Waverly Office Park
A new R700 million(US$ 91 million) premier-grade office park sporting superb highway frontage and enviable access has just commissioned its first phase and has already left an indelible mark on its surrounds at the Corlett Drive exit of the M1 Highway.
Developed by New Order Investments, a joint venture between Property Developers and Investors Vlaming (Pty) Limited, Devcon Projects (Pty) Limited and Top-Flite Properties (Pty) Limited; the vision for Waverly Office Park was in creating AAA-Grade building with layers and depth to maximise the positive elements of the site and its environment being centrally located between a major highway, a popular business / entertainment node and residential areas.
The developers of Waverly Office Park have strengthened the resurgence of the area with a much-needed upgrade of the M1's Corlett Drive offramp, as well as the extension of Scott Street across Corlett Drive into the heart of their new upmarket office campus.
Design
The master plan of the scheme, which will be developed in phases on a demand-driven basis, envisages several AAA-Grade office buildings stretching from Corlett Drive (in the South) to Kelvin Road (in the North).
The first phase completed in February 2010, comprises the ‘flagship building’ for the entire development and is designed in a horse-shoe shape of the building creating an enclave and level of privacy for office tenants from the busy surrounding intersections. Terraces were designed on the ground floors to assist in allowing users to interact with the outdoor spaces located within the office park.
The building comprises two symmetrical blocks linked by an arch, which also serves as a focal point of the building. The arch exudes high-grade porcelain tiles and serves as a welcoming and directional element for visitors. Being located in close proximity to the M1 Highway and the popular Melrose Arch Precinct has access advantages for tenants on one hand, yet the potential discomfort of excessive noise on the other. Messaris Wapenaar Partnership took both these aspects into consideration in the design.
Various elements have been incorporated in the building to absorb and deflect noise, especially from the motorway, without affecting the tenants. “The external layers of the building consist of curved facades punched with narrow vertical windows, which are strategically placed to assist with the elimination of noise distraction,” says Carl Eckert of Messaris Wapenaar Partnership.
Eckert continues by stating that this design helps create a depth of separation from busy streets to create a greater level of privacy. Corner windows add dimension to the building and allow beautiful scenic views of surrounding parks as well as the energy point of Corlett Drive, and in turn creating a comfortable work environment.
Furthering the concept of a conducive work environment is the meticulous attention to landscaping and natural materials used throughout the development. Tenants and visitors are met with indigenous oak trees, a pond (that will double as a means of storm water attenuation) and creative landscaping that enhances the natural setting of the office park’s outdoor space. There will also be the park's own coffee shop serving as a break-away space, essential to the modern business environment, for meetings, corporate events and working lunches.
Benefits
Location is one of the key perks of Waverley Office Park as it is conveniently located between the city's two main business areas, the Johannesburg CBD and the Sandton CBD, overlooking the major North/South freeway which runs directly through the city and on to Pretoria, in one direction, linking to OR Tambo International Airport in the other.
In addition to its landmark location and excellent highway access, each tenant of Waverley Office Park will also enjoy enviable and impactful corporate branding and signage on the office park's highway-facing frontage.
PROJECT TEAM
| Developer | New order investments no 2 (PTY) ltd |
Architect |
Messaris Wapenaar partnership |
Project Managers |
Devcon (PTY) ltd |
Civil & Structural Engineers |
Rosnovanu & Associates |
Electrical Engineer |
Rawlins Wales & Partners |
Quantity Surveyor |
BTKM |
Interior Designers |
I4c Interiors for change |
Fire Protection Consultants |
Specialised Fire Technology cc |
Contractor |
Vlaming (PTY) ltd |
