Apart from building green, property owners are taking the opportunity when refurbishing existing buildings to use resources efficiently and address climate change while creating healthier and more productive environments.
One refurbishment which has captured industry awards is that of the Midrand head office of BMW (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd. Originally designed by Hans Hallen in 1984/85, the iconic building adjacent to the Pretoria-Johannesburg highway won the South African Property Owners’ Association (SAPOA) 2015 award for refurbishment.
It also achieved a GreenStar 5 star “as built” rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa.
A further honour was its nomination as a finalist for Gauteng Institute for Architects’ GIfAwards 2015, which recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements and excellence in architecture and the built environment.
Boogertman + Partners Architects completely renovated the lighting and ventilation solutions as well as the roofing and the facade. The old slate was removed for reuse in feature walls in landscaping and replaced by the contemporary aesthetic of zinc sheeting.
The titanium-zinc alloy, RHEINZINK prePATINA blue-grey, was installed on a 2 600m² area by Rohde Roofing CC. This was also chosen for a 500-m² facade area and installed through use of a flat-lock tile system with an angled standing seam.
Rohde Roofing CC is led by Fred Rohde, a master roofer who learned hard metal crafting in Germany.
Using RHEINZINK for the BMW refurbishment is another example of how South African architects are turning to titanium-zinc alloy as a long-lasting and maintenance-free building material, to enhance design options, energy efficiency and sustainability.
Stephen Wilkinson, RHEINZINK’s sub-Saharan Africa regional director, says durability and aesthetics are vital considerations when choosing roofing and cladding. RHEINZINK provides a complete technical and sculptural solution.
More information Tel: +49 2363 605-301/ferdinand.altmann@rheinzink.de/www.rheinzink.de
