Architect and Builder September 2020 | Page 61

A central collaboration and coffee area is located on each floor, which is connected vertically by a communication stairway. Each floor offers different types of meeting spaces and work settings to encourage people to move between the floors, depending on the type of setting required. “The company has seen an increase in collaboration between the teams and the different business units,” comments Schoombie. The overall design aesthetic is colourful and inviting, while still retaining a corporate feel. Inclusion of amenities such as a staff restaurant, training facility and client meeting area has been met with a very positive response. Building commenced on the back of a commitment from Bidvest to lease 9,000m 2 . The rest of the development was done on risk by the developer, but mitigation steps in this regard included designing smaller floor plates for the speculative portion, ensuring sub-divisibility of the floor plates and providing at least two terraces per plate. Employee satisfaction has also increased due to the design, largely due to the maximisation of natural light, collaborative coffee areas and the use of colour and natural planting on the office floor plates. Class A ceiling tiles enhance the acoustic quality of the office areas. Bidvest 61