Construction World February 2015

PROJECTS AND CONTRACTS

VISUALISING THE FINAL PRODUCT One of Africa’s top law firms will be the anchor tenant in the brand new 18-floor office building currently being constructed on the corner of Alice Lane and Fifth Street in Sandton’s commercial centre.

striking visual effect,” says Anthony Orelowitz of Paragon. “As this building is only set for completion in a couple of years’ time, by making use of Autodesk Revit we are able to not only design the shell of the building, but completely visualise the finished effect, ensuring that the building is not only functional and envi- ronmentally friendly, but also aesthetically stunning as well.” The entire precinct is aimed at achieving a Four Star Green Star rating.

It is set to include showrooms, retail elements and concept stores on the ground floor which are accessible from the piazza – a tranquil space nestled between the three buildings that complete the enclosure. Phase one tenants include an international leader in global business and finance informa- tion, a major South African bank and a new flagship gym. Paragon Architects had already designed two of the three buildings around the future piazza, which created a canvas from which to draw. Working with generated site line anal- yses and sun studies the conceptual design was specifically created to allow sunlight into the public space, essentially using sunlight to chisel form. From the outset, Paragon Architects was aware of the requirement of cellular office space. To ensure that all offices were exposed to natural light, two wings were generated so that external offices and internal offices were equally exposed, essentially ensuring that every office is a perimeter office. This building is much higher than the first two phases and while a common design language binds the three buildings, the >

constructionmaterials define their individuality. While unitised aluminium panels are the dominant material in the Marsh building, in the Bowman Gilfillan building it is glass. “The glazing reflects the latest glass technology in terms of light and dark and also day and night experiences – creating a

Visualisation reflects the vision in the new 18-storey glass creation in Sandton CBD.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD FEBRUARY 2015