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FAÇADE PROGRESS
ON THE RIDGE, V&A
WATERFRONT
With construction restrictions
lifted, the V&A Waterfront’s
development team has returned
to The Ridge site to install the
long-awaited façade. The first
cross laminated timber (CLT) and
glazing panels arrived and have
been installed along Marine Road.
These custom-made panels with
openable windows, are one of
the key sustainability features of
The Ridge building. It will assist
in the natural ventilation of the
office floors. CLT is a green and
sustainable material since it is
made out of renewable wood,
sequesters carbon, and does not
require the burning of fossil fuels
during production.
The next milestone at The Ridge
is making the building a living
breathing one. It will consist of
a mixed mode climate control
to cover TABS, displacement
ventilation and natural ventilation.
Thereafter a world class interior
to cover plantscaping, flexible
working areas, and staff wellness
focus to name a few.
SAOTA AND JACO BOOYENS ARCHITECT WIN GOLD AT
INTERNATIONAL DOMUS RESTORATION & CONSERVATION AWARDS
The restoration of the ensemble of heritage buildings on Buffelsdrift Farm - by SAOTA
and Jaco Booyens Architect - won the gold medal at the seventh edition of the International
Domus Restoration and Conservation Awards in Italy. The award, conceived and promoted
by the company Fassa S.r.l. and by the University of Ferrara, recognises “excellence in
the field of restoration, redevelopment and architectural and landscape recovery at an
international level”.
Buffelsdrift Farm is located west of Ladismith in the arid Klein Karoo region of the Western
Cape in South Africa. The restoration involved a cluster of Cape buildings in a valley beneath
the Swartberg mountain range, consisting of a main house and two barns, plus a store. A
short way off is a flat-roofed building, typical of the Ladismith style, which was originally
used as a wine store. Other structures on the property include a contemporary shed, a
cottage further up a hill, and a graveyard. The house, barns and wine store were all restored.
The Buffelsdrift Farm is a building characteristic of South African culture, born from
the mixture of different cultures and building techniques. It consists of multiple buildings
dating back to the mid-nineteenth century inserted within a large agricultural property, again
arranged and replanted.
The original buildings, made of raw earth, had undergone numerous alterations both in
coatings and in covers, and, overall, due to inconsistent additions. The restoration attempted
to overcome these inconsistencies, returning to the use of traditional construction techniques.
The walls, where incomplete, were reinstated with raw earth and re-plastered according to
local methods; likewise, a broad roof pitch covered with sheet metal in recent times, has
been reconfigured according to the original straw technique, made with local plant materials.
The end result is particularly convincing in the redefinition of the volumes inside of a natural
landscape that is an integral part of the design.
SAOTA director Greg Truen, who acquired the farm in 2016, notes that while minor
additions and modern alterations had been made to the buildings, the original house, was
“in good condition, considering” and that the barns were “fundamentally untouched”. “We
looked for contemporary materials that spoke to the original materials,” says Truen. “To
honour the heritage of the existing buildings, materials were carefully selected to ensure that
a little of the construction history is visible, showcasing elements of how these buildings
were originally put together”, adds Jaco Booyens. Interiors were completed by ARRCC.
6 News Watch