Irene Link

Design and concept

We wanted building C to 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 glass wedge floating above landscaped podium.

We carried several of the precinct design principles and materials through to Building C so that it starts to have a dialogue with Barloworld and Building B. It is very important that each building respects and has a visual dialogue with the Precinct architecture.

Building C location and visual impact

Building C is a located on a highly visible corner site of the Irene Precinct and as such is the visual and conceptual gateway into the precinct, it needs to be bold and iconic and set the tone for the precinct architecture and philosophy.

Building C form and architecture

Building C takes the form of a fluid, modern organic wedge shape glass building floating above a glazed ground floor podium.

The northern N1 Freeway façade is very slick and streamlined and addresses the fast moving traffic by being understood at a glance.  The Impala road façade addresses the site lines of Impala road and the angles of the building are deliberate to address the approach and exit along Impala road.

The building is a contrast of glass on top of a landscaped basement podium. The ground floor glazing wraps around the entire building and wraps up dramatically into the four storey atrium. A raking glass façade and five storey marble wall announce this dramatic entrance to the Freeway traffic, also creating multiple signage opportunities for tenants to the Freeway.

The ground floor glazing is set back from the floors above and gives the appearance that the upper floors are floating above the podium level. The building will appear to levitate above a landscaped podium level.

We have curved the corners to soften the edges and the give the building a rounded and endless feel as the facades wrap from one space into another.

A Five storey volume atrium is set back from the main façade with a very deep overhang to keep the façade shaded from the northern sun in which direction it faces.

The stairs and lift internally open up into the atrium thereby allowing all building users to engage with the atrium space.

Roof terraces on level 4 will offer incredible roof spaces for tenants to breathe and congregate with incredible views over Irene. We have used screening and architectural form to create a seamless roof architecture, with interesting diffused light and freeway screening.

Precinct design principles

• Low building plinth: maintain the ground floor relationship with the street
• Recessed ground floor glazing: the building floats above the ground floor: increased shading
• Increased ground floor heights: for public areas
• First and second storey design features: raking atrium walls and marble signage walls.
• Multiple storey atrium: create sense of arrival and volume as well as views to freeway.
• Internal feature stair in the atrium: all people to engage with atrium
• Roof terraces: allow tenants to breathe and relax above buildings, close to the sky with incredible views.
• Use of landscaping as screening

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

It is highly sub-divisible and efficient due to its floor plate and service core layout. Each floor plate can be divided into 4 tenants with ease, thereby allowing smaller tenanting spaces. The trend of smaller tenanted spaces is on the increase and the Building C is responding to these new trends in work environments.

The building concept was to create a permeable glass envelope that would sit lightly on a naturally ventilated basement. This design decision allowed for seamless views between the high-energy of the highway and the southern pedestrian of the adjoining Impala Precinct.

Large areas of double glazing with opening sections every 3,6m to allow natural ventilation to internal spaces. This will also allow the building to have vast amounts of natural light and sub-divisibility.

Building Podium (basement roof)

Building Plinth: We have pushed the basements as deep as possible so as to maintain the ground floor relationship with the street, this allows the pedestrian and precinct to engage visually with the building.  The ground conditions necessitated that P1 be above ground and we decided to berm and landscape the entire building edge to soften its appearance.

Landscaping

The entire Basement edge is bermed with beautiful landscaping of trees and flowering grasses, so that the sense of arrival into the precinct is one of landscaping and not of building and basement facades.

The upper podium will also be beautifully landscaped to create multiple outdoor tenant spaces on the podium.  The podium will have a continuous organic flowing landscaped planted edge with multiple planting pockets and seating areas.

Extensive landscaping across the site softens the buildings in the street scape.

New Gatehouse: A landscaped and pedestrian bridge.

The new Gatehouse design takes the form of a planted earth shelter. The landscaping from Building C podium extends over the gatehouse roof , entry and exit lanes, creating shade and rain shelter for all visitors and tenants.

We have added a pedestrian walkway, with seating and pergolas on top of the Planted gatehouse roof. This creates a physical link between Building C and Building D, so that the precinct can be pedestrianised without crossing the Main Gatehouse entry and exit lanes. It also allows a unique and soft approach into the office precinct with people and landscaping visible above you as you enter.

Looking down from the office blocks you would see a landscaped roof as opposed to a hard roof structure.

Energy Efficiency

Building C is designed to be energy efficient and utilise all sustainable building and services technology that are feasible, it will at the least achieve a 4star Green star rating.

It takes all façade orientation into account. It will utilise passive shading, double glazed performance glass and through its form and orientation response create comfortable working environments within.

Green star: 4 star

Passive energy design: correct building orientation, east and west facades 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 back up 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:  6 549m²
• 2 x naturally ventilated basements: 184 basement parking bays
• 82 open visitor’s bays on grade
• Total 266 parking bays (4.06 bays/100m² GLA)
• 2 lifts
• Green star: 4 star