PROFESSIONS LANDSCAPE AND HERITAGE ARCHITECTURE
OxGlen buildings show respect for heritage An interesting chance find by a member of the public some years back has led to a happy outcome for both natural landscape and heritage architecture. The Heritage Register and Renderings by LYT Architecture
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he two newest buildings in the OxGlen precinct, located on the increasingly vibrant intersection of Oxford and Glenhove roads in Rosebank, are complete and targeting a 4-Star Green Star SA Office v1.1 Design rating from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA). Perhaps best known for the impressive slanted glass facade on Oxford Road, the precinct is now home to Coca-Cola and Sappi’s new South African headquarters. The newest buildings, known as OxGlen Block 3 and Block 4, are located between these offices and have incorporated many of their best performing features, together with some of their architectural details. Senior sustainable building consultant at Solid Green Consulting, Annelide Sherratt, explains that the Green Star process was managed as one Multiple Building certification.
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In addition to the development’s considerable green building attributes, which include the project targeting innovation points for financial transparency, a purposeful “new business as usual” approach has benefitted the outdoor environment and gives a nod of respect for the heritage aspects of the area. Thanks to the Gautrain servitude, which runs below Oxford Road, the buildings are set far back from the street. Rather than privatising the space and closing it off to the public, the developer chose to include green spaces and coffee shops to boost opportunities for passive surveillance and enjoyment of the urban environment.
Landscaping measures
Taking pride of place in the courtyard of one of the new buildings is a majestic Pin Oak tree, which is estimated
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