imising the floor plate available on the site . The façade is a double glazed solar e glass engineered solution to the South African climate . Apart from having the most fantastic views , the façade has a lattice fixed externally , emphasising the dynamic shape of the building .
This Faberge-like , crossed lattice , takes the eye on a fantastic journey around the building , highlighting its 360 º form and views . The building is crowned by a multifunctional meeting and restaurant space .
An external panoramic view lift on the top parking level takes clients to the 8th floor meeting and restaurant facility without compromising the internal security of the office floors .
On the top level , created by the lift motor rooms and the AC plant , a helistop has been built so that when a license is approved , this may be used by clients and emergency services .
Façade In sympathy with the buildings on either side , the form of the building is rounded so as not to conflict and to stand out against the forms surrounding it . The lattice was then added to accentuate the dynamic form and enhance the glass façade .
The façade of the parking levels has a gently curving planting element on the street front . This will reduce the heat island in front of the building and green the lower levels of the office building , thereby softening the road scale . The dominant portion of the façade is then glazed which achieves great light quality within the building and also allows the fantastic views to enhance the office spaces .
To eliminate the potential discomfort of a glass façade , the glass area is reduced to window sill level with a solid insulated panel beneath . The glass is then double glazed with solar e glass like the external layer .
To further enhance the view and light , the ceilings of the offices are pulled back a metre from the façade , taking the glass to the soffit of the slab . This exposure of the slab on the circumference of the building acts as heat sink to the external spaces and the return area is drawn over this exposed slab to further improve comfort levels .
Economic Considerations As a commercial office building , much of a building ’ s marketability is in the rental charged and how much space can be rented . To this end , the building was designed to maximise rentable area within the town planning scheme and to structurally achieve this in the most cost-effective manner .
Initially , the basements are only two levels deep to cost-effectively balance the excavation / lateral support against the cost of the parking bays . The further parking levels are above ground , doubling up the parking structure as an imposing podium to the main office areas .
As the site is triangular , the form is functionally creating the biggest floor plate to maximise usable to rentable area per floor .
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