Showcasing earthmoving equipment and a head office in one design
 | Showcasing earthmoving equipment and a head office in one design_approved | 45 KB | Download |
 Preview | Corrugated sheeting was repurposed as an external skin. | 5.57 MB | Download |
 Preview | Paragon Group Architectural Technologist David Cloete. | 2.38 MB | Download |
 Preview | The clay-type soil conditions posed a challenge for the building foundation. | 7.74 MB | Download |
 Preview | The engineers devised a connected raft foundation between the columns. | 6.92 MB | Download |
 Preview | The flush-glazed unitised facade has a performance-glass specification. | 5.77 MB | Download |
 Preview | The project broke ground at end 2018, with the showroom nearing completion. | 5.82 MB | Download |
 Preview | The project consists of two interlinked buildings. | 8.37 MB | Download |
 Preview | The project maximises frontage onto the R24 highway. | 677.36 KB | Download |
 Preview | The showroom showcases both tyre and track equipment. | 10.3 MB | Download |
 Preview | The showroom typology is based on a bubble-like design. | 6.6 MB | Download |
“Given the micro location of the site, we knew that we needed to provide a truly distinctive structure that required out-of-the-box thinking to push the boundaries of what is possible. Paragon Group was approached to assist us in realising this vision,” Eris Property Group Development Aashen Lalloo comment.
“It was a unique project in that we had to design an office environment and integrate it with a building big enough to accommodate large earthmoving equipment,” Paragon Group Project Architectural Technologist David Cloete comments. Thus, the showroom typology eventually focused on a ‘bubble’ design that essentially mimics the curved shape of an excavator tread, a signature Caterpillar machine.
While the shape provided the volume and extent that such a showroom required, it naturally posed a lot of structural challenges. “Our idea of maximising grid distances and using steel as the main structural framework enabled us to maintain the integrity of the ‘bubble’ design,” Cloete explains.
Another important design decision taken early on was that the 4 500m² project would consist of two elongated buildings, namely a double-storey ‘north’ building, and a three-storey ‘south’ building, linked by an enclosed, glazed bridge. The buildings sit lightly on a landscaped podium that floats above a semi-basement parking level.
An important consideration in the design stage was to maximise the site’s exposure to the busy R24 highway. “From the outset we knew we needed to take advantage of the popular highway frontage. Naturally the site faces north, which assisted us in creating an elongated, highway-facing structure that is exposed as much as the design and context allowed us to achieve,” Cloete elaborates.
A single high-rise building was not feasible due to factors such as height and bulk restrictions on the industrial site, as well as its close proximity to OR Tambo International Airport. Interlinking the two buildings with a glass side bridge allows for any future horizontal expansion of the two main building blocks, while adhering to the prevailing restrictions.
Cloete points to material selection as another deciding factor. “We pushed the boundaries of what the industrial aesthetic had to offer in terms of materials.” Here standard corrugated sheeting, prevalent in Isando as a roofing material, was repurposed aesthetically as an external skin.
Perhaps the most important element of the design is the façade, which gives the main view onto the showroom. A flush-glazed unitised façade with performance-glass specification was opted for. An important benefit provided by the ‘bubble’ shape is that the canopy of the top edge has a cantilever of about 3.5 m, which not only gives excellent shading in summer, but is exposed in winter, which heats the internal space naturally.
Another challenge was the clay-type soil conditions, which are not ideal for a building foundation. Given the design complexities, a grid layout was key. The engineers devised a connected raft foundation between the columns in order to ensure the building’s structural integrity, and to cater for any external movement.
In terms of sustainability features, both the head office and showroom roof structure were designed to cater for photovoltaic panels. The fact that the structure also faces north reduces the energy requirements of the structure, while low-flow rated sanitary fittings were also specified.
“The design certainly adds to our portfolio of commercial and industrial development, extending our skill set of being able to complete purpose-built designs and construction development within the time and budget constraints as set out at the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage,” Cloete highlights.
The project broke ground at the end of 2018, with the showroom building nearing completion. The head office building is scheduled for completion by year end. The project set-up of having the development manager assisting with the professional team afforded the end user full input into all design and major decision-making throughout the project.
Cloete began his career at the Paragon Group in 2014 as part of a concept studio team. His portfolio has varied from student housing to commercial, retail, and gallery typologies. Recent projects include the 85 000 m² GBA development at 140 West Street in Sandton.
Ends
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Notes to the Editor
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About Paragon
Paragon, established in October 1997, is an internationally-active design business, based in Johannesburg. We deliver commercial architecture, masterplanning, interior design, and space planning to visionary clients in all property sectors, from retail to residential and education.
We are committed to global urban development. We are able and agile. Paragon is flexible and diverse in its approach to design. Each project is unique and not driven by style, but by lifestyle and a response to user needs. Elegant and efficient planning form the core of our designs. We understand the needs of our clients, and know how to generate ever new architectural forms in a competitive property market.
We are known for hands-on engagement with all opportunities present in the modern global building industry. The true measure of our skill is our ability to engage at all levels and with all players that make up the colourful world of construction and property development. Our buildings look forward. We embrace the future, because we will be a part of it – part of its problems and responsibilities, and part of its great freedoms and achievements.
Paragon Group Contact
Hugh Fraser
Media Manager
Phone: (011) 482 3781
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Email: media [at] paragon [dot] co [dot] za
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About Eris Property Group
Eris Property Group (Pty) Ltd. (Eris) is a property development and services group that provides a range of commercial property skills in the South African and sub-Saharan African markets. Eris Property Group employs 405 people across seven offices.
Eris understands that all levels of property related decisions are critical to the long-term success of all stakeholders; our attention to detail ensures optimal and efficient solutions. The full spectrum of property services we offer include:
- Property Development
- Property management
- Asset management
- Proprietary investment
- Leasing and investment broking
- Property and advisory services
- Valuations
- Retail Services
The shareholders of Eris are MMI Holdings Limited & Eris Management. Eris Property Group (Pty) Ltd. has successfully developed commercial properties to the value of R32bn since 1993, with a GLA value of 1.7 billion square metres.
Media Contact
Renay Tandy
NGAGE Public Relations
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Cell: 082 562 5088
Email: renay [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
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