Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa September/October 2014 | Page 36

The building comprises
2,600m² of office space
in three storeys plus a
double parking basement
accommodating a
total of 92 vehicles
plus storage areas

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

as a glass enclosed main staircase and a length
of offices which face onto the road. Here, the
western orientation was accommodated by
setting back the glass of the offices behind the
north wing and the entrance foyer and deeply
recessing the glass by placing balconies along
this front of the building. These balconies are
accessed by sliding doors which then face
onto Oxford Road.
A 3m louvred canopy is cantilevered
out over the façade on the top floor. A fire
escape is visible at the southern end of the
building and this is also enclosed with glass
in sympathy with the adjoining glazed office
area. Full extent is made of the southern
exposure where flush glazing covers the
entire façade.
On the east of the building there are
generous terraces and balconies with large
sliding doors that open up onto the “quiet”
side with attractive views over this well treed
suburb of Houghton.

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

36

In all the architects office buildings,
they try to avoid a completely sealed and
airconditioned environment and thus they
are always seeking opportunities for outdoor
space from each floor even if it is just to step
out and have a smoke or make a telephone
call. The air quality and the views in this part
of Johannesburg warrant such appreciation of
the exterior.
On the northern façade, facing the
adjoining property, the openings are limited
to punctures in the wall.
On the roof of the building at its southern
end, is a covered entertainment terrace with
a built-in bar and barbeque facility. The views
from this terrace are east over the treetops of
Houghton, south, towards the Hillbrow Ridge
and southwest towards the Johannesburg
CBD. The architects are finding that in all
their recent office developments, this type of
entertainment area is very much in demand
and is used by occupants of the building
for functions and at lunch hour. It has now
become fairly standard in M / Architects’
office designs.
Use of Colour
Coming from a generation of colourless
Johannesburg buildings and an education
that extolled the virtues of using “natural”
materials, the architects never lose the
opportunity to inject colour into their
buildings. This is tricky. First of all, because
the use of colour in buildings is complicated
and launches into the field in which most
architects have not been trained. Secondly
there is also the possibility of client resistance
to using bold colour. Some like it and some
do not. What the architects have found,
however, is that tenants, particularly if they are
Oxford Terrace