Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa January/February 2014

PROJECT Grundfos Head Office The building is an iconic architectural statement, reflecting the Grundfos worldwide ethos GRUNDFOS HEAD OFFICE Germiston CLIENT Grundfos DEVELOPER Growthpoint PRINCIPAL AGENT Aurecon ARCHITECTS Empowered Spaces QUANTITY SURVEYORS AECOM CONSULTING ENGINEERS: STRUCTURAL, CIVIL, MECHANICAL, ESD Aurecon ELECTRICAL Conscius FIRE Specialised Fire Technology (SFT) MAIN CONTRACTOR WBHO TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS Empowered Spaces 24 G rundfos’ new headquarters are located on one of the most prominent sites in Germiston/ Ekurhuleni, at the junction of the N1 and R24 highways, which means great exposure potential. With the site on a freeway intersection, exposed to the main route to the ‘OR Tambo international airport’, it was imperative that an iconic architectural statement, reflecting the Grindfos worldwide ethos, was reflected. Design Grundfos was intimately involved in the design and aesthetic that they wished to portray. While the site is owned and developed by Growthpoint Properties, it incorporates both the new head office (3,000m2) and a warehouse (6,500m2) for Grundfos South Africa. From the start, it was envisioned that the head office should be green and that a 4- star Green Star rating would be targeted. With this in mind, every decision was made in consideration of the environment. The office block is conceptually constructed from two inter-connecting blocks around a central full- height atrium, and consists of two office levels over a ventilated basement level. Using insulated concrete roofs, brick walls and a large span of glazing, the design had to stay true to Grundfos’ unique global architectural language, but also incorporate a South African impression. Linking this high end office development to a functional industrial space was a big challenge, to ensure both an aesthetic and functional integration. This was ensured by Empowered Spaces Architecture who created the contemporary style. Unique Features There are a number of unique features, the most distinctive of which are the two white boxes that intersect to form the main entrance with the glass façades cut from it. The main entrance is another statement space, although fairly challenging in that the natural ground level was 2,5m lower than the ground- floor entrance. It was decided to have access from all directions and to break up the entry into various levels to make the height difference less noticeable for the visitor approaching the entrance. Grundfos South Africa

Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa January/February 2014 | Page 24