65
December 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
Professional Services
C
SPECIAL MENTION
Project information
• Name of project: OR Tambo Narrative & Environmental
Education Complex
• Company entering: Newtown Landscape Architects
• Project start and end date
Phase I: 1 October 2010 – April 2012; Phase II: 1 July 2012 –
30 June 2013
• Client: Ekhurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (Metro
Parks, Environmental Management and Arts & Culture
Departments)
• Landscape architect: Newtown Landscape Architects
• Main contractor: Michielsen & Hofman
• Landscape Contractor: Earthforce Landscape
• Contract value: R 54-million
• Property size: 260 ha
OR Tambo Narrative & Environmental
Education Complex
I
n 2004 the City of Ekurhuleni issued a call for proposals to plan and
develop recreational facilities in the Northern and Eastern Regions
of the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality (EMM).
After completing the original master planning, Newtown Land-
scape Architects (NLA), along with Semenya Furumele Consulting
(SFC), responded to a call by the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality
in 2009 to lead the detail design and implementation phases
of this project.
The building complex consists of a Narrative Centre, a Multi-
purpose Centre, with an Amphitheatre as well as an Environmental
Education Centre, all to the value of R54-million. NLA designed a
pedestrian link to theORTamboMemorial Cemetery, including a small
neighbourhood park with custom play and fitness equipment. This
links with theWattville HistoricalWalk which connects the precinct to
a cultural and historical network that is being developed in Ekurhuleni.
Leeupan, one of the largest and more sensitive Pans on the East
Rand, is known for frequent visits by flamingos and other rare bird spe-
cies. The development had to accommodate the existing Beachfront
informal settlement, which will be formalised in due course.
The client required a sensitive approach to the building design,
clearly showcasing environmentally friendly and labour intensive
building practices. Due to site constraints, mainly the presence of
existing illegal squatters whichwere in the process of being relocated,
shallow undermining and utility servitudes, GDARD gave permission
that the buildings encroach on the relaxed 60metre buffer zone away
from the pan as required in terms of the EIA.
A number of experimental, labour intensive and green construc-
tion methods were included such as rammed earth, straw bale and
cob bricks.These were combined with other low technological green
construction techniques such as earth tube, thermal mass heat
exchange floors, environmentally friendly materials and finishes as
well as rain water harvesting.
During the bulk earthworks the soil was selectively stockpiled so
that the clay could be utilised for the construction of the cob walls
and floors. The clay soil was also mixed in with specific sand and
lime mixtures for the rammed earth walls. Several sample walls were
constructed so as to assess the strength and durability of various mix
designs. The gravel and poorer soils were used for backfill behind the
building’s retaining walls.
The abundant subsurface water found on the site is collected
through a natural water feature and fed into a storage dam and used
for irrigation. As the planting is 100% indigenous and there is an
abundance of sub surface seepage, irrigation requirements did not
have to be calculated in too much detail. This, along with harvested
rain water, is mainly used to flush the toilets – saving significantly on
the use of potable water – which was almost eliminated for the day-
to-day operation of the site for the past year. It was NLA’s proposal that
the rain water rather be used for the toilets once it was determined
howmuch seepagewater could be harvested through the subsurface
drains located behind the excavated buildings and roads.
The planting design had to blend in with the threatened ‘Moist
Gauteng Grass Land’ vegetation type, which was severely disturbed
by previous informal settlements. The construction site had to be
rehabilitated in terms of the Environmental Authorisation Record of
Decision, utilising only indigenous plants.
