Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa November/December 2014

PROJECT Tram Street Achieving maximum rentable building area on a small site, was a major design challenge. The design solution is a compact plan form with a vertical extension up to the limit of height restrictions. TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF JEREMIE MALAN ARCHITECTS TRAM STREET OFFICES Nieuw-Muckleneuk, Pretoria ARCHITECTS Jeremie Malan Architects CLIENT Duncharl Investments QUANTITY SURVEYORS Taljaard QS STRUCTURAL & CIVIL ENGINEERS Otec ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS CA du Toit HVAC ENGINEERS Q-Mech FIRE ENGINEERS Fire Consultants OHS ACT OFFICE Cairnmean Industrial Consultants LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Marian Louw Landscape Architect T he project entails a new 4 level commercial office block in Nieuw-Muckleneuk, Pretoria. This area of the city is quickly becoming a growth point for development. The building provides a floor space of ±1,200m² on a property of 1,276m² and so adds to the densification of the precinct. Construction commenced in September 2013 and ended in August 2014. All of the office space is currently let. Building Form & Design Concept Achieving maximum rentable building area on a small site, was a major design challenge. The design solution is a compact plan form with a vertical extension up to the limit of height restrictions. The main building mass is elevated off ground level by means of columns to create space for parking requirements at ground level without a basement. A stand-out feature on the elevations is the vertically emphasised glazed staircase and concrete lift shaft which forms the services core of the building. The vertical core effectively links the ground floor parking level with three storeys of offices and the roof space above. All the tenants have access to the roof space that is an ideal area for relaxation and informal office functions. Each floor has lettable office space on either side of the core. This configuration allows for tenant flexibility, as the two office areas per floor can function separately or as one. The basic open plan office areas received internal layouts in drywalling to suit tenant requirements. CCTV Afnoco MAIN CONTRACTOR Van der Linde Venter Projects A stand-out feature on the elevations is the vertically emphasised glazed staircase and concrete lift shaft which forms the services core of the building 40 Tram Street

Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa November/December 2014 | Page 40