Project
Arup
An on-floor chilled water AHU within a plant room . first for South Africa and one that has contributed significantly both to the overall architecture as well as reducing the overall carbon footprint of the building by 60 tonnes CO₂ ( equivalent ) from the atmosphere ”, says Noble .
The Ridge also forms the hub of a broader mixed-use district of the Waterfront , called the Portswood District . " We have a number of heritage houses that have been restored at the same time as the Ridge was under construction . These form part of the new district which will focus heavily on non-motorised mobility . While the district is envisaged as a commercial node , we are constructing public footpaths and a bicycle route will navigate the area . The area will offer shady retreats , a Petersham Nurseries style cafe made solely from waste material from the V & A including a feature glass bottle wall ( designed by PE based architect Kevin Kimwelle ), a vegetable garden and the security of being within the Waterfront . We see this new district as a kind of secret garden with a high density of green open spaces and trees creating an environment that is truly unique in an inner-city location . With the opening of the Ridge at the Portswood District , it is now possible to navigate from this new commercial district , via the Watershed and beyond to our established retail and mixed-use property assets , including Victoria Wharf , the Clock Tower district , the Silo district or even Granger Bay ,” Noble adds .
Arup
The indoor DX split units in one of Deloitte ’ s IT / patch rooms .
as an arid city . Grey water and rainwater harvested from the roof is collected and reused for toilet flushing and irrigation . Dematerialisation and recycling : The focus given by designers to dematerialisation , re-use and recycling is well documented , including the South African first-ever usage of ecobricks encapsulated within certain non-load bearing structural elements of the building . Greening the interior : Within the Ridge , the natural environment is king . Green plants and a planted balcony for occupants are features of the design philosophy that incorporates greenery .
A TEAM ACHIEVING A GREATER HOLISTIC CONCEPT The façade on the top two floors of the building is constructed from locally sourced cross laminated mass timber together with the more standard glass and aluminium panels in a unitised system . This is a very significant feature .
“ Using timber as both the structural façade element as well as the internal and external finish we believe is a genuine
“ A major design requirement was the building having an operable façade .”
“ Our impact on the environment was a key consideration throughout the building project and therefore the 6-Star rating is an incredible achievement . Achieving certification means that we have succeeded , through collaboration with the development team , in building a high-performing , productive workplace that is healthier for our people and the environment ,” says Wayne Megaw , Operations Leader at Deloitte Africa .
He continues , “ The interior design further ensures that the office becomes a place to work more dynamically through offering the right kind of working space available at the right time . The Ridge offers a range of different working activities and styles with spaces that can fuel creativity and will ultimately generate more collaborations across our multiple business units . There are no private offices for any staff with hot desking being embraced to
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RACA Journal I November 2021 www . hvacronline . co . za