The client ’ s brief , which included green building principles , meant that the building was placed on an east-west axis , making the most of the streetscape of Voortrekker road , which incidentally and conveniently runs along an eastwest axis .
The considerable amount of space required resulted in a large building footprint which was split into two main forms separated by a glass enclosed atrium . The design of the building recognises the independence of the branches by introducing dedicated floor plates to individual branches . These floorplates are further separated by the atrium , intended to be the principal
circulation space of the building and also allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the building . The bridges crossing the atrium were designed to connect the departments visually and allow for shorter travel between branches . Specific features , such as the auditorium , canteen and small meeting rooms , were placed at the main entrance level where staff can meet informally .
The building has been vertically broken down into three layers , namely the basement , ground and first floor and the top floor . This layering of the building is visible in the choice of materials - concrete , aluminium and glass - and has been further accentuated by introducing setbacks to
648 Water & Sanitation