Irene Link

Design and concept

Building C will have its own strong identity and visual impact adjacent to Barloworld and Building B, which are both striking and individual in appearance.

Building A Barloworld: Aluminium louvres

Building B: Floating concrete boxes

Building C: Curved grey glass floating above landscaped podium

We carried several of the precinct design principles and materials through to Building C so that it has a dialogue with Barloworld and Building B.

Location and visual impact

Building C is located next to Building B, facing the N1 highway on a highly visible corner site of the Irene Precinct. As the gateway into the precinct, it boldly sets the tone for the precinct architecture and philosophy.

Form and architecture

Building C takes the form of a fluid, modern organic grey glass building floating above a clear glazed ground floor podium. The northern N1 freeway façade is slick and streamlined. Impala road has two façades featuring a beautifully landscaped courtyard.

The building is a contrast of grey and clear glass. The clear ground floor glazing envelopes the entire building and wraps up dramatically into the four storey atrium. A raking glass façade and three storey marble wall provide a dramatic entrance to highway traffic, also creating multiple high visibility signage opportunities for tenants.

The building will appear to levitate above a landscaped podium level. The curved corners softening the edges and giving the building a rounded and endless feel. Large openings with louvres create a beautiful diffused light into the landscaped courtyards below. These roof openings also serve to shade the east and west façades from sun. A four storey volume atrium, set back from the main façade with a deep overhang will keep it shaded from the northern sun.

The stairs and lift will open up into the atrium internally, allowing all building users to engage with the atrium space. Roof terraces on level 4 will provide incredible views over Irene for tenants and space to breathe and congregate. Screening and architectural form is being used to create a seamless roof architecture, with interesting diffused light and freeway screening.

Building C has three access points from the supporting road network. The east entrance has full access via the Olievenhoutbosch traffic intersection and is further facilitated by a traffic circle close to the entertainment square. From the south a dedicated left in and left out from Olievenhoutbosch Road allows access to the central portion of the site. On the western boundary access is achieved via Alexandra Road that is supported by a traffic intersection from Jean Avenue.

The mixed-use nature of the Irene Link Precinct will be enhanced by user requirements: Business hours for office workers, weekly 24 hour cycle for hotel guests and weekend/afternoon peaks for the residential area.

Precinct design principles

• Low building plinth: Maintains the ground floor relationship with the street
• Recessed ground floor glazing: The building floats above the ground floor increasing shading
• Increased ground floor heights for public areas
• First and second storey design features raking atrium walls and marble signage walls.
• Four storey atrium creates a sense of arrival and volume as well as views to the freeway.
• Internal feature stair in the atrium: All people can engage with the atrium
• Roof terraces allow tenants to breathe and relax above buildings, close to the sky with incredible views.

With Botha, Alexandra and Jean Avenues and the N1 forming the borders of Irene Link, there is no better location for a lifestyle of true convenience within the desirable living and working space of an urban village atmosphere.

The Gautrain is close
Accessibility is guaranteed with the Gautrain in close proximity. The Gautrain bus route to and from the existing Gautrain station in Centurion runs conveniently past Irene Link in Jean Avenue.

The envisaged second phase development of new routes for the Gautrain includes a new rail station that will be built next to Irene Link, with additional bus routes servicing the whole Irene village area.

All this makes Irene Link Precinct one of the best connected new mixed-use precincts in Gauteng.

Building form and efficiency

The trend for smaller tenanted spaces is on the increase and Building C caters perfectly for these new work environments. It is highly sub-divisible and efficient due to its floor plate and service core layout. Each floor plate can be divided into 5 tenants.

The building concept was to create a permeable glass envelope that rests on a naturally ventilated basement. This allows for seamless views of the high-energy highway and the southern adjoining Impala Precinct.

Large areas of double glazing with regular openings allows for natural ventilation of internal spaces enabling the building to have vast amounts of natural light and easy sub-divisibility.

Building Podium (basement roof)

Building Plinth: The basement allows for a ground floor relationship with the street, enabling pedestrians to engage visually with the building (no basements façades are higher than 1.5m along Impala road).

Landscaping: The podium will be beautifully landscaped to create multiple outdoor tenant spaces as well as access into the precinct via a landscaped ramp onto Impala road and the park. Extensive landscaping softens the buildings in the street scape.

Energy Efficiency

Building C is designed to be energy efficient and utilises sustainable building and services technology achieving at least a 4-Star Green rating.

It takes all façade orientation into account, utilises passive shading, double glazed performance glass and through its form and orientation creates a comfortable working environment.

Green star: 4-Star

• Passive energy design: correct building orientation, east and west façades less glazing, deep northern overhangs and shading
• LED lighting throughout
• Motion sensors to lighting in basements and lobbies/toilets
• TDS: telematics design system to mechanical thermal storage
• Thermal storage: off peak water cooling to four pipe variable air volume system: energy saving
• Energy consumption display in lobby to real time function
• Full generator power back up: upscale generator for full backup.
• Indigenous landscaping and drip irrigation
• Domestic backup water: 2 days
• Performance glazing: double glazed northern façade with low E performance glazing
• Glass balustrades to central atrium: encourages use over lifts
• All building services on the roof: maximum tenant spaces
• Pluvia roof drainage
• Opening window sections every 3.6m: natural ventilation and building air circulation
• Sanitary fittings: water wise to minimise consumption
• Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials

• Site Area: 7 969m²
• 3^rd building in the 75 000m² Irene Link Precinct.
• Directly adjacent to the west of Building B.
• Prominent corner gateway site.
• 4 storey modern Organic floating grey glass building with two landscaped courtyards on a two level basement.
• GLA:  7800m²
• 2 x naturally ventilated basements: 250 basement parking bays
• 100 open visitors bays on grade
• Total 350 parking bays (4.43 bays/100m² GLA)
• 2 lifts
• Green star: 4 star