Sandton Gate is pioneering mixed-use precinct promoting the health of individuals, the environment and the city. Located on the outskirts of the Sandton CBD in Johannesburg it is situated along William Nicol Drive which connects the Northern suburbs to the Sandton CBD and the city of Johannesburg. On the other side, it borders on the Braamfontein Spruit considered to be one of the longest municipal parks in the world. The precinct demonstrates sector leadership in sustainability as it piloted the implementation of the Green Star Sustainable Precincts tool. To get a GBCSA Precinct Rating, one of the minimum requirements is that each building attains a minimum 4-Star Green Star rating.
As the first building completed in the precinct, the Phase One building which includes a gym, retail and office space plays a crtical role in the exposure of the precinct to the public and in establishing its presence in the city.
Designed over two podiums, the design makes use of the steep 12m slope and ensures that the podium on the corner, created by the new link road and William Nicol becomes one of the corner anchors for the scheme.
The Sandton Gate Phase One building has achieved a GBCSA 5 Star Green Star Office Design rating through the following items;
• The use of a lightweight external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) on the building façade with a single glazed shopfront system. The ratio of solid to surface maximises daylight within the office space to lower the requirement of lighting during the day.
• The HVAC system is the best currently available and achieves a 40 percent saving on electricity. The system is modular, and could be added onto to service the whole precinct as it develops, including residential and other commercial options.
• Water-saving initiatives such as water-efficient sanitary fittings, rain and moisture sensors, irrigation at night to reduce evaporation, drip irrigation and pressure regulation valves. Overall, the water-efficiency measures are expected to save approximately 30% over a notional building or 2 740kl of water per annum.
• The sub-metering of major energy-consuming systems through the Edge Building Telemetry System which allows building managers to control and monitor the air conditioning system, lifts, generators, UPS installation, extract fans, basement smoke extraction, sump pumps as well as the fire and security systems through APPs on tablets and smartphones.
Phase One includes a large-scale installation of 90 raised white granite pillars sourced from a koppie in the Kalahari, titled The Narrowing by Johannesburg based artist Hannelie Coetzee. It is visible from William Nicol Drive and is positioned to draw pedestrians through the precinct as much as to enrich their experience. She has also devised a hand-made vertical garden system called WildWall Tiles, which contain water-wise succulent plants, and has used them to assemble a large-scale living pixelated artwork.
| Appointment | 2014 |
| Owner / Developer | Abland & Tiber |
| Project Manager | Abland |
| Quantity Surveyors | Quanticost |
| Structual & Civil Engineer | L&S Consulting |
| Landscape Architects | Landmark Studios |
| Sustainalbe Building Consultant | Solid Green |
| Capacity | 17 660sqm |
| Completed | 2019 |