The Ridge
INTERIORS AWARD
The Ridge was designed to meet the accommodation requirements of global consulting giant Deloitte . The Ridge forms the apex of a new Waterfront zone , dubbed the Portswood District , a green development forming a natural linkage to the Greenpoint Fringe of the Atlantic Seaboard . The Ridge offers a GLA of over 8,500m 2 and consists of four stories of office accommodation and three basement parking levels .
“ Maintaining the design integrity of the base building architecture while successfully incorporating the distinctively Deloitte brand experience was our aspiration for the interior of this ground-breaking green building , said Paragon Interface Director Claire D ’ Adorante . “ The Ridge has quite a unique aesthetic – it ’ s industrial but still very elegant and well-detailed in response to the technical requirements of the sustainable design brief .”
The ground floor accommodates the more public functions such as a reception , client-facing meeting rooms , a staff restaurant and a Vida Café that can service both employees and the public . The ground floor experience is completed by Deloitte ’ s ‘ Xcelerator ’, an immersive environment where clients can experience the potential of digital transformations in an innovative environment that enables the creative development of customised digital solutions .
To facilitate and encourage active movement for both employees and visitors , The Ridge has a lightfilled internal atrium conceptualised as a street that runs through its centre . The workspace planning focuses on activating this street edge through the deliberate positioning of agile workspaces around the atrium to create a bustling working corridor .
It includes a balance of collaborative workspaces such as touch-down points , casual lounge spaces , focus rooms and pods . Social relaxation areas are positioned in the vertical circulation core . Lifts and a sculptural steel staircase allow employees to easily connect with each other between floors . New ways of working , such as desk-sharing practices , are also being successfully implemented here , aligned with Deloitte ’ s global workspace practices .
Apart from the application of similar branding elements in the signage , finishes and colour scheme as at Deloitte ’ s offices at Waterfall City , The Ridge has a distinctively different atmosphere . Extensive use of natural materials such as exposed concrete , timber and glass echoes the external façade . The indoor planting completes a holistic wellness experience for users .
However , perhaps the biggest differentiator at The Ridge is the presence of exposed slabs and services , a technical requirement of the innovative chilled slab cooling solution – one of the many unique sustainability features of the building . Special acoustic panels float underneath the slabs to provide appropriate levels of sound absorption for a comfortable office environment and suspended linear low-energy LED lighting between the panels follows a similar design rhythm .
Client : V & A Waterfront Tenant : Deloitte Interior Architects : Paragon Interface Architects Project Manager : Mace Group Architect : studioMAS Architecture & Urban Design Quantity Surveyor : Smith & Co Quantity Surveyors Multidisciplinary Engineers : Arup Acoustic Engineers : SRL South Africa Geotech Engineers : Core Geotechnical Consultants Landscape Architects : Planning Partners Main Contractor : GVK-Siya Zama
80 SAPOA Awards