
al ‘design’ Evolution. They are now taking
this new thinking a step further where they
are integrating pure corporate office space
into industrial ‘type’ structure’s. As with all
aspects of modern life, designs, thought
patterns and technology are rapidly evolv-
ing and EPA needs to keep up with and
exceed their client’s expectation.
www.espaces.co.za
Singular Structures
The new facility completed for Chilliweni
and Bosch takes the concept one step
further. When approached to design a
building for these ‘landmark’ sites EPA
considered carefully how they might re-
evaluate the ubiquitous solution. They
therefore considered how a singular
building form might result in a more
integrated and unified building form.
This high end frozen storage facility
for Chilliweni has absorbed the office
component, resulting in an articulated
CUMMINS
Advertorial
99