Construction World December 2018

Consulting Engineers

T he beautiful building on Buitenkant Street, known simply as the Old Granary, or the Old Customs House, is well over 200 years old and part of the city’s heritage. Designed by the French-born South African architect and engineer, Louis Michel Thibault – who worked on many the city’s more elaborate buildings – it was constructed between 1808 and 1813 by Jacobus Hendricks for use as a house and bakery. Over the years the house has fallen into disrepair and has failed to find an organisation to raise the necessary funds to restore and repair its steady decay. Instead it has stood empty for 20 years. In late 2015 Desmond Tutu came to the rescue, offering to contribute funds towards the Granary’s refurbishment. He also agreed to take on the lease of the building as a home for the Tutu Foundation Centre. The City, in turn, contributed further funds towards restoration, which its construction began early 2016. The building is protected by the National Heritage Resources Act preventing any changes to the building unless passed by the authority, and it has recently been nominated for heritage site status. The restoration was also required to follow sound conservation and sustainability principles, and where local principles were not available, the international conservation principles needed to be followed. The City's objective for the project is for it to enable ancillary economic activities that will assist with the sustainable management of the Granary. The engineering designs were non-conventional with substantial influence and input from both architects and Heritage Western Cape on the project. The architects required a certain architectural language throughout the building which required the engineers to come up with proposals being scrutinised and approved by the architect and heritage architect.  for the rehabilitation and restoration of the existing Old Granary building in order for a prospective tenant to be occupy it as a Grade A office space. The restored building had to comply with all current and relevant codes and standards to provide a safe building ready for occupation. RESTORATION OF THE OLD GRANARY BUILDING FOR THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN Royal HaskoningDHV was appointed as lead consultant by the City of Cape Town municipality

DEN BRAV

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: Royal HaskoningDHV • Client: City of Cape Town • Main Contractor: Edel Construction • Architect: GAPP Architects & Urban Designers • Consulting Engineer: Royal HaskoningDHV