SECTION
At both far ends of the building terraces are provided to each floor providing breakaway spaces for the offices , with spectacular city views to the south and harbour views to the north .
The balustrades are formed of frameless glass panels , fixed onto steel channels which in turn are cast into the concrete slab edges . This detail is repeated internally at the office floor lift lobby edges , as they overlook the building entrances .
On the east and west elevations however , each of the façade modules is projected outwards and framed with a band of clear glass incorporating 100 % white frit onto the outer face . This frame in turn , holds the complex matrix of staggered horizontal and vertical elements , comprising a combination of fully transparent “ vision ” panels and semi-transparent vision panels , which utilise a 60 % frit pattern to contribute to the reduction of heat load , as well as vertical spandrel panels which have an insulated core . Together they allow maximum natural light penetration into the offices within the allowable heat load design .
The required fire rating between floors is incorporated into the horizontal spandrel panels extending around the slab edges . These horizontal spandrels are matched to either the vision panels above or below them .
A series of vertical grooves are also incorporated into the façade to further break the horizontal lines of the building . These grooves incorporate top hung openable window sections to provide some natural ventilation , if desired . Layered onto the curtain wall , are staggered aluminium fins which assist to further reduce solar heat gain and glare .
The Bridge The North and South buildings are 15m apart from each other , with further 4.5m wide slab cantilevers along these edges . The challenge of linking the two buildings is solved by suspending the joining double deck bridge from the roofs . This is achieved by forming concrete cantilever beams onto the roofs , which extend outwards up to the parapets and provide the load capacity to carry the entire bridge .
The bridge itself is then formed as a steel structure , with the primary girders spanning between parapets of the North and South buildings . Suspended from these girders via tensile steel rods are the third and second floors . These suspended floor slabs are constructed of concrete cast into a steel pan system , resting in turn on a slim steel beam grid .
Waterway House 515