Lighting in Design Q2 2019

create shaded seating areas and breakaway spaces. Boogertman+Partners Director, Anton Koeke- moer, notes that the lighting brief for the SUTower had to be low energy and low maintenance. The office spaces had to provide a minimum lux level of 400 lux at 700 mm above floor level. “It was also requested that the façade feature be enhanced at night time with lighting elements to make the building more prominent,” he says. “We used, for the first time, a rubber enclosed LED light strip on the façade which provided us with a weather- and bug-proof, flexible fitting which enabled us to follow the angles of the façade. This provided a neon-like light glowwithout the hassles of using real neon tubes.” In terms of natural lighting, he notes that the office floor plates were kept to a minimum depth to optimise the glass façade’s natural light. “I think we achieved our goal of creating an impressive looking building during day and night time as lighting in a commercial environment plays a huge role in enhanc- ing the building’s feature and stature after sunset.We also achieved the required energy savings by using LED lights throughout the building,” says Koekemoer.

Facilities The ground floor of SUTower operates as the build- ing’s main entrance opening up to over 700 m 2 of retail space with restaurants, cafés and shops, including a bookstore. Four lifts connect the park- ing levels to nine floors of office space, spanning 10 000 m 2 , with each floor designed to accom- modate up to six tenants. With unpredictable local services, the basement holds a sewerage treatment plant that feeds a 260 000 litre on-site water storage tank, ensuring fresh water is always available. Rising up, the SU Tower stands out, a glimmering beacon of prestige and prominence, mirroring its location by day and lighting up the skyline at night.

PROJECTTEAM DEVELOPER: Eris SA/Ghana ARCHITECTS: Boogertman+Partners PARTNER ARCHITECT: Multicad PROJECT MANAGERS: GHC Africa QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Del QS ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS: CKR Electrical consultants and Lambert Electromec

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LiD Q2 - 2019