true African innovation in its detail and construction. The double-skin façade, not only contributes to solar shading for the building occupants, but also provides a fresh aesthetic that is on par with other commercial property assets on Alice Lane. From the outside, the perforated facades seem solid, however, from the inside the perforated aluminium screen has transparent opening views and bring defused light into the interiors. Building information modelling (BIM) was the key practice to integrate design, manufacturing and construction processes to increase the level of transparency and internal operation among the professional teams and contractors.
3 ALICE LANE
Pre-fabricated components and advanced fabrication tools were used to bring the three-dimensional façade to life. This refurbishment embraces the energy of its context but starts to demonstrate the level of skill, technology, and design enthusiasm within our architectural landscape and built environment. Consisting of over 900 panels all stitched together like an African quilt, this double skin facade is layered and introduces a three-dimensional dynamic façade plain being the first of its kind in the Sandton Central District. The Architect took ordinary materials and used such in an extraordinary way. A secondary double-skin façade adds a ‘wow’ factor to the design and what we deem as a giant piece of ‘Urban Art’ infused in built form. With Johannesburg arguably being the largest man-made forest in the world, as part of designing and conceptualising the aesthetic of the perforations, a concept of a forest tree canopy was adopted as a ‘natural algorithm’ that would define the perforated holes and create a giant-sized artwork that can be seen on the street-facing façade.
T he development team sought to develop a concept that would not only cater for Bayport’s requirements but also would re-establish 3 Alice Lane within the greater Alice Lane precinct. The design was such that it needed to provide a solution for the tenant to operate in the building while under construction. The design solution was to use a unitised facade system to be installed on the exterior precast panels, with the old glazing being removed outside working hours when the tenant was not operating. The existing façade of the building had begun spalling and posed a safety risk. Compared to recently completed counterparts in the Sandton precinct, the building had become dated in terms of its aesthetic design and environmental performance. Unitised facades were used which consist of pre-fabricated assembled units that can be moved directly from the factory environment to site for fast installation onto pre-prepared fixings, thus improving efficiencies and overall quality control on site. The end result being a perforated unitised façade system, distinguished by the use of a Galtex ventilated façade system. This unitised system is made up of a high- performance, solar-reflective coated glass product that delivers energy efficiency that exceeds the minimum regulatory requirements. With a combination of bending and folding aluminium, thereafter the introduction of perforations of non-regular shapes that are not typical to similar projects in South Africa, the architects achieved what can be considered as a piece of ‘urban art’. The complex perforation was achieved in collaboration with a Serbian collaborator. The patterns and angled planes of the facades were achieved by the Structural team with the use of digital tools. The final façade is alive with movement and appears visually different, depending from which angle you view it. A tapestry of
PROJECT INFORMATION
• Company entering: Arc MU:V • Client: Public Investment Corporation • Start date: 20 June 2019 • End date: 8 April 2021 • Main Contractors: Façade Solution and GVK Siya-Zama • Architect: Arc MU:V • Principal Agent: Arc MU:V • Project Manager: BVi • Quantity Surveyor: Equate Africa • Consulting Engineer: THS & Consultants
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21 st Best Project Awards 2022
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