VIMAL TRADING
The Client manufacturers sportswear clothing for International Brands and was operating out of rented premises but not in a singular building. Major contracts had been secured for the soccer world cup to be held in South Africa and this prompted the decision to purchase property suitable for the building of a single purpose made facility to house all the functions of the business.
The Light Industrial Park was part of the Developer, Tongaat Hullett Properties, Mount Edgecombe Estates development. It was on the western side, closest to other larger industrial buildings developed earlier by Tongaat Hullett. The whole area was controlled by a town planning scheme which had specific architectural theme guidelines. The Mount Edgecombe area was following the style know as Natal Verandah Style. Red Brick, green double pitch roofs, large overhangs or wrap around verandahs, and white filigree.
The site had a slight slope across both sections through the site. There were some mango trees and clay soil was moist with underground river present
The park has a single entrance and spine road with a cul de sac at the end. Security monitor traffic in and out. The Estate has access to the main arterial road system in Durban a short distance away
The site area is 9209 m2. The planning constraints were Coverage .45 and FAR .7
A single building where the process of manufacture which requires the raw material/product to move from section to section with a fair amount of management and supervision. The building and all processes were to conform to the work and building standards set by the International Brands for their goods manufacture premises throughout the world.
The operation required a double volume racked fork lift accessible material storage area, cutting room with large flat work tops, double volume machine sewing area for the manufacture of the shirts, silkscreening embroidery area, packing area, research and design section, administration and accounts central office, management offices, board room, staff ablutions, staff canteen and kitchen, reception, parking for staff and management, visitors parking.
The Architecture was to conform to the Mount Edgecombe Town Planning Scheme requirement which was defined as a contemporary interpretation of the Natal Verandah Style, typified as red face brick walls, green sheeted double pitched roofs with Dutch Gable profile, large overhangs or wrap around verandahs, and white filigree. Strict fixed building cost and building period was required.
Construction commenced in July 2005 and was completed November 2006. A piled concrete frame and brick infill structure was chosen to facilitate a faster build. The soil conditions with an underground stream caused initial delays with the stream being diverted through an underground holding tank to allow the water be used in the building. The basement was increased in size and was extended further during construction under the floor plan of the building. The Building areas are as follows offices/specialist areas/ first floor 4090m2, factory/ground floor 4090m2, parking/basement 985m2, Total Area 9165m2.
The Project Team consisted of:
- Kevin Lloyd Architects – Principal Agent and Architects
- R and I Construction – Main Contractor
- Letchmiah Daya Madini – Quantity Surveyors
- M H Khoosal – Mechanical Engineers
- DE Consultants cc – Structural and Civil Engineers
- Sydney Naidoo – Electrical Engineer
This was a highly successful project completed on time, in budget, with praise from the overseas brand companies for an excellent facility and it is still functioning with no issues today as the same respected building and operation when completed.
The project was re photographed in 2018 for Kevin to update his work in the commercial sphere.
The sheer size of the accommodation and the interrelationship of the various sections together with a small site, meant the building was to be a single compact unit. This provided a challenge, as the scale was now far bigger than the scale of the adjacent residential area or the other light industry buildings. The rectangular shape chosen allowed a perimeter road and parking system as well as using the slope to provide additional parking and storage under part of the building. The double storey height of the building is partially reduced in terms of scale by a very wide overhanging double pitch roof. The roof was a simple resolution of two rectangles slid into each other with the junction being a flat slab hidden behind the intersecting ridges to hide the AC service machinery.
A facebrick plinth, textured plaster section and a ruled plaster with a system of windows at regular intervals set back with a sloping sill detail to gives greater sense of mass to balance the overhanging eaves. The façade is also articulated at regular intervals with concrete columns and at the same point the steel truss braces to carry the oversailing roof. By positioning two floors of various associated activities around the central double volume machine sewing area the management of the main working area could be carried out efficiently and the working area was a pleasant working space. The entrance to such a big building was a challenge and especially as it was west facing.
The building form and site left little room for a sense of depth or approach. Consequently a centrally positioned two module double volume shop front sloped inwards to reduce solar ingress with an dominant signage feature, was used. Specific details which were developed for the project with models, samples and drawings were the metals roof struts, fibre glass edge gutter, ruled textured plaster, metal grid balustrades and ac sheets, sheeting soffiet to the eaves overhang, variegated ying and yang door patterns. The entire building is air conditioned and has electronic surveillance all round and throughout.
The total number of parking achieved was 102 with the total staff compliment of 350