LYT ARCHITECTURE
88 skills shortages present major problems .
UPWARDLY MOBILE Another nuance in South Africa is how construction is going against the global grain of building increasingly upwards in a bid to maximise space .
This is largely for two reasons . First , South Africa is an overwhelmingly car-based society , with car parks often larger than the building they are serving . Second is high interest rates , which creates a need to complete projects quicker than in other parts of the world where building taller , and for longer , is more viable .
However , LYT ’ s recent project with Old Mutual , while not comprising a high-rise tower , does represent a fresh approach to office design in Johannesburg . Based in Sandton , the new headquarters is part of a larger precinct which is still under development .
“ It ’ s corporate office but it does it very differently to most of the corporate head offices you see here , which are grey glass boxes ,” Steenekamp says . “ That ’ s been a departure and it is a highly successful one . The way the building responds to the streets , articulates public space and complements this with its
TSHWANE HOUSE Phot : Tristan McLaren
JULY 2018