Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa March/April 2015 | Page 78

“as they are an important part of the
office experience,” Wyatt explains, “and
shouldn’t be an afterthought.”
Once beyond the ground floor, Inhouse
applied space-planning principles in
order to reconfigure the office layout into
an open-plan constellation, while taking
Santam’s corporate identity into account.
The brand manual requires that any
space-planning allows for different levels
of meeting spaces, from campsites all the
way through to boardrooms.
Wyatt also introduced centrally located
printer stations, rather than a printer at

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each work station, to create efficiency, with
lounge areas placed nearby as secondary
meeting spaces. These pause areas are
always important in offices as they act
as recharging stations for staff but also
allow for collaboration and congregation.
“To see the staff members benefitting
from space planning principals which
foster collaboration and productivity, has
been a definite highlight of this project,”
Wyatt says.
Where standalone offices were
needed, a frameless glass walling system
was used to maximize the transparency

and allow natural light into the space.
Meeting rooms were treated in a similar
way, but with an awareness of the acoustic
and AV requirements, as well as the need
for privacy. The main meeting rooms were
situated in the central area of each floor
– a continuance of Santam’s desire to
make the most of access to natural light
throughout the surrounding areas.
Over the years, Inhouse has developed
a bespoke office furniture system for
Santam, which was created in conjunction
with Santam’s furniture supplier CO
Designs. It is a custom-built range that

Santam