the various departments . This planning approach emphasises the flexible ways of working required in a creative modern work environment , by increasing the places where casual exchange of ideas and discussions can occur ; not only at traditional desks or offices . From the early design stage , MultiChoice wanted to create a place where they could have large staff gatherings to launch new products or make exciting announcements , and the atrium design is purposefully flexible to allow such performance and events . At the ground floor a coffee shop spills out into the atrium beneath the bean , and trees planted level with the atrium floor further reinforce the impression of the outdoor connection of the atrium street . A gym on the fourth floor is open to staff of the MultiChoice group which has wonderful views across the city to both the Johannesburg and Sandton CBDs .
Sustainability From the inception of the project , focus was placed on the sustainability of the building . The approach to achieve this was a sensible combination of value-adding active technologies , and good passive design and material choices . MultiChoice has long had a drive to improve their sustainability within their built environment , and MultiChoice City is the first building within the corporate ’ s stable to be Green Star rated .
The building layout faces predominately east-west due to the natural orientation of the property , which added to the design challenge . Besides the thermally efficient glazing chosen for the façades and the deep overhangs of the roof which create much-needed shading , integrated blinds which track the sun ’ s movement were specified , to adapt the building to its environment and ensure comfortable working environments within throughout the day . Both greywater and rainwater harvesting systems are employed to minimise the use of potable water for uses like toilet flushing and garden irrigation . Practical specification of finishes including those with low VOC emissions , local sourcing , and reduced resource consumption such as low flow sanitary fittings , low energy use bulbs on movement sensors , solar geysers and gas stoves , were all brought to bear on the detailed design development of the building . The HVAC system makes use of a thermal storage approach which allows the manufacture of coolth at night by freezing thermal storage balls - when loads are low and energy prices are reduced - to use during
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