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DECEMBER • 2016
Construction
WORLD
54
Professional Services
C
The architecture expresses the major tenant’s positioning as
an African law firm, concerned with transparency, equity, and
humanity. The architects focued on the use of contemporary yet
timeless design, internationally referential and locally grounded.
The core concept creates a place responding to the site specifics,
knitting the company into the supporting environment.
It has seven floors of parking – four below and three above
ground, balancing sensible urban design with commercial
construction realities – fed by multiple accesses at different
levels. The E-plan form places a strong spine against the eastern
boundary, from which three north-facing fingers stretch out.
The environmental focus was at the forefront of the design,
construction, and operational phases of 90 Rivonia. The
sustainable design approach with integrated technology realised
a reduced carbon footprint, improved working space, and lowered
operational costs.
Full utilities backup ensures grid independence and business
continuity. Sensor-driven light fittings and thermal storage HVAC
flatten the peak load energy demands, and the conservation and
re-use of water with water-efficient sanitary fittings reduces the
potable water demand. Individual metering of utilities consumption
for different zones allows monitoring and response to leaks and
inefficient use. 90 Rivonia has a 4-star GBCSA rating.
A number of design innovations are worthy of mention at 90
Rivonia. The commercial reality of accommodating a large number
of parking bays in a city centre building often separates the street
and the building with above ground parking. At 90 Rivonia, this
was mitigated by stepping the parking floors back to create a tilted
podium which steps down to the street edge to draw people in to
the scheme.
The design of the new building brought together various
departments of the tenant who were previously housed in separate
buildings, creating new opportunities for learning and working
together, and casual exchange.
90 RIVONIA ROAD:
NEW OFFICES FOR WEBBER WENTZEL
Sited on a prominent corner in the financial hub of Sandton,
90 Rivonia was procured through an RFP process in which the
tenant wished to consolidate several disparate business units
into a united campus to flexibly accommodate growth and
engender collective pride.
The façade design combined a number of approaches to glazing,
the most innovative of which is the floor-to-ceiling naturally-
ventilated double-façade with a 600 mm cavity between an
external single glazed jumbo glass panel connected with stainless
steel pushers to an internal performance double
glazed SIGU.
The cavity’s inherent shading prevents radiant heat and
maximises daylighting without glare, and the naturally ventilated
panels allow air in and out to cool the façade minimising the
load on the HVAC system. Set inside the cavity, automated
sun-responsive blinds address direct solar angles adjusting for
the suns path and cloud cover, and override switches provide
individual control for building occupants.
The facade design comprises double facades around cavities,
single facades, and mechanically fixed stone and tile panels. The
technical and environmental advantages of the double façade
system are discussed above, and a further advantage is that the
entire façade is designed considering disassembly, improving
sustainability and resource management.
The use of these innovative designs and technologies has
increased knowledge transfer amongst the construction teams
and the asset and facilities management teams.
The client’s clear show of confidence in the location in
redeveloping 90 Rivonia has contributed to the growth of the
Rivonia/Katherine precinct and the implementation of a City
Council urban design framework for the area. The construction
technology choices and building systems are being adopted in
other contemporary developments demonstrating the impression
the scheme has made in the community and the industry. The
design choice to open the scheme to the street and create a large
garden, rare in the CBD, has contributed to the positive perception
of the development.
Project information
• Company entering: GLH Architects
• Client: Redefine Properties
• Start date: April 2013
• End date: December 2015
• Main contractor: Group Five Building
• Architect: GLH Architects
• Principal agent: SIP Project Managers
• Quantity surveyor: Brian Heineberg and Associates
• Consulting engineer: PURE Consulting