The original mall was designed by BAI to fit in with the local context and climate , employing a natural material palette to reflect the surrounding mountainous areas , and the extensions have followed the same formula . It is configured in a three-legged triangular format with an anchor tenant at each point of the triangle . The court is central to the triangle with access to each of the three malls . It is open air with grassed areas , trees and a pavement café atmosphere . To solve the problem of cold Johannesburg nights and rainy conditions , the court has a retractable roof
that operates on rollers across a concrete beam structure and encloses the restaurant zone when required , making it part of the enclosed mall .
Green Design The architects used green design principles in the original design and this approach was continued in the expansion to cater for budget and power usage restrictions . The innovative design of the new extension incorporates several sustainable features , such as the use of skylights to increase the amount of natural light , and a chilled water air conditioning plant that generates ice in off-peak periods , to use the ice for cooling in peak periods , a grid of motion sensors , that automatically switches lights on when movement is detected in areas like the parkade and fire escapes , and use of low energy fluorescent , LED and cold cathode light fitting .
Bentel Associates International is fully committed to developing a sustainable building philosophy . South Africa has recently adopted the Australian Green Star Code , which includes best practice standards that are applicable and customised to the South African built environment . Energy efficiency is commercially viable and , with lifecycle cost taken into account , the increased upfront expenditure is justified and , in this case unavoidable , as further power permissions were not possible .
The sustainable approach to architectural design implies additional design challenges . BAI already has extensive experience in terms of the consideration of appropriate materials and the use of design and technology to conserve energy . The company has always maintained an innovative approach to aesthetic but functional visual design solutions that are flexible and which respect the environment and context within which a new building is sited .
314 Clearwater Mall