with the soulful rootedness of Africa. The hightech double ventilated façade utilises automated
motorised blinds (with manual overrides) to
respond to the path of the sun around the building,
controlling the light entering the spaces, and
allowing the building to have full-height highly
transparent glazing. This glass façade is married
with staggered vertical stone elements in shades of
travertine reminiscent of a boma screen, grounding
the building. Simple pared back concrete columns
establish a rhythm around the base of the building.
These tactile materials in their natural state set the
tone for the palette inside which combines clean
modern finishes of smooth concrete, stone, glass,
stainless steel, and elegantly-patterned porcelain,
with warm timber, crisp white counters, lush
patterned rugs, cool seascape-toned upholstery,
subtly textured wallpapers, and restrained bespoke
office cabinetry.
Gardens and Landscaping
The design sits the buildings back from Rivonia
Road to create a generous park-like approach in
which to linger and spill out, and an unaffected
foreground to the architecture. The use of a few
of the parking levels to lift the building’s ground
floor above the street around in a landscaped
podium, creates natural privacy and security for
the scheme, while affording the building users
64
wonderful views. The meandering ramp and
gentle staircase approach ensure the building is
not removed from its context. The trees in the
main garden continue into the atrium, creating a
soft canopy inside the building.
Sustainability
As part of the best-practice good business journey,
the 90 Rivonia building is a sustainable one which
has achieved a 4-star GBCSA Green Star Design
rating, and is currently applying for the equivalent
As Built rating. A combination of sensible passive
design principles and selected active technologies
were used to minimise the impact of the building
and its ongoing use on the environment.
These include the key design element of a
floor-to-ceiling naturally-ventilated double-façade
which provides inherent shading, prevents direct
radiant heat entering the offices, and maximises
day-lighting without glare. Integrated sunresponsive automated blinds modulate the internal
environment and assist the HVAC performance.
Terra Firma Solutions was the specialist EPC
(Engineer Procure and Commission) supplier of
the solar PV (Photovoltaic) solution installed on
the roof.
The Solar PV Plant is a 107.97kWp grid-tied
PV system made up of 354 x 305W Trina Solar
modules. These are Tier 1 solar panels - Tier 1
90 Rivonia