Master plan

 

The Landscape design was influenced by the surrounding natural savannah and grassland landscape. Principles were identified under sustainability which had to be adhered to in order to create a truly Sustainability landscape. 

The identified underlying principles will set the standard for the new landscape in terms of which it has to comply with, besides what has been asked for in the project brief. A concept has been developed which took these principles into account and formed the basis of the proposed landscape design.

The integration of the landscape units then led to the specific landscape design as proposed for the TELKOM Development. The landscape units are briefly the following:

 

Entrance definition

Detail landscaping was introduced at the various entrances to the site. These can be enhanced through the introduction of sculptural elements depicting the dynamic vision of the company.

 

Entrance Boulevard

An Access road will provide access to the various Telkom Buildings with their respective Parking areas. The Boulevard will be provided with generous meandering walkways on either side of the road, with lawn planting adjacent to the road and shrub planting providing a visual screen of the parking area feeding from the access road. Trees planted in the median of the road as well as alongside the road will provide a very dramatic entrance.

A boulevard feel will be enhanced along the public streets by the additions of new tree avenues and the provision of walkways.

 

Parking Pockets

Additional on grade parking is provided towards the northern, eastern and southern edge of the site. These pockets are vast and the heat footprint will be minimized by means of the planting of trees.

The parking spaces are planted with savanna type trees to provide maximum shade and softening to the hard surfaces.

Pedestrian routes were identified leading visitors and workers to the central pedestrian spine where they will be able to get picked up with golf carts and taken to their final destination.

 

Sculptural mounds

Sculptural earth mounds planted with stylized veld species have been introduced in these parking pockets to minimize the urban heat island effect.

 

Townsquare

The Townsquare is situated between the NBSC building and the ITS Building. This will form the core of the project and will be a very dynamic space where everyone will interact. A Coffee bar and Café Pavillion have been included in the design. These relate to the and can be accessed from the ITS Building. The Coffee bar is set within the courtyard of the NBSC Building, surrounded with detail planting in a forest landscape setting, providing a private function area.

The Café pavilion provides ample seating and a unique experience for workers and visitors alike. Access can be obtained directly from the parking lots on the southern side of the ITS Building, by means of an inviting staircase. Decoratively packed gabion walls provide for an aesthetically pleasing retaining structure, complementing the use of the various gabion structures used throughout the project.

The Covered walkway will lead people from the parking area to the Townsquare It has been designed in two distinct levels, each catering for an individual need. A restaurant terrace spills out to the eastern side of the NBSC building. From here, a ramp leads you up towards the Townsquare with all its different components.

An outdoor social recreation area with seating has been provided around a water feature where workers and visitors alike, can relax and congregate.

The reflection pond acts as focal element and has a calming effect on the people working in the offices.