S.A: The Boulevard brings style to Cape Town
Compiled by Judith Soskin
The 36, 000m² Boulevard Office Park development is set on the periphery of the Cape Town CBD, with the 20, 000m² site fronting Eastern Boulevard and Searle Street in Woodstock.
“This location has superb access for traffic from the M3, as well as boasting superior views for office workers,” says Derick Henstra, executive chairman of DHK.
Even though the development offers 36, 000m² of space, it is not a single monolithic block. “We have broken up the space required into seven individual buildings that range in size from an intimate 3, 200m² to a larger 8 ,500m². One building is flexible enough to accommodate users of up to 16, 000m² if required,” explains Derick.
DHK, the architectural firm behind icons like The District, Melrose Arch and Mandela Rhodes Place, is the creative brain behind the newest AAA-grade office space to grace the Cape Town skyline. Being a large fast track scheme, DHK was engaged for the overall masterplan and sketch design, and subsequent completion of the superbasement and blocks A, B and C. Peerutin Architects completed blocks D, E, F and G.
Recognising that parking is at a premium in the city, DHK have included 1, 900 parking bays in the Boulevard. Each of the seven buildings is constructed on a podium, under which three super basement levels will provide four parking bays per 100m², one of the highest parking ratios in the city. In addition to ample parking, the architects have included restaurants and coffee shops such that office workers can enjoy lunch or host clients without having to travel. Two controlled-access points will ensure that the Boulevard is a secure environment.
Project architect for DHK, Peter Krainhofner, spoke to IE magazine about the design and implementation of this project.
“The design brief was to create an office/commercial campus of approximately 36, 000 m² with maximum on-site parking, all in compliance with the existing zoning scheme. The location, views and orientation provided a unique opportunity to create an urban campus on the periphery of the CBD enjoying some of the best views in the world,” he explains.
Design
The initial concept envisaged a pedestrian priority public realm defined and enclosed by a series of appropriately scaled buildings. It was decided early on that, despite the car parking requirements, cars should not dominate the public spaces. The outdoor spaces have been carefully planned to provide paved piazza spaces with defined edges, street furniture and good lighting to encourage pedestrian use. Focal points, views and changes in level have been exploited to establish a unique sense of place.
Building design – form, massing and principles
The seven buildings have been designed to be compatible in form and proportion with one another. The buildings are fundamentally rectilinear in form. This simple geometry serves to create a calm and ordered backdrop with well defined entry points for clear orientation for first time visitors. The ground floor includes perimeter colonnades or covered walkways.
The 360-degree views of the site required the buildings to be designed to be seen from all angles. Colours, materials, and building massing have been considered to establish continuity and define scale, proportion and rhythm.
The roofs are flat or mono-pitched and carefully detailed as the “5th elevation”. Roof forms, colour, material and texture have been designed to be compatible with the treatment of the building exterior. All roof top mechanical and electrical plant were screened from view.
Structure
The primary structural grid is 7500 x 8400. Structural frame is 250mm post tensioned reinforced concrete flat slab supported on reinforced concrete columns.
The podium deck is conventionally reinforced to allow for future penetrations.
Staircases, lift, shafts and shear walls have been constructed of reinforced concrete.
Building envelope and cladding
There is a consistent and sympathetic treatment of all the exterior faces of any particular building with regard to colour, materials, architectural form and detailing. A limited palette of construction materials ensures a unified appearance and includes concrete, aluminium and glass. No highly reflective materials have been used on the exterior walls and roofs. External windows and door frames are all epoxy powder coated aluminium.
Challenges
Major challenges related to the integration of unobtrusive parking whilst preserving the campus concept.
The south east wind conditions presented serious challenges on the eastern Boulevard facades and required careful design consideration resulting in the inclusion of protective screens.
Planting and Landscaping
- Great emphasis was placed on the quality of the external spaces. Planting was introduced to mitigate the impact of wind, provide shade and to green and soften the public spaces.
- Trees and shrubs have been located throughout the surface parking area, as permitted by the structure. The perimeter of the campus has been enhanced by further soft landscaping.
Area, views and use of space
The location of the site on the edge of the CBD provides a unique set of circumstances combining easy access to and from the City with stunning views to the North over the Harbour and South to Table Mountain together with a visible presence right on the edge of one of the city’s major arterial highways.
Interior design
The foyer spaces have been designed to conform to the overall aesthetic of the individual buildings. The buildings are structured to provide an optimised and highly efficient footprint with maximum provision for subdivision.
Design Choices
The overlay of a rigid structural grid on an ordered streetscape provided a framework for the design in two dimensions and regulatory height restrictions imposed the third.
This imposed a discipline on the scheme which was rigidly followed throughout the development of the design.
What makes the project different?
Essentially it is the campus concept underpinned by a single minded and uncompromising approach to the quality of the open spaces and the cohesion of the architectural design. Integration of the old Berlin Mission building is a nice touch and adds a note of nostalgia at the Boulevard entry.
Motivation to build
The developer saw the opportunity to create a unique, commercially viable working environment, desirable because of its position and architecture, which would stimulate further quality development and regeneration in the area whilst being a valuable addition to their portfolio of achievements.
Project Team
| Architect | dhk Architects |
| Structural Engineer | Sutherland Engineers De Villers Sheard |
| Electrical Engineer | Charl Electrical |
| Landscaping | OVP |
| Quantity Surveyor | Forsyth Vermeulen & Partners |
| Contractor | Faircape Construction |
| Heritage | MacKenzie Hoy & Associates |
| Conservation Architects | Rennie Scurr Adendorff Architects |
