PROJECT FEATURE
DAINFERN
SQUARE
DAINFERN SQUARE
Midrand
DEVELOPERS
Abacus Asset Management
ARCHITECTS
dhk
PROJECT MANAGER
Brendan T. Smith Projects
QUANITITY SURVEYORS
Aecom
STRUCTURAL & CIVIL
KLS Consulting Engineers
ELECTRICAL
Gibb Engineering & Science
MECHANICAL
Ekcon
WET SERVICES
Sutherland Engineers
TRAFFIC
Aecom Traffic
ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH & SAFETY
JBN Consulting
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Landmark Studios
BULK EXTERNAL SERVICES
Kantey & Templer
TOWN PLANNERS
VBGD Town Planners
MAIN CONTRACTOR
Murray & Roberts Buildings
PHOTOGRAPHY
Wieland Gleich
38
D
ainfern Square is a new retail destination situated on the corner of William
Nicol Drive and Broad Acres Drive in northern Johannesburg, designed by dhk
for Abacus Asset Management. The mixed-use development includes retail,
banks and restaurants on the ground level with offices and a gym on the first floor.
There is surface parking on the ground level as well as two levels of basement parking.
Location
Dainfern is, primarily, an upmarket residential area in the northern suburbs of
Johannesburg and the site is located at a main intersection of Broad Acres Drive on
William Nicol Drive. The landscape undulates gently and the building clearly makes
its presence felt when approaching this major intersection - which has recently been
upgraded to deal with increased traffic flow in the area. The development effectively
turns its back on William Nicol Drive but creates a very powerful and striking façade
facing this street. The heart of the development is contained in the centre of the site,
slowly revealed when turning into Broad Acres.
The Site
The site is accessed off Broad Acres Drive and this set the datum for the ground
floor. The shopping centre forms the perimeter of the site with a strong focus on the
arrival experience. The site gently slopes six metres down from Broad Acres Drive
on the south side to the north. The slope allowed for two floors of basement parking
on the northern half of the site.
Design
Dainfern Square is a neighbourhood shopping centre with a village square atmosphere
executed in a very modern aesthetic. The building mass has been broken down to
create a varied and rich shopping experience with a decidedly human scale.
Dainfern Square