A site visit to the bustling campus helped to crystallise Dries and Phoebe’s concept. The only available space to build was a narrow rectangle of lawn hemmed in by the admin building’s entrance on one side and the church’s processional entrance on the other. Using this parcel of land would also serve the additional function of obscuring the admin building’s adjacent courtyard, which was used as a storage area. In response, Phoebe drew up a floor plan based on the contours of two mirroring Roman numeral sevens – a symbolically significant number in the Christian religion – which she then extrapolated into two curved folds.

Translated into three dimensions, the chapel consists of two curved walls, slightly offset from each other, with two narrow apertures – one at the entrance and the other at the altar – which are respectively referred to as the Alpha and the Omega. In an elegant nod to the conventional church tower, a floating roof culminates in a dramatic cantilevered shard, jutting out among a leopard tree and a water feature.

“Because of the shape of the building, we had to use a specialist contractor in ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems) to construct a lightweight steel frame. We then clad it in Terraco board, with a textured plaster finish,” says Phoebe. “The chapel is on a prominent site on campus, with a lot of movement around it, so we introduced light and cross-ventilation to the building with two narrow slit windows – one at floor level, and the other below the roof on the opposite wall. There is also a skylight in the roof that mimics the form of the building.”

A design feature in their own right, slivers of rectangular sunlight are an ever-evolving presence in the chapel, tracking over the interior’s gleaming epoxy resin floor and birch wall panelling and slats to great captivating effect. “We wanted the interior to be a contrast to the clean, white exterior, so we opted for something warmer and more approachable,” says Phoebe. “The furniture is movable so that the space can be adapted to whatever is needed, whether it’s for prayer, small services or even weddings.”

At night, the chapel is illuminated from the inside, neatly inverting the light streaming through the horizontal and vertical fenestrations during the day. “It was important to illuminate the chapel at night, as the space is meant to be used at any time,” says Phoebe. “In the evenings, when you’re driving around the area, you can see this glowing beacon from afar.”

It’s a guiding light, if ever there was one. And it couldn’t be more mesmerising.

SOURCE: SCAPE MAGAZINE

Inspired by the closed loop cycle concept of Ecopolis and the breath-taking Garden Route forests of Knysna, South Africa. The concept of the design mimics the forest anatomy, that of an ecosystem that has survived in symbiosis for thousands of years. The word Ecopolis means a closed-loop system, where there is no waste in the settlement as a whole, all materials and substances are derived from one type of activity, used as a raw material in other activities. The Ecopolis house embodies the meaning of autonomy and self-sufficiency by utilising the abundance of all necessary resources in the surrounding area. It encompasses a set of systems that utilises all resources at its disposal to produce quantity and sufficiently in order to maintain a steady balance.A river breathes live into the forest, it is the life source for both fauna and flora, which in turn is no different when it comes to the sustainability of a living house in the forest. By locating the Ecopolis house on the river, it provides the house with an almost endless source of water.

The programme of the house in the forest is distributed alongside the edge of the cliff connected with a single suspended bridge structure. The spaces (living room, bedroom and kitchen ) are arranged according to their hierarchy, placing each function independently next to each other, optimizing views and indoor-outdoor flow. These spaces incapsulate the forest vantage point from each corner. These independent spaces/rooms can also be used as pavilions or sanctuaries. The architecture not only mimics the forest anatomy but also respects the site by touching the ground as lightly as possible, creating mass from a small footprint upwards. The result; a structure that anchors itself alongside the rest of the forest, nestling among the canopy of the trees. The materials are mostly timber from the surrounding area, with a concrete base submerged below the water level, supporting the structure as it ‘’tip-toes’’ across the water adjacent to the river banks.

The entire design functions in a loop cycle whereby various methods of energy harvesting, water collecting and waste treatment is implemented. Energy is harvested through turbines located at the base of the structure that harnesses the currents flow in the river. The open air nature of the river in conjunction with the large roof design, allows the cabin to make full use of solar panels positioned on the roof. Plumbing and water purification are done by means of gravity whereby purifying containers located just below the floor level, slowly decompose and run through various layers of substrate (silica and charcoal). The result, clean water that can be reused within the system of the Ecopolis house in the woods.

SOURCE: HOUSE IN THE FOREST

WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL FINALIST.

PEMBI Conservation Area Mozambique. Rugged indigenous architecture meets precision contemporary architecture with minimum intervention in the environment almost echoing the concept that drives the PEMBI conservation initiative. The remoteness of the sites posed a particular challenge and the design principle should combine the expectation of a formal dwelling at a certain luxury standard, with elements of indigenous structures that can be constructed by local labor.

Each structure must be self-sustainable with regards to electrical supply (solar panels), groundwater supply, gray water treatment and septic tank sewage treatment systems. Apart from air strips and access roads, no services reticulation would be provided to these sites.

The structures should touch the ground lightly with access walkways and main structures floating on the natural topography and can be disassembled and removed from site at any point, leaving possibly only the interred foundations.

The structures are pre-manufactured at an off-site location from 6 meter and 12 meter shipping containers, transported to, and assembled on site. The traditional wooden pole structures are constructed on site as screens and patio coverings, using local palm tree branches for the roof. The top part of which houses the (almost concealed) solar panels, overhanging the main structure, creating a service space enclosed with louvre panels for ventilation and allowing accessibility.

Walling that is not cladded with wood externally and well-insulated against the hot and mostly humid climate, will consist of large, openable glass panels to dispel the boundary between internal spaces and the vast African surroundings, also allowing for maximum airflow.

To protect against tropical downpours as well as the harsh African sun, proper overhangs are provided with stackable wooden louvre screens, subtlety cladded inside with an insect repellent screen, doubling up as a security barrier.

Two different layout configurations provide for varying accommodation requirements. Contrary to basic architectural design principles, the design must fit any topography from a flat savannah plains site, a rocky outcrop, a Miombo forest, a riverine setting or a mountain retreat. The surroundings are left untouched, providing each site with a unique indigenous landscape. The architecture must be subservient to the topography and respect nature but not be an unassertive architectural statement.

SOURCE: WAF 2018 FINALIST

The new University of Pretoria (UP)/Cricket SA (CSA) Indoor Centre of Excellence is unique in its brief, being the first cricket indoor training facility in South Africa that complies with international standards in terms of its finishes and equipment, in both the training area and the supporting administrative component that includes offices, a boardroom, lecture facilities with a video analysis and biomechanical facility.

The building is on the edge of the sport campus cricket oval, next to the High Performance Centre. The glass south facade creates the impression of the oval extending into the building training facility. A robust free standing steel fence structure was designed to act as a ball screen to this façade. The translucency strengthens the integration between the oval and the internal training lanes.

The steel roof (WRT), has the ability to span 7500mm, without the need for purlins. This resulted in far less roof trusses as in normal steel roof construction.  All netting, HVAC systems, lighting, cameras and other electronic equipment are suspended from the steel trusses and the roofing.  The shape of the roof was determined by the internal functionality of the training area, reflecting the movement of the cricket ball during the training and testing.  The water run-off from the steel roof is collected in water tanks, recessed below the natural ground level on the west side of the building and the water is recycled for irrigation.

The north facade is a lightweight composite wall system called Etics by Saint Gobain. The external façade cladding is a SAGEX product used to achieve the required R-values.  Jutting from this façade is a solar collector box that is part of the mechanical installation that generates solar heat to be utilized to heat up the interior spaces in winter, which is a substantial energy saving element.

All national, provincial as well as female-, junior- and disabled teams are using the facility.  It is also specifically intended for development programs for underprivileged sportsmen.

During the South African war (1899-1902) the Boers fought against the invading British forces. As a counter to their guerilla warfare, the British captured and moved the Boer woman and children to refugee, or concentration, camps. One of which was established in Irene, South of Pretoria. Thousands died due to malnutrition and lack of medication. The Centurion City Council donated R200 000 for a memorial building to coincide with the centenary celebrations of the outbreak of the war in October 1999.

THE SITE:

The Irene cemetery is situated on a narrow rectangular site with a strong linear processional axis from the southern entrance through to the wall of remembrance as a focal point at the north. An open space at the northern entrance to the cemetery, was identified for the memorial building.

THE MEMORIAL BUILDING ACCOMMODATION:

• Covered entrance • Exhibition area • Kitchen • Public toilets The boundaries between the inside and outside of the building are disguised by a large cantilevered concrete structure over the entrance. Curtain glazing serves to merge the internal and external spaces ensuring that the building is inviting rather than intimidating in solidity or scale. The heaviness of the cantilever concrete is divided into two seemingly separate elements above the main entrance door. The lightness of this `split` is continued internally by way of glass blocks cast horizontally in the concrete roof, which allow for a row of square natural light sources. The tomb stones in the cemetery form a strong rhythm as the visitor proceeds towards the memorial building from the south. This rhythm is echoed in the obelisks that accommodate granite plaques depicting the background and history of the cemetery. These elements, coupled with the stark symmetry of the design and the off-shutter concrete façade finish, resulted in a formal and sacred effect.

The client supplies the new Woolworths distribution facility, down the road in Midrand with fresh fruit. All the products arrive in refrigerated trucks and go through a sophisticated ripening process in specially designed refrigerated ripening rooms. Large sorting and packaging areas are all in a temperature controlled area.

The building had to comply with SABS 049 Food and Hygiene Management Code of Practice. Access control and staff monitoring technology had to be incorporated in the design of the building.

The project consists mainly of a cold room, with supporting accomodation such as an administration building, a staff canteen, plant room, a guardhouse and staff rest rooms.

A transport engineer was appointed to ensure that 24/7 vehicular circulation to the different docking bays of the maximum size articulated trucks is accommodated.

Overall planning had to allow for future extensions, however the client initially had no idea what their future requirements would be. Space on the site plan was allocated for the future extensions. Before the project was completed, the client decided to increase the cold room area and double the staff rest room facilities.

The main structure is an envelope for a large cold room with associated technical support systems. The roof sheeting is the patented WRT roof sheeting, which is structurally mostly self-supporting and requires little additional structure, especially in the curved shape. The roof sheeting has an exceptionally deep profile and provided a certain texture to the roof, which was also used on the surrounding structures, but not as curved sheeting. Even as flat sheeting it requires very little support and this resulted in the smaller buildings to have roofs that appear wafer thin. The curved sheeting theme was expanded into sections of the facade of the admin building as well as the screen walls.

On the side gables, it was decided to clad the large open area above the cold room structure into the curve of the roof with a combination of louvre panels and fibre cement board painted bright yellow at varying angles. This facade is clearly visible from the N1 Freeway as well as the Gautrain and the bright yellow signifies the fresh produce being prepared for the retail market nationally.

The various structures have vastly different functions and volumes, which had to be interlinked physically and architecturally.

The design of the main structure which is in essence a huge fridge with a roof, dictated to a great extent the total project. The most economical roof covering was WRT sheeting, with a deep profile and a curved shape, requiring little structural support. The gable ends of the curve were closed with patterned louvers allowing a ventilated roof space, cutting down on energy costs. Brightly coloured fibre cement panels combined with the louvers and express the freshness of the produce such as bananas, pine apples etc. gave rise to naming the building, ‘the banana factory’.
The support buildings repeats the WRT roofing in a different application, except the plant room which required a flat roof to house the machinery on the roof enhancing the industrial feel.       The absence of a roof structure on, for instance the administration building, results in a wafer thin roof+ceiling line.

The overall result of this project was very well received by the client as well as their client Woolworth’s, even though the initial design sketches were a paradigm shift for their thoughts on industrial architecture.