Architect and Builder June 2016 | Page 26

PROJECT FEATURE 4 STAN ROAD 4 STAN ROAD Sandton CLIENT Sharmane Investments ARCHITECTS & PRINCIPAL AGENTS MDS Architecture QUANTITY SURVEYORS Brian Heineberg & Associates STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS L&S Consulting Engineers ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS CKR Consulting Engineers AIR-CONDITIONING ENGINEERS Spoormaker & Partners GREEN CONSULTANTS Green By Design FIRE CONSULTANTS Specialised Fire Technology LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Bertha Wium Landscape Development MAIN CONTRACTOR Tiber Bonvec N umber 4 Stan Road in the heart of Sandton is the original and the new home of MDS Architecture, a South African practice with a history spanning over 60 years. The new eight-storey building has a unique sculpted street presence and manages to provide a sense of sanctuary and privacy despite its location amid imposing neighbouring structures. It also boasts both a 4-Star Design and a 4-Star As-Built Green Star Rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa. MDS Architecture designed the office building for a consortium of professionals, made up of some of the partners in the practice as well as those of their long-standing office neighbours, Brian Heineberg & Associates. The original building was developed in 1991. Sean Pearce, a partner at MDS Architecture, created the concept for the building and Pat Henry, also a partner, led the design development and construction of the project. Sean explains that the site’s context was an important consideration in developing the design. The site is bordered by complexes of residential towers on three sides, with a large office development between it and the very busy Grayston Drive. Its street address on Stan Road faces west, which created an interesting design problem for resolution. The original single-storey building at 4 Stan Road was the home of MDS Architecture and Brian Heineberg & Associates for many years and they have proudly returned to this address as the anchor tenants in the new building. “Designing a building for both architects and quantity surveyors who are also your partners and co-owners makes for a very interesting project,” says Pat. TEXT MDS Architecture PHOTOGRAPHY Mike Pawley Sean Pearce, a partner at MDS Architecture, created the concept for the building and Pat Henry, also a partner, led the design development and construction of the project 24 Stan Road