Reeds and the Okavango

FMA Architects gets inspired by Reeds and the Okavango Delta.

The design of the new Botswana Unified Revenue Services headquarters draws inspiration from African landscape, architecture and culture, to create a contemporary and timeless expression of the client’s core values and space requirements. Building components Building heights are dictated by CBD development guidelines which together with optimal floor plate widths have determined the building configuration. Four blocks address the street on each boundary creating a central courtyard. A main tower block of 7-storeys fronts the main boulevard and is flanked by the 3-storey northern wing and an identical height southern wing which provides tenant accommodation, which may be accessed from the mid-block connectors. A fourth building of similar height completes the design and faces the public transport route. Three basements provide subterranean parking and vehicular access is accessed along the northern mid-block connector.

Courtyard

The external courtyard acts as the ‘breathing space’ of the development. Inspired by the Okavango Delta, it is a space conducive to relaxation, interaction and eating. It also provides a pleasing vista for internally facing offices and work stations, and acts as a breakaway space for the conference/meeting facility.

Facade

Solar control is a driving factor in the design of the facade along with the flexibility of plan layout within the building floor plate. The facade is therefore composed of two layers. The main facade is a series of deep recessed apertures of varying size, on an established grid within a cavity wall. The rhythm of the apertures allows for multiple placement of dry-walling for future planning possibilities and the position on the glazing allows for enhanced solar shading while maintaining maximum view. The secondary facade screen is conceived as a rich ‘lattice work’, reminiscent of traditional building methods and traditional screening. Its function is to screen the office glazing behind and also limit the amount of solar radiation into the building.

The facade comprises a series of ceramic battens on a steel frame, which are then attached to the building with angle brackets. At window sill level, a galvanised steel grating is used both as an additional solar shading device for the windows below and also serves as a maintenance walkway around the perimeter of the building. The ground floor facade is floor to slab curtain walling which runs the perimeter of all four blocks. This will provide visual transparency from the street, through the building and into the Delta courtyard

Reeds

Traditionally, reed walls enclose and protect, and this strong African symbolism is used to define the primary (western) building street edge. The pavement acts as pedestrian an passage and the reeds are a vertical expression of a meandering delta tributary, thereby reducing the western facade to a more human scale at the street edge. The ground floor facade on East Avenue is set back by two metres as stipulated in the town planning framework, hence providing a covered walkway along this building edge. This walkway is situated behind the reeds and a break in the rhythm announces the main entrance to the development.