Green building takes the first prize in steel awards
International financial and risk services provider Alexander Forbes’ new head office building in Sandton, Johannesburg, has won this year’s Architectural Category award in the South African Institute of Steel Construction (Saisc) Steel Awards.
The judges said at the awards, which were held on September 19, that the building, which is situated at 115 West street, revealed a new maturity in South African’s built environment. “We can do whatever is done elsewhere in the world and we can do it better. This shows that we have a unique South African style and that we do not need to copy overseas designs,” they added.
Developed by Zenprop Property Holdings, the R840-million develop- ment saw the construction of an eight-storey, 36 950 m2 building, which currently accommodates Alexander Forbes’ 2 500 Johannes-burg staff and – for the first time since 1994 – most of the firm’s major divisions.
Wanting to remain on a par with international environment preser-ving measures, environmental sustainability was crucial to the building’s design. The Green Building Council of South Africa has accredited the building as a four-star Green Star SA building. Impressed by the building’s water and energy conserving methods, the judges said: “Not only is the building an aesthetic masterpiece it is also groundbreaking in its approach to energy, water, waste and material usage.”
For Alexandra Forbes, which was also highly commended in the 2012 AfriSam Innovation Awards for Sustainable Construction, it was important that the design of the new building reflected the company’s values. These include trans- parency, which the company believes is reflected in the huge volumes of natural light and glazed layering; and trust, which is portrayed throughout the design elements of the building, revealing not only the mores of the company but also enriching the lives of its employees.
The building, which was officially opened to staff in October 2012, combines plant-filled outdoor areas, natural light and energy efficient lighting, which fulfil the design awards requirements of promoting the health and wellbeing of staff. The circulation of fresh air and temperature control were also key considerations. As such, numerous pause or break areas have been incorporated into the design.
Architecturally, the building – which was also recently awarded the Best Overall Development at the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards for 2013 – features a continuous design of fluid curves.
Sections of the facade incorporate S–shaped scallop walls, while wavy, flowing lines and patterns are further integrated throughout the interior of the building. Everything radiates out from the centre of the building – clearly shown by the shape of the bridge links. Bathroom facilities are concentrated around the central core of the building and occupants are never more than a 20 m walk from these facilities.
Steel was used extensively in every form throughout the project, especially in the aesthetic elements comprising the bridges and roof lights, the spiral staircase and the cladding. “From a structural steel design perspective, the Alexander Forbes building exhibits excellence in a very sensible way, supporting architectural designs that demand more than the norm. This is a most worthy winner of the Architectural category,” the judges concluded.
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