architectural portfolio
safetygrip headquarters
This industrial and corporate project, initiated towards the end of 2014, has been completed.
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Project Brief
The client tasked Archland Design Studios with designing a head office, warehouse and workshop for SafetyGrip, a company which specialises in tyre fitment for trucks and large vehicles. The mixed-use facility had to be in excess of 2300m² and adhere to strict legal and practical guidelines to accommodate the trucks. The site was located inside Cosmo City Business Park and sloped towards a wetland area to the South.
Archland was appointed on full services and was consequently involved throughout the construction process, including contract administration. We had to work closely with the client to design the various work spaces as he had a deep understanding of the way in which his staff operated and how the various work processes to be carried out inside the building are structured.
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Workflow
The initial concept was modelled and developed using SketchUp. The Council submission drawings were done using Autodesk Revit.
My Role
As this project was ongoing when I went on sabbatical to do my Honours degree, I took lead on the project though the concept and phase and up to council submission. After completing the council submission, a colleague took over the architectural role during the construction phase and saw the project through to completion in my absence. All of the drawings shown were designed, detailed, drawn, and modelled entirely by myself. Though some changes were inevitably made during the construction phase, the photos do show that the building was completed in a way that was true to my concept and design.
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Concept
The overall layout of the project was determined by splitting the three elements of the program and arranging them on the tapered site based on size requirements. As a result, the office components was located at the northern most side of the site which was the smallest, then the storage warehouse and then the workshop towards the south. As a result, the massive truck bays along with their turning circles could be accommodated on the largest part of the site, with the facility stepping smaller and smaller towards the road. The entire facility can thus be appreciated from the entrance.
The design of the factory and warehouse is based on the interplay between the solidity of the lower section of the building and the rhythm of the lightweight steel structure above. The careful placement of steel columns and lattice girders allowed for the large volumes and clearances necessary for the functioning of the building. Strict stock control and security measures were also considered as theft is a serious concern in the industry in question.
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The design of the offices, by comparison, is based far more on stereotomic elements and utilises masonry and concrete construction to show a clear contrast with the light gauge steel construction of the more industrial spaces. The colour scheme and rhythm of windows, however, is used to show an aesthetic relation while cast concrete elements highlighting the various entrances to all the different spaces are used to tie the entire design together.
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The overall design is aimed at creating a modern, airy workspace which identifies with the corporate branding of the company. Energy efficiency and in particular the use of natural daylighting was considered throughout the project. The clean, high-end aesthetic brought about by the design has been very successful and has resulted in the client initiating a second phase with Archland to develop another set of warehouses on an adjacent site.