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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
SEPTEMBER
2017
26
PROJECTS & CONTRACTS
Situated north of Nelspruit’s central business district, Riverside
Office Park is a City Improvement District which forms part of a
mixed-use node attracting many new businesses because of the
area’s high-level management and convenient location.
Conceived by Halls Properties, original owners of the land, the
buildings have been designed within a sectional title set-up with
several consortiums taking ownership of the five blocks which make
up Riverside Office Park.
Halls Properties identified a need for an office node within the
Riverside area and decided to open up this expansive block for
an office park development, with ranging office space sizes for a
diverse market.
Construction began in September 2015 on the development
which consists of five office blocks and two parking levels. There is
a shared parking basement for blocks two and three, considered the
central block, while blocks 1 and 4 have central garden courts which
form the public spaces for tenants. This court is essentially the
heart of the offices, creating an attractive feature which provides a
necessary space for relaxation in between hectic working schedules.
The development was constructed using up to 900 000 of
Corobrik’s Bergendal Satin Light face bricks and more than
200 000 Tuscan Blend pavers with final completion anticipated
for the end of 2017.
Corobrik Commercial Director, Musa Shangase, praised the
building’s aesthetics and said the choice of Corobrik’s range was
ideal for the location.
“Nelspruit is renowned for its fluctuating temperatures and this
can put undue pressure on building products,” he explained. “This is
not the case with clay face brick because of the superior
thermal capacity.”
He said the only challenges encountered with this particular
project were managing the stock and consistency of the product
over the construction time frame, however, the end result was an
exceptional development.
“Riverside Office Park proves that the smart use and application
of Corobrik clay face bricks promotes efficient design, while the
carefully plotted architecture – combined with all the relevant and
complementing building materials – creates a really unique
visual aesthetic.”
Architect, Reiner Fortsch of Fortsch+Associates Architects, said
quality and appearance are two of the most important elements
when selecting a product.
“I, personally, have always been fond of the Bergendal range
because it is available in various shades,” he explained. “I find
the texture and colours appealing and it is my preferred face
brick which I have used on various projects before. Corobrik is a
reliable company to work with, always ensuring the bricks were
delivered to site.”
He said that, for this particular project, the Bergendal face brick’s
attractive light colour was a good match for the colour of the soil
found around the office park.
“The brick has pinks and oranges, which makes for a very lively
and warm brick. The finish is relatively smooth, but not
too ‘machined’.”
The face bricks were used to give expression to the thick solid
walls which are a strong conceptual aspect to the buildings. They
were used on the east and west elevations to guard against harsh
sunlight because much lighter glass facades dominate the north
and south elevations.
Fortsch said the Tuscan paver was an ideal choice because the
attractive colour worked well against the face brick walls while its
thickness ensures longevity with repeated use.
ENHANCING OFFICE
park development
Riverside Park at Extension 24 in Nelspruit has been constructed using
Corobrik Bergendal Satin Light FBS with Corobrik 65 mm Cedarberg
Pavers being used to complement this office block.
(photo Fortsch+Associates Architects)
One of Nelspruit’s burgeoning business regions,
Riverside Office Park, has just undergone a
massive upgrade with Corobrik’s durable and
attractive face brick and paving ranges incorpo-
rated into the new structures.