Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa July/August 2014 | Page 41

SITE PLAN

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EY TO PLAN AND
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IRDS EYE VIEW
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Military Health Depot
Transport Park
Military Health Mobilization Depot
Unit Support Building
Weapons Store
Medical Container Store
Quartermaster Building
Flammable Store
Gatehouse 1
Gatehouse 2
Covered Parking

Existing & Refurbished Buildings

New Buildings

and building spacing across site were
adapted so that large trucks can reach all
of the buildings.
Pedestrian circulation is centred on
the Heritage Core and simplified to
prevent minimum overlap with vehicle
routes. Where pedestrian routes do
cross internal roads, the paved walkway
surfaces are laid over the concrete
roads to indicate the preference that
pedestrians have on site.
Industrial Aesthetic
In keeping with the historic warehouse
character and the storage functions
of the new buildings, the new design
displays an industrial aesthetic. The
existing hangar buildings use steel
structures and sheeting extensively.
Face-brick walls and cantilever roofs
are characteristic of the historic railway
type platform building. The design

exploits both of these aesthetics in the
new buildings. Red face-brick is used
extensively at ground floor level with
steel sheeting above. Galvanised steel
trusses cantilever from façades at a high
level, suspending sun protection louvres
and vehicle loading canopies below.
Concrete, facebrick and galvanized
steel are hard-wearing materials that
provide durable, low maintenance
finishes that remain attractive over time.
The forms of the new buildings are
plain, uncluttered and modern, providing
a design solution that is not overly stylistic
but timeless. The buildings are crafted
to have a strong, yet not overwhelming
presence, that mirrors the role that a
healthy military fulfils in society.
EFFICIENCY OF OPERATION
The efficiency and security of the MHBD
operations are greatly increased by

the new buildings and equipment.
Advanced features of the pharmaceutical
warehouse include the following: high
level racking (13m) with a bar-coded
storage system, an automated conveyor
system and an integrated electronic
Warehouse Management System (WMS)
that coordinates stock management.
Building services e.g. HVAC, intrusion
alarms, CCTV & access control, fire
detection & irrigation, are all monitored
and controlled by a very extensive
and advanced electronic Building
Management System (BMS). Problems
with building services can be identified
quickly and accurately for quicker
reaction and resolution.
Site security is given the highest
priority by means of over 450 CCTV
cameras, a three part electrified
boundary fence system and biometric
access control for staff and visitors.

BIRDS EYE VIEW

Military Health Base Depot

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