The striking new RCL Foods head office in Westville, Durban, reflects the company’s people-centric approach in memorable fashion.

Elphick Proome Architects’ building for RCL Foods in Durban is all about people and connectivity in the workplace.

That’s not to say all buildings should necessarily be about people, it’s just that sometimes architects and their clients forget that this is a potential need. This happens mostly when a specific aesthetic image is decided on before the project begins. This desire then drives the design to the extent that people and the way in which they interact with the built environment becomes little more than a passing concern.

Such buildings might be aesthetically memorable, but they remain forever devoid of life. The RCL Foods head office represents the complete opposite of this outcome. The choice to fundamentally care for the physical and social wellbeing of people, before any other consideration was taken care of, becomes clear when the architects and designers explain the design history of the building.

Construction had started and the basement parking was nearly finished when tenant RCL Foods decided the building’s design should reflect its people-centred approach. This change of heart necessitated fast, focused and well-coordinated action from the entire professional team. It also created an opportunity to come up with a unique and memorable building.

The contemporary workplace today is fundamentally different from our conventional understanding of it of just a few years ago. Work is now more collaborative, performed by fluid groupings of various sizes that are not necessarily tied to one physical location. In this different configuration, visual interaction coupled with a measure of acoustic privacy is crucial.

Moreover, people want to feel at home in the workplace, seeing that they spend so much time there. The professional team achieved all of the above in spades. A full-height atrium unifies the spatial logic of the building, and two glazed facades on either end place the atrium and its users in constant contact with the direct external environment.

All vertical and horizontal movement of people is associated with this space, which is filled with daylight from above and from the two sides. The most arresting element in the atrium is a staircase linked to the two sides with walkways – the open stairs and glass balustrades create a sense of wonder at how precisely the architects managed to defy gravity with the design.

Glass-encased workspaces and meeting rooms of various sizes form the vertical surfaces of the atrium. Visitors to the building enter this space directly, which enables easy orientation for all concerned. There are test kitchens and dining facilities on the ground floor, so it is full of activity. Well-designed corporate messages on the walls illustrate what RCL Foods is all about.

One of the most exciting aspects is the rooftop entertainment area, which affords views of the Indian Ocean and seems to float in space, suspended and removed from the realities surrounding it.

Local interior design firm novospace has won three prestigious design awards for the RCL Foods headquarters. Find out more here.

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Explore Discovery‘s impressive new global HQ in Joburg, architected by Boogertman + Partners Architects.

Alisdair Forsyth, Associate Director at Boogertman + Partners Architects, shared the background to the client brief: “There were two key factors within Discovery’s brief. The first was to create an architectural statement that captured the essence of the Discovery brand – a building that embodied the company’s core values and one that could be identified with going forward.

The second factor was to improve efficiencies in the day-to-day working of the company, which was spread over four disjointed buildings around the original 155 West Street property. Discovery needed a new building designed with its way of working in mind and one that would give it flexibility for future growth and changes in operation.”

The site, on the corner of Katherine and Rivonia Streets, sits at the highest point in Sandton, which immediately gives the building visual dominance and allowed for a large, low building rather than a sky rise. The building – the largest new building to receive a five-star rating from the Green Building Council SA – was conceived from the inside out, explains Alisdair. “At the core of its design concept is the creation of a rich internal environment within and around which the Discovery community can thrive. At all times our design considerations are centred around the human experience of the space.”

Two large, sun-filled inner atria are enclosed by a 2800 m² of glazed roof with all pause areas and flexible spaces opening into them. A central concourse, conceived as a grand central station, connects them. The roof, which has been landscaped with indigenous plants and is accessible to employees, aims to express Discovery’s philosophy of a holistic approach to health.

The ground floor, which opens into the atrium spaces connecting visitors to the working floors above visually and spatially, features two restaurants, a coffee shop, retail outlets, the first Discovery Bank branch, a wellness centre where clients can have their Vitality assessments done, a Woolworths and auditoriums for events and announcements. It is open to the public who are encouraged to come to the building for lunch or coffee.

The first floor is for training and meeting rooms. The second to seventh floors are the working office spaces, which aren’t accessible to the public unless by appointment. This is the core of the company. Each floor plate has two large pause/breakaway areas that open onto the atrium. The gym is located on Level 8, as well as access to the landscaped roof, which extends to Level 9. The roof has a 620 m running track, a multicourt for basketball, netball or volleyball and a separate football court. There are also spaces for yoga classes and external seating areas. Level 9 will also house the Healthy Food Studio, where Discovery will host “masterchef” cooking classes to promote holistic, healthy eating.

Watch the video, scripted and directed by architect Mark Thomas, edited by Graham Cooke and scored by Myles McDonald of Hey Pappa Legend, to get a full tour.

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