Architect and Builder January/February 2016 | Page 28

conventionally bottom up construction process. A
by-product of this process has been the reduction in
damage to the new façade due to work being carried
out below the finished façade rather than above it.
The process requires strong communication
with tenants to keep them informed of the process
and to manage their interface with the programme
of the works. Redefine worked closely with all the
stakeholders to produce a comprehensive tenancy
handbook that would ensure limited disruption for
the tenants.
Façade Lighting
When QDP Lighting and Electrical Design were
approached to be a part of the team to upgrade the
existing building, one of the main objectives was
to create a modern building with integrated façade
lighting. The lighting solution was to be both bold
yet conservative and take cognisance of the green
building requirements, whilst also retaining the
historical story of the older buildings in Cape Town
and the natural surrounds.
Further to this, aspects such as ease of
maintenance, low running costs and longevity of the
installation also needed to be taken into account.
After many design sessions, it was apparent that
the answer to the above was to use low wattage LED
strip lights, mounted into aluminium channels which
were in turn clipped onto the edge of each ‘image
depicting’ fin. The fins were specifically designed to
accommodate the LED channels, as well as providing
integral wireways to LED strips further along each fin.
This fin design allowed the reduction of the profile size
of each LED channel - in turn making the installation
barely visible during the day.
By using LED’s in lieu of other lamp sources, the
installation deals with most of the design criteria
which QDP set out to achieve. These include longer
lamp life, lower wattages, high luminous intensity and
defined beam angles. The result is a high impact, low
energy design with minimal spill light. To conform
to Green Building requirements, the fins are also

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angled slightly downwards, preventing the LED’s from
creating sky glow.
Due to the ‘clip-in’ installation method, the LED
strips can easily be replaced if need be (there are
no mechanical fixings on the outside of the building).
The power suppliers which feed the LED strips are all
housed remotely within the central lobbies on each
floor of the buildings. This results in ease of access
as the life span of the power supplies are sustainably
less than that of the LED’s.
Lastly, the aim of the installation was to accentuate
and compliment the various facade images being
portrayed. The layout of the LED’s was therefore
dictated by the outline of each image, so that the
‘story’ being told can be appreciated during the day
as well as at night.
Landscape Architecture
In exchange for developmental rights above a
significant urban square in the city which was in need
of upgrade and replacement, Redefine appointed
Square One Landscape Architects to redesign this
public open space as an ‘urban sanctuary’ within the
exposed Foreshore environment.
Within the square, Square One explored the
design of sustainable urban drainage systems as
the structuring elements for public place-making
while facilitating convenient pedestrian movement
and connections to the public transport network.
The detailing of the square evokes a marine / wharf
environment, referencing the geology and landscape
that existed before the Foreshore was reclaimed.
Above the square, rainwater is harvested from
the roof of the parking garage, stored in tanks and
used to irrigate the expansive green façades that span
the sides of the building. Overflow water is directed
down the enormous columns within the square and
into relaxation chambers to dissipate the energy
fro