Construction World December 2023

BUILDING CONTRACTORS

HILL ON EMPIRE PHASE 2

T he Hill on Empire Phase 2 project required the construction of an eight-story office block in Parktown, Johannesburg for developers Abland and Redefine Properties. The building was designed by architects MWLF and interior designers, Thinkspace. Structural designs were completed by LnS Consulting. The building has a 6 000 m 2 footprint which is broken into three parking levels, a ground floor and three office floors with a concrete roof. The building has three cores which house two lifts, an in-situ cast concrete staircase and a toilet block each. A further two in-situ cast fire escape staircases are located on either end of the building. The faÇades of the building consist primarily of brickwork, plaster with either a paint or a marmoran finish, and either strip or punch windows for fenestration. The scope of works also comprised a full tenant fit out on the ground floor, the three office floors with a roof entertainment area and service plant room.

The site is located in the heart of Johannesburg, just north of the Johannesburg CBD.It is sandwiched between Empire Road on the North and Joubert Street on the South, flanked either side by the Hill on Empire Phase 1 project (completed in 2018) and the SAPS Gauteng provincial head office. Logistics to supply the site would definitely make or break the project with only Joubert Street being a viable source of access for all construction activities, deliveries etc. Due to the constraints of the site only one tower crane could be placed. The building itself has a stormwater attenuation tank designed and constructed at the north western end of the building. This attenuation tank has not only all the stormwater from the building attenuating into the tank but also of the surrounding office complex. There is also an overflow section which runs off onto a stone pitched area should there be any blockages or mass flows. During construction of the project great care was

taken to ensure minimal impact on the local environment. Waste was separated at source into clean builders’ rubble, general waste, timber and steel. This was then removed off site to local registered landfills. 

PROJECT INFORMATION

• Company entering: WBHO Construction • Client: Abland • Main Contractor: WBHO Construction • Architect: MWLF

• Principal Agent: MWLF • Project Manager: Abland • Quantity Surveyor: Quanticost • Consulting Engineer: LnS

42 22 nd Best Projects Awards 2023