Bold and iconic
Having recently won 2024’s Corporate Office Development Award at the annual SAPOA (South African Property Owners Association) Property Development Awards for Innovative Excellence, the fourth commercial building in the Irene Link precinct, Building D, is a space that funeral services giant AVBOB is proud to call home. The 11 500m2 development was completed at the end of 2023 and has achieved a 4-Star Green Star Office Design V1.1 rating.
Ending a 30-year tenure in two buildings in Pretoria’s CBD, AVBOB’s 800-strong staff cohort made the move to the “naturally connected” precinct, according to its owners, Abland Property Developments, Giflo Group and SOM Group, who have successfully incorporated commercial, retail, residential and lifestyle amenities in one location.
“Irene Link strikes a perfect balance between work and play, integrating 75 000m² of developable commercial space comprising 15 000m² of prime convenience retail and 60 000m² of P-grade office space to create a highly productive working environment on the doorstep of everyday essentials. With educational institutes, parks and residential nodes close by, it is not only the future of how we will live, but also the present,” says Grant Silverman, marketing and lease director at Abland. Silverman comments on how the increasing blur between work and home life necessitated a space where the bustle of business and the harmony of quality of life could be linked. “This ensures the wellbeing of employees, which in turn ensures the wellbeing of our tenants and their businesses.”
A well-connected space
Irene Link is one of the best connected new mixed-use precincts in Gauteng, with guaranteed accessibility due to the Gautrain being in close proximity. The Gautrain bus route also runs past the precinct in Jean Avenue, with the envisaged second phase development of new routes for the Gautrain including a new rail station built next to Irene Link, and additional bus routes servicing the whole precinct village area.
The premium lifestyle development offers unparalleled convenience, all with easy access to the N1 highway just around the corner. Stylish offices, green recreational spaces, an international hotel, a modern gym and a variety of world-class restaurants complete the picture, together with pedestrian comfort as part and parcel, with walkability developed into every aspect of precinct design. Internet connectivity is a given, with high-speed fibre available throughout the area.
The bold new AVBOB HQ sets the tone for Irene Link’s architecture and philosophy.
An extraordinary facade
Each of the buildings preceding Building D feature innovative excellence in their own right. Completed in 2019, Building A features aluminium louvres, while Building B, developed in 2020, has floating concrete boxes. Building C, completed in the first part of 2023, incorporates a glass wedge floating above a landscaped podium.
and shared collaboration.
As Building D flanks the main entrance to the development and completes the visual and conceptual gateway into the precinct, it needed to be bold and iconic, and set the tone for Irene Link’s architecture and philosophy. The building is, according to Silverman, a “curvilinear building with no beginning and no end”. The design has no hard edges or corners, which makes for an extraordinary facade. “At its heart is a four-storey atrium, with bridges, escalators, green walls and public spaces. It features a ‘walking track’ concept around the entire facade, where desks sit back at least 2m from the edge to ensure employees are not affected by sun glare and can walk around the facade to interact with colleagues and other hubs in the business.” The head office’s expansive roof terraces offer spaces for tenants to take a break and congregate while enjoying sweeping views over Irene.
The building’s curvilinear internal design matches its external design sophistication.
The building holds a 4-Star Green Star Office Design V1.1 rating, with sustainability built into its very fabric: the project achieved a significant 30% reduction in Portland cement usage across all mixes, and was manufactured with 90% recycled steel. Energy efficiency was also a key priority from the outset, with an energy model of the building generated during the design stage, comparing the building to a SANS 10400 notional building model. This energy model helped inform the design to ensure a high-performing building. AVBOB’s head office is equipped with solar panels that have a capacity of 201.5kWp. The annual energy production is 332 596kWh, and so the solar PV plant and battery energy storage system reduces peak load charges (through energy demand shaving) by at least 15%. With the building having reduced its reliance on coal-produced energy, the organisation’s carbon footprint has also decreased.
Green principles exemplified
Environmental strategies have been implemented from a design perspective, with the well-orientated facades (along with high-performance glazing) making the most of natural daylight and adding to thermal comfort. This results in less reliance on the HVAC system and artificial lighting. Research has shown that employee wellness is significantly boosted by access to external views, and the building maximises on this opportunity through a direct connection to the outdoors. Preservation of precious water resources is naturally something that is factored into the design of building D, and across the precinct. The site landscaping minimises irrigation needs by an impressive 50%+ compared to baseline standards, and water-efficient fittings are installed throughout.
As has come to be the expected norm in green buildings, all selected gaseous and fire suppression systems, refrigerants and thermal insulants used for the development have an Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) of zero, to eliminate any contributions to long-term damage to the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer.
“The project showcased a bold commitment to sustainable innovation through a range of impactful initiatives. The building team ensured that at least five professionals and four contractors completed the New Build tool online course – equipping them with the knowledge to implement sustainable practices not just for this project, but for all future ones,” says Annelidé Sherratt, Head of Department: Green Building Certifications at Solid Green Consulting, and the project’s Accredited Professional.
“Abland went above and beyond by fostering market transparency and awareness of cost trends in green building. By openly sharing financial data related to the design, construction and operation of green buildings, they provided an invaluable resource for navigating the Green Star certification process. In addition, a proactive waste management plan was developed to empower building users to utilise the recycling storage area efficiently. This effort supports critical waste reduction goals: reducing contamination of water and soil, curbing harmful emissions, creating new employment opportunities and driving economic savings – all while reinforcing a culture of corporate responsibility,” Sherratt concludes.
