PROJECTWATCH
PROPOSED, CURRENT AND FUTURE PROJECTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND ABROAD
PROJECTVIEW
PRAN BOULEVARD, UMHLANGA RIDGE
Located in rapidly evolving Umhlanga, this will be Paragon Architects’ first building in Durban. The project comprises two wings with a central service area. Building One will be occupied by KPMG while Building Two has been designed for either a KPMG extension or for other tenants. The interiors of Building 2 will be designed by Paragon Interface. The design of the project is an extension of the lessons learned by Paragon using parametric modeling, combined with a building envelope that responds to the site, the views and the climate. The structural system is concrete with a glazed and clad envelope. www. paragon. co. za
Developer: Shree Property Holdings Local Architect: Zadar Studios Architect: Paragon Architects QS: Brian Heineberg & Associates Project Managers: Orion Structural Engineers: L & S Consulting Electrical Consultant: Tesla Mechanical Consultant: Mahesh Khoosal and Associates Wet Services Consultant: Redline Consulting Fire Consultant: Umlilo Environmental: Triplo4 Green Consultant: AECOM Traffic: RMC Landscape Architects: The Ochre Office Main Contractor: Trenco
RIDGE 7, RIDGESIDE PRECINCT, UMHLANGA
Ridge 7, as its name suggests, is the seventh sectional title office block to be developed by FWJK Developments in Tongaat Hullet’ s Ridgeside Precinct in Umhlanga.
Designed by FWJK Architecture, this 12-storey office building is comprised of three basement levels of parking, a ground floor entrance urban court with café, four levels of structured parking above ground and seven office levels positioned above the parking levels. The major driver behind the design was to create an architecture that responded to the site and the future built context of the precinct. A typical office floor-plate designed to accommodate multiple occupants was orientated to maximise the sea views towards the Durban harbour and the Umhlanga ocean.
The architectural form was ordered in such a way as to create a seamless transition between the parking and offices levels. The building aesthetic aspired to read as one form instead of a parking podium with top structure offices above.
Nicole Richards, a director of FWJK Architecture, outlined her endeavour, which was to create an elegant and lightweight sense to the building by using slim, white slab edges and a muted palette of grey and charcoal tones. The building’ s strong identity is expressed in the alternating interspersed play of white solid panels and void glazed panels throughout the façade. This sophisticated office development opens into an urban court and addresses a street spine which is tipped to become the new‘ Palm Boulevard’ of Umhlanga Ridge.
The construction contract for Ridge 7 commences in August 2017 and has been awarded to Rubro Construction and will be complete at the end of the first quarter of 2019. www. fwjk. co. za
14 Project Watch