Balwin Properties and Boogertman + Partners are raising the bar for green standards in the high density, secure, estate living residential property market
The Balwin “Green“ portfolio brand developed with Boogertman + Partners is developed on sustainable technology principals and based on environmentally friendly construction methods aiming to achieve a Net-Zero rating with the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). Each unit of the Green Portfolio developments is EDGE certified in that it uses 20% less water and energy than the average household consumption as per standards measured and set by the GBCSA.
Every development includes a Lifestyle Centre that provides leisure facilities for the community it serves. The first of these completed lifestyle centres at GreenPark, Boksburg is aiming for a GBCSA 6 Star Green Star Design rating.
Future lifestyle centres have expanend the concept of a destination lifestyle offering and are called GreenBarn centres which include a restaurant with a convenience retail offering and co-working facilities. These are all designed to achieve GBCSA 6 Star Green Star ratings and also a Net Zero rating whereby the centre produces more energy than it consumes. The success of the first 3 Green brand developments ie GreenPark (approx 1200 units ), GreenLee (approx 1762 ), GreenBay (approx 1 692 units) earned two of Balwin’s upcoming projects located in Tshwane, GreenCreek ( 3 762 units ) and Mooikloof Mega City (16 000 units) the Presidential project status as part of the Government’s SIDS ( Strategic Infrastructure Development ) initiative which was Government Gazetted on 24 July 2020.
The aim is to maintain and improve on the high green standard on every Balwin development by involving the estate community in the sustainable and conservation aspects in these estates.
In 2019 Balwin commissioned Boogertman and Partners to develop a new “Red“ portfolio brand based on the same principals as the Balwin “Green“ portfolio brand but with a different architectural theme to reflect the locality and the culture of its surroundings in the South of Johannesburg. The concept derived from the old red brick typology of the area and is nestled at the edge of the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve. Thaba Eco-Village will commence construction on its first phase of 1692 units in October 2020. The final estate will include approx 9000 new housing units around a Crystal Lagoon.
Box Office prototype launched
The Box Office prototype delivers comfort levels that exceed expectations.
Box Office is a standalone unit that creates space to Work. Play or Study. The range comes in three variants, a Light Weight version that is best suited for indoor installation as it has limited waterproofing, the Mid Weight version which can be installed Indoors and Outdoors and has improved thermal and acoustic efficiencies through the double wall that is filled with glasswool insulation and the Heavy Weight model which has all of the features of the first two variants but also includes WiFi installation and an air conditioner.
“Working with our turnkey business BIT ( Boogertman Interiors Turnkey) we built the Mid Weight version to settle any snags and prepare the production line,” says Greg Reid, (Associate Director, Boogertman +Partners). “Sitting and working in Box Office while we have been testing it, I have been struck by the quality of the finishes, they really do contribute to the level of comfort. The sense of spaciousness created by the units extra height and the natural light provided by the one glass side and door combined with the quality fittings makes it feel solid and welcoming.“
“When the Boogertman + Partners teams started working on the practices COVID-19 design responses no one had a real understanding of how long the pandemic would last, nor how big the impact would be in terms of creating ‘Work From Home’ as an ongoing lifestyle of hybrid working. “We know from various studies circulating in the market that Working Moms have been hit the hardest and struggle the most with drawing the boundary of ‘being at home’ and available, versus ‘working at home’ and being off limits.” says Glenda Venn (Consulting Marketing Manager at Boogertman + Partners,) “While we think the unit has great versatility and many possible applications we anticipate that it will have a large residential market as people retrofit their homes to include longer term ‘Work From Home’ solutions.” “
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Design the Future - Reconfiguring Retail
Fourways Mall opened at the end of 2019. At its core is the concept of retail as a lifestyle and entertainment destination alongside convenience. While people are hesitant to return to malls, the easy access of wide corridors and large open promotion courts facilitates social distancing.
Masingita Mall in Giyani opened in March 2019. It features skylights and a top layer of windows to harness natural lighting along with large open central courts. Both of these design elements are valuable for safety and usability post COVID-19.
“There are many possibilities for the future, with each shopping centre having unique and varied potential solutions. Unused space within shopping centres could be used for different things – such as a clinic, mid-life training or education opportunities for young people. Perhaps it can be used as temporary logistic and storage facilities.”
Increasing the footfall in retail spaces is going to be challenging, says DewarVan Antwerpen (Director, Boogertman + Partners). Shopping centres are attractions – a place where community members gather – but the pandemic has led to a sharp decrease in numbers. Many consumers are opting for online shopping to stay safe, and shopping centre owners and tenants are feeling the pinch. “Fewer people are going to shopping centres, and this will likely be the case for some time. There is also a psychological restraint against closed malls, with people preferring open retail environments, where they can drive right up to the store they want to go to. This has led to many vacant spaces in malls and questions as to what is going to be done with this space,” says Van Antwerpen.
Watch the interview with Dewar van Antwerpen and Marlene van Rooyen
https://www.buildinganddecor.co.za/conversation-with-boogertman-partners-on-the-future-of-retail/
Local retail a valued connection asset during the pandemic lockdown
This month two local retail centres designed by Boogertman + Partners opened their doors. The Neighbourhood Square in Linksfield, Johannesburg on the 16th of July and Richmond Corner in Montague Gardens in the Western Cape on the 23rd of July.
Reflecting on the design of these centres, which originated roughly two years ago, highlights a trend in the market in which design concepts that were previously evolving at an organic pace have now accelerated and become imperatives in developing pandemic resilient local retail designs. Principles embedded in these retail centres that were ‘nice to have’, such as open retail spaces with natural light and ventilation, one storey ‘piazza-style mall with easy access and ample space for movement are now ‘have to have’ features as people seek retail experiences that make them feel safe and welcome over and above the safety and hygiene protocols put in place by centre management teams.
The Neighbourhood Square, for example, is designed as a boutique retail offering that offers local convenience combined with relaxing outdoor leisure and lifestyle restaurants and interaction spaces as part of the broader Neighbourhood residential precinct masterplan. The urban masterplan guidelines identified and protected older trees around which development took place. As a result, the centre already offers comfortable shaded outdoor dining and coffee spaces. A design adjustment made due to COVID 19 extended the restaurant deck to accommodate more seating and maintain social distancing while enjoying the open-air ambience.
The mandate for property has always been that success is about prime location. This remains a crucial driver, but the importance of easy to access local retail and convenience is heightened during pandemic lockdowns. Richmond Corner backs onto Montague and Atlas Parks, both industrial zones, and is located inland between Milnerton and Bloubergstrand. As it faces the main highway, the N7, that carries Western Cape coastal traffic and, is on the corner of Plattekloof Road which feeds traffic inland, it offers safe, easily accessible convenient retailing. While providing a much-needed service for the broader community it also introduces retail into industrial parks, an often sorely missed offering for users of industrial parks.
What these centres point to is the increasing importance of the role of local retail in the communities they serve. They have become lifestyle destination centres that offer far more than quick convenience and can offer a sense of place and connection for the people who use them and work in them.
Future projects the practice is working on continue this celebration of local access, open-air leisure and connectivity with convenient retail. The Avenues Shopping Centre in Hilton in KZN recognises the importance of the outdoor lifestyle activity typical of the Midlands region. It includes an open-air Amphitheatre that takes advantage of the natural lie of the land. Opportunities are created for weekend markets, art in the park, movie nights, and live performances. Local art & sculpture will play a vital role in the centre, and its garden landscape and the centre will be a welcome community resource where cyclists, hikers, leisure seekers and families can gather outdoors.
Related content
Stimela Crossing Mall plays a fundamental role as a civic square in Barberton
Spatially, the building layout is a hybrid between a traditional open value retail centre- and an enclosed mall and manifests the best of both. It mixes convenience with a market-like experience to promote extended lingering time. Traditional Urban Civic elements, typically not associated with value retail, such as a public piazza and a covered multi-purpose courtyard were introduced to broaden the possibilities of events and promote civic gatherings.
Design the Future, Re-configuring Retail
Retail design and operations are experiencing fundamental change. The impact of COVID-19 has accelerated this. Understanding where new opportunities exist to re-configure and re-think existing retail environments and spaces are required. Adaptation is critical to meet the expectations of the consumer and create safe interactions for retail environments.
Bob van Bebber shares some project highlights on Soccer City a decade after it hosted the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
This week commemorates the opening game on the 10th of June of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the FNB Soccer City stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa.
The stadium hosted the opening ceremony and the first match between South Africa and Mexico and has continued to be an iconic landmark in Johannesburg hosting not only key soccer matches in the local and international soccer calendar but also rock concerts for legendary acts such Bruce Springsteen, U2 Rihanna, ColdPlay and Ed Shereen. Further, as a national symbolic landmark, it was the site of Nelson Mandela's first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990 and served as the venue for a memorial service to him on 10 December 2013. It was also the site of Chris Hani's funeral.Boogertman + Partners is proud to be the architects of the upgrade to this stadium known as the ‘Calabash’ due to its curved façade and structure of graded ramparts that enhance the experience of the audience as they enter the event bowl to participate in the spectacle they have chosen to attend. The upgrade included: an extended upper-tier around the stadium to increase the capacity to 88,958 an additional 2 executive suites, an encircling roof, new changing room facilities and new floodlights. The number of suites in the stadium was increased to 195.
Bob van Bebber, project lead and Director at Boogertman + Partners, highlights two key personal moments of this project
The heartwrenching moment when the roof went on the Soccer City stadium in preparation for the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2010. “The crawler crane lifted the last truss and it didn’t fit which resulted in a panicked phone call to the engineer in Germany… what temperature is it he asked? No problem wait until it is 3 degrees cooler, 3 degrees later it fitted”
What did it feel like being in the crowd for the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup when South African Siphiwe Tshabalala scored the first goal of the tournament, “At that stage the design of the stadium is irrelevant, there was pandemonium, unadulterated excitement and chaos. It was an unbelievable moment, the chance for South Africa to score the first goal was fantastic”
Bob van Bebber in an interview with News Room Africa talks to some of the key challenges of designing Soccer City. (We apologise for some of the poor sound quality yet felt that the story merited publishing the video in full)
Introducing Box Office -The readymade work-from-home solution
Box Office is a modular home office unit designed to fit the South African ‘work from home’ context. It is a response to what the architecture practice Boogertman + Partners see as a growing pressure in the market to find a dedicated space to work productively and comfortably from home.
“The idea is to provide a flexible solution that creates a quiet and welcoming workspace that fits into all types of home spaces.” Says Greg Reid, Associate Director at Boogertman + Partners, “For many homeowners or families renting townhouses or duplexes there isn’t enough space to have two family members enjoying the comfort of a study. “ The unit can be flat packed and assembled inside a large internal living area, or it can fit into a garden corner, verandah or in a parking bay in a residential complex.
The Box Office units come in three different models, one that is fitted for indoor use and two that are weatherproofed with increased levels of acoustic and thermal comfort insulation for use outdoors.
“As we adapt to the hybrid model of splitting ‘working from home’ time with ‘travelling into the office’ we wanted to provide a solution that promotes comfort and productivity at an affordable price. If you consider the saving on travel, possible tax rebates and potential corporate subsidies for Box Office, the cost of the unit broken down on a monthly finance plan makes Box Office affordable. For people renting but looking for workspace solutions, Box Office is a moveable asset.
“As part of our Design the Future innovation response to COVID19 we have looked for practical solutions that can scale to our changing environment, “ says Greg. “Box Office works for a teenager needing a gaming room or a study unit for exams, and its flexibility is its opportunity. The practice is also exploring how Box Office extends beyond home use when you combine units. “Smaller players in the hospitality industry could offer hygienic, safe work units for business travellers and local retailers looking to fill empty spaces could offer shared workspace hubs. The opportunity for the idea will grow in the market as people find new uses for Box Office. It is exciting and demonstrates the power of architectural design to work at different, much-needed levels, as we work together to build the business of the new normal.”
Design the Future - an imaginative end-to-end service to get business back to work launched for Workers Day
Boogertman + Partners has launched an end-to-end consulting solution into the market. The comprehensive offering provides insights and spatial solutions with the teams and expertise needed to deliver getting business back to work in times of business unusual.
KYA offers the sourcing and verification of the founding data to a land parcel and/or building’s core asset value. From Heritage, Environmental and Town Planning matters right through to 3d built geometry and maintenance. certification of a building’s components. A built environment life cycle map to ensure the asset’s future.
BIT is a turnkey interiors design and fit-out company. From brief to occupancy, clients have continuity, certainty and comfort that the end solution will be right-fitted for their need, innovative in its design and delivered in time and on budget.
FuturePart is a collective agency for rigorous research and experimental design thinking. It uses multi-disciplinary teams to bring fresh insights and knowledge to challenges in the built environment. From facilitating workshops and scenario planning to long term research studies and tracking.
Creative specialists focused on the built environment. From marketing and communication strategy, branding, digital and content creation the team align with the architecture and interior teams to deliver solutions that bring places to life.
Called Design the Future, the package combines 38 years of architectural and interior design experience within the group with new specialist business entities that have been under development for the last 24 months.
The new service offers an initial consultation session with experienced architects and interior designers for businesses in any sector needing guidance on how to implement social distancing in the most effective and spatially considered way. This ideas and insights sharing session, on-site with a client generates solutions which can either be implemented internally by the client or extended to using a blend of the specialist skillsets working within Design the Future teams.
Engaging with insight to create on brand 'spatial distancing'
"Over and above moving into safe distancing parameters for businesses there is the critical component of how to make people feel safe and productive when they are back at work," says Bob van Bebber (Director, Boogertman + Partners .) The solution in our own offices goes further than compliance and challenges the notion of 'distancing'. We want people to come back into the space to collaborate and need to devise tools for encouraging safe sharing."
The floating 2m x 2m grid of balls shifts the idea of 'distance' to create a landmark system of sharing safely. Provided you are under a ball, and the person you wish to work with is as well – you can safely share. The festive grid of markers refreshes the workspace and changes the perspective of how the space is viewed with colour coding that provides wayfinding signals on which way to walk and where to find the hand sanitizing stations.
This solution is a demonstration of how imagination and design are critical components of providing solutions for 'business unusual' says Jean Grobler ( Director, Boogertman + Partners.) "Design the Future is a cohesive service and the opportunity to partner with our clients. We want to engage with them to find and provide solutions as swiftly as possible, not only to survive in business unusual times but to use design to connect with their staff and clients through differentiation."
Please get hold of one the Boogertman +Partners representatives below if you would like to find out more. We would love to hear about your back to business unusual challenges and apply our expertise to help everyone get back to work.
Jean Grobler – jean@boogertmanjhb.co.za
Bob van Bebber – bob@boogertmanjhb.co.za
Jarrod Schlemmer – jarrod@boogertmandbn.co.za
Our virtual office remains open
Dear Clients and Colleagues,
Last week, we communicated our pledge and the operational practices we have instituted in Boogertman + Partners to deal with mitigation in the face of Covid-19. By that Thursday, we further implemented a remote working policy across all our branches for staff who have been able to do so.
Following President Ramaphosa’s announcement of a 21-day Lock-Down in South Africa on Monday, our collective efforts have been ramped up, for our entire staff complement to work remotely. By midnight on Thursday 26 March, all our staff would be well settled into their home offices and our remote connectivity systems extensively tested and confirmed.
We, therefore, wish to re-iterate that Boogertman + Partners will remain fully operational, albeit remotely.
Design and presentation meetings will be conducted with our client base and consultant teams on digital engagement platforms like Zoom, Skype, video conferencing etc. We will also be using this time to continue with documentation for council submissions as well as construction, to ensure all projects can be effectively serviced at the conclusion of this Lock-Down period. Our entire team remains available to guide both you and your project ably through this time.
We will continue to monitor the situation should it become necessary to adapt our response to the developing situation. We give you our commitment that we will remain resilient, should there be any significant changes to the situation.
As we collectively confront the challenges of this pandemic, we continue to trust that we are unified in our resolve to mitigate the consequences of COVID-19. We will do everything feasible to ensure the survival of our industry, as well as the wellbeing of all our staff.
We appreciate your ongoing support.
Yours sincerely
Frits Schuite
for and on behalf of Boogertman + Partners
InCommon. An Exhibition about the Possibilities of Collective Space. 20/02 - 14/03
Boogertman + Partners have been invited to present the 2020 opening exhibition for the University of the Witwatersrand School of Architecture and Planning’s academic year. This invitation created the perfect opportunity to partner with FuturePart ( an initiative created by the practice for research and multi-disciplinary design ) to explore how critical reflective thinking can challenge the status quo and prompt new dialogues in the industry.
The resulting installation is interactive, collaborative and most importantly, accessible to the public. It probes The Possibilities of Collective Space by reflecting on the common ground between design, culture and context. The exhibition raises six critical questions that future architectural design will need to consider and not only puts its projects under scrutiny but has invited collaborators outside the practice to participate.
For Nisha van der Hoven (Curator of FuturePart) the theme InCommon, proposes a shift in approach that will foster the dialogue needed to imagine the practice of the future. “We need to find ways to move from the social and spatial narrative of fear, mistrust, weakening social bonds and individualism, to that of inclusion, community and participation.”
The range of participation on the exhibition includes many of the teams at Boogertman + Partners displaying the inner workings of their projects and also extends to new works. Marcus van der Hoven, ( TAKK furniture ) has designed six tailor-made display cabinets that house 15 selected projects that contribute to the dialogue on the six critical questions as one part of the exhibition. Alongside this is a display of inner-city Johannesburg street photography shot by accomplished photographer and lecturer, Sally Gaule, and a hand-drawn amalgamated projects and Johannesburg cityscape drawing on a four-meter long table by Justus van der Hoven. The drawing has an interactive component and displays new content on mobile devices when scanned.
It is a statement of hope and exploration of possibilities while reviewing and exploring the connection or common ground between selected projects and how they bring to life the meaning in the making. “It’s a process,” adds Bob van Bebber ( Director, Boogertman + Partners ) “We don’t have all the answers but want to engage with more people to explore the challenges.“
Two new public benches designed and commissioned by Bob are to be permanently located outside the building after the exhibition has closed. This demonstrates the commitment for everyone to get involved. ‘It is time,” he says “as the leading architectural practice in Africa we have to set up the space for interaction with a broader range of disciplines and try new things.”
The exhibition is on from the 20th of February 2020 to the 14th of March 2020. It is in the John Moffat foyer on the East Campus of the University of the Witwatersrand. It is open from 9 am – 4 pm during the week and from 9 am- 1 pm on Saturdays until the exhibition closes. Safe parking is available on campus on the Yale Street entrance to the Planetarium. Details of the exhibition can be viewed on the website www.futurepart.co.za.
“Scale? Yes, we are bigger, but we are equally comfortable working at a smaller scale. If it is the right project, we will do it.” Bob van Bebber interviewed on the Design Authority show on Radio Today
In an hour-long show with Dave Nemeth, Bob discusses the pride that the Boogertman + Partners team feel in being ranked 98th in the BD World Architecture Top 100 2020. He explores what it feels like to revisit iconic projects like 1 Discovery Place located in Sandton, Johannesburg “People use the building in ways you could never imagine.”
The discussion ranges from the growth of the practice internationally to the increasing scope of design activities architects now engage in. On adapting to the changing role of the architect and how the practice’s experimental multi-disciplinary research and design studio FuturePart is furthering the understanding of architectural practice, Bob highlights the importance of process. “It is all about the meaning in the making and it is an intuitive process. Start and something will come up. You have to work at it.” For him, this highlights the importance for young graduates to hone their conceptual design and drawing skills as opposed to relying on software. “It is all about ideas, and I would rather have someone bringing fresh thinking into the team.”
