Bloemfontein Airport Node

This proposal was for a new office park on the N8 bypassing the Bram Fischer Airport in Mangaung. Designed for Glad Africa / Ebony in September 2014, the brief called for AAA-grade office space housed in five buildings of approximately 2,500sqm each. The intention was to cater for small to medium-sized tenants as part of a larger development that included educational, residential, public sector and retail facilities.

The design concept optimised the buildings’ floorplates for subdivisability to cater for offices as small as 150sqm; with a central core flanked by two wings sharing an entrance, vertical circulation and services. With three floors in total, the design sought to critically respond to the context of the site and the environment by maximizing views to the airport from inside the offices, with fully glazed facades and social spaces on the roofs of the buildings. The intention was to pursue Green Star SA certification, use environmentally friendly materials as far as possible, and apply an indigenous planting palette on the roofs and between the buildings, with pedestrian bridges linking the green spaces and the offices.