The existing building had incredible potential for re-development. A wide range of existing features—steel columns and beams, girder trusses, industrial windows and spacious volumes—could be incorporated usefully in the re-design for both structural and aesthetic value. Initially the building was too large for my client’s requirements and the project was built in two phases (front and rear). With street access and two usable floors, the North street-facing half of the building was used to house the main office. Existing ceilings were removed, exposing the old curved girder trusses, adding industrial beauty to the space.  In order to accommodate the boardroom and skype rooms, a 3rd mezzanine floor of steel and timber was added, increasing the floor area by 170m². The steel trusses were modified as required, in order to obtain proper ceiling heights for the third floor additions that overlook the office floor below as well as the rear half of the building. Major structural work was done to the rear half of the building to accommodate necessary parking bays, office spaces and a second boardroom. A large picture window divides the front and rear parts of this building linking the first phase of the project with the second phase.

The additions to the building maintain an industrial feel: exposed steelwork, a combination of steel and timber stairs, timber cladding, exposed steel ducting and electrical bosal conduiting, large pendant lights and new aluminium doors and windows at the mezzanine level. Placement of ventilation ducting and fire piping was cohesive with the overall industrial aesthetic of the space. Materials were re-used where possible–the old ceiling timbers cut lengthwise and re-purposed as cladding on the boardroom walls and timber screens and an old fan re-used as a feature on the boardroom wall. To avoid the expense of a new ceiling covering 700 square meters, ceiling insulation and acoustic fibre blanket were used as an infill ceiling between sanded down rafters, adding to the industrial feel of the space once more. This project is a good example of a re-purposed space that has been transformed into an interesting, calm and fun environment.

Engineer: Hulme and Associates 

Project Manager: Peter Dinan and MTG Projects

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My Design 

My client, SouthSouthNorth, is a company of approximately 40 staff members specializing in low-carbon environmental project solutions in Africa and South America. Looking for new premises, they bought a 1500m² warehouse in Salt River. They needed to re-develop the building into a new headquarters accommodating an office floor, two boardrooms, private workspaces, skype rooms, two kitchens, bathrooms, storage and lounges.

Pre-Design Conditions & Client Needs