CSIR’s new high-tec building puts on a SmartGlass face

Collaborating architects, Bild Architects and Terra Ether Architects, were briefed by the Department of Science and Technology to design a modern energy efficient headquarters that made a technological statement. The rest was up to them.

The result of the partnership is a building that challenges convention with gravity-defying and innovative use of glass – both as an energy efficient mechanism and as an aesthetically striking construction material.

Most of the office areas were designed to deliver open-plan, light filled and transparently partitioned space - presenting safety, energy and light management challenges. While safety rated Intruderprufe and Armourplate SmartGlass ensured the peace of mind of people working in a glass-filled environment, SmartGlass SolarVue was relied upon externally to transmit natural light into the building, while substantially eliminating the suns heat. SolarVue also reduces the cost of managing the buildings temperature.

Sensors in the building track shifts in the ambient light transmitted into the building by SmartGlass. By combining Dali systems with SmartGlass, the building adjusts electric and natural to suit shifts - giving staff and visitors get the best of both worlds at all times.

The quadruple volume western façade of the building features a patented louver system linked to a photocell sensor to track the movement of the sun. The louvers open and close with shifts in the suns intensity, appropriately filtering the direct sunlight entering through expansive glazing on the western face of the building. This record-breaking façade uses Dorma loop fittings, which effectively link the large sheets of SmartGlass with as little visual interference as possible.

The three office wings are connected by a spacious commercial corridor boasting an, expansive use of glass – making it appear open and unhindered. The combination of intelligent design and the excellent properties of the glass specified contribute to the ethereal nature of this area.

The building boasts well over 1000 sqm’s of SmartGlass. The architects investigated a number of solutions before choosing SmartGlass for its superior performance attributes. The decision was also strongly influenced by the levels of design support supplied by GSA’s project team. The result: A signature statement for both the Department and the City.