The Annual Steel Awards which are hosted by the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) in partnership with BSi Steel aim to showcase projects that demonstrate innovation and excellence in the use of structural steel in their designs. Only projects that meet outstanding execution based on the criteria are selected as finalist in the respective categories.
The Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley was entered into the Commercial Architectural Category by Savage & Dodd Architects with Structural Engineers THS & Associates and Trencon Construction. The execution of the sun-shading solution was provided by RVI’s Architectural Solutions Division in the form of wind driven louvres and bespoke multi-coloured vertical louvres which were designed with Savage & Dodd Architects who wanted RVI to provide a new concept wind driven louvre. Although not the final winner, the project was one of only 7 finalists in this category.
The wind driven louvre solution provides natural ventilation into the complex by moving with the wind and consists of various shapes incorporated into the louvre system. With the inclusion of a bottom layer of multi-colour Perspex plates the design augments the visual aesthetic of the building by projecting multi-colour images onto the floor. The support structure for the louvres is constructed with painted mild steel beams and all the wind driven mechanisms from power coated aluminium.
The compact laminate louvres were conceptualised by RVI together with Savage & Dodd Architects to achieve the fascinating multi-colour design which makes use of natural light to create kaleidoscopic hues within the space. The bespoke vertical louvre system was also constructed from painted mild steel beams with all the vertical panels routed from multi-colour compact laminate boards imported from the Netherlands. The environmental considerations for the building contributed to the selection of these boards which are made from recycled materials. In addition their robust construction, easy maintenance and elegance made them the perfect choice for this solution.
By manufacturing a sample set of the wind driven louvres and conducting preliminary testing, RVI were able to execute the installation without any setbacks despite the labour intensive process involved. RVI were honoured to contribute to this unique design with Savage & Dodd Architects and are proud to have achieved the finalist placement in the SAISC Awards for 2016.