The new head office, located in 5 Parks Boulevard – a 6-Star Office v1.1 Design certified building – transcends functionality, weaving a captivating narrative inspired by the city’s vibrant spirit.

Elri Syfert, Sustainable Building Consultant at Solid Green, says:

The design brief for BCG Johannesburg aimed to create a pleasant, inspiring workspace that staff would genuinely want to return to. The space was designed to be innovative, timeless and intuitive, with ergonomic furniture that naturally guides its use.

Key goals included:

• promoting a sense of light, openness and fresh air
• reflecting the spirit of Johannesburg
• offering flexible, non-dedicated spaces
• integrating high-tech solutions.

An Adaptable, Engaging Space

The space is designed with flexibility at its core, allowing it to adapt to changing work patterns. It supports both in-office and remote work, ensuring the environment stays relevant and effective as workplace needs continue to shift.

The design fosters a sense of connection and purpose, creating an office environment where people feel welcome and motivated. Inspired by Johannesburg’s history and energy, it reflects the city’s ambition and diverse character. Local influences are thoughtfully woven into the space, resulting in a unique and engaging workplace.

A Workplace Shaped by Place and Purpose

The office is designed as an immersive experience, revealing thoughtful details and local character throughout. At its centre is the canteen, featuring locally crafted furniture and custom tiles that highlight South African talent. Public spaces balance elegance with playfulness, blending global brand standards with strong local influence. Around 80% of furnishings and fittings are locally sourced, and symbolic features – like a central staircase with a tree – reflect Johannesburg’s heritage and resilience. Custom pieces by local artists, galleries and furniture makers reinforce the office’s strong connection to the city’s identity and culture.

Designed for Sustainability and Wellbeing

The base building, 5 Parks Boulevard, uses smart strategies to cut down on power use and water consumption, lower costs and reduce carbon emissions. The BCG tenant fit-out is seamlessly integrated with the base building, allowing it to benefit from energy- and water-efficient infrastructure.

To support ongoing performance, major energy and water systems are sub-metered, with a user-friendly monitoring system giving occupants access to real-time data. Generous natural daylight and views to the outside enhance the indoor environment, and water-efficient fittings help reduce consumption. Materials and products used in the fit-out carry third-party eco-certifications, and most appliances meet international energy efficiency standards. Acoustic design was also carefully considered, ensuring a comfortable and productive workspace.

Elri concludes:

With its 5-Star Green Star Interiors v1 certification, BCG Johannesburg’s headquarters sets a new benchmark for sustainability, flexibility and employee wellbeing. Rooted in the vibrancy of Johannesburg and supported by high-performance design, the office balances global standards with a distinctly local identity. It’s a space where innovation, purpose, and people come together – designed for today, and built to adapt for tomorrow.

Project Team

OWNER: BCG Johannesburg
ACCREDITED PROFFESSIONAL: Solid Green Consulting
ARCHITECT: GLH Architect – Base Building
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: RWP Consulting Engineers
FIRE ENGINEER: WSP
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: Adaptive Resource Engineers
QUANTITY SURVEYORS: Trend Group
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN REVIEW: Solid Green Consulting
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CONSULTANT: Solid green Consulting
WET SERVICES: Izazi Consulting Engineers
MAIN CONTRACTOR: Concor
PROJECT MANAGER: Trend Group / JLL
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT COMPANY: BCG Johannesburg
INTERIOR DESIGNER: Trend Group in collaboration with HK Studio
WASTE CONTRACTOR: Waste Warrior
ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT: Subsonic Designs
LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT COMPANY: Life Green Group
RECYCLING CONTRACTOR: Waste Warrior
CONSTRUCTION / FIT-OUT CONTRACTOR: Trend Group

Certificate

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Adaptable Workspace Concept

5 Parks is designed to cater to the evolving needs of the modern workforce. Tenants can configure various workspaces, ranging from private offices to collaborative areas. This adaptability ensures that employees have diverse options for optimising their work environment, fostering productivity and innovation.

A Timeless Architecture

The architectural design prioritises longevity through a combination of simple, clean lines and a contemporary aesthetic. The intention was to create a structure that stands the test of time both functionally and visually.

5 Parks seamlessly integrates with the pedestrian-friendly streetscape established by the adjacent 7 Parks building. While maintaining consistency with the surrounding environment, the design also has distinctive characteristics along Parks Boulevard. This ensures a sense of continuity while allowing the building to assert its individual identity within the urban landscape.

Louise O’Raw, Director at GLH Architects, says that a paramount consideration was the selection of materials that exhibit durability and require minimal maintenance. For instance, tiled panels that look like timber provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance without the maintenance demands associated with timber.

The building incorporates a thoughtfully selected glazing solution, particularly evident on the main façade. The use of transparent glazing maximises the penetration of natural light, which both enhances the occupant experience and aligns with energy efficiency goals by reducing reliance on artificial lighting during daylight hours.

Louise explains that an automated blind system, which incorporates the potential for very precise programming and controls, has been added to the clear glass facades. She says, “The system is currently set to have simple but effective control but can be reprogrammed in future to be more interactive, possibly even including light harvesting where appropriate.

We designed a solar panel pergola as an architectural feature for the 4th floor terrace which incorporates bi-facial PV panels that we hope to realise sometime in the future for additional energy generation. We would also like to see the introduction of vertical gardens to the facades, which could really enhance both the indoor and outdoor environment and expand the project’s greenscape. I feel that, with the measures taken to achieve these certifications, 5 Parks Boulevard upholds the philosophy of the precinct to create a desirable urban lifestyle that will stand the test of time.

Resource efficiency strategies

Environmental strategies have been implemented to enhance the wellbeing of users such as ample fresh air, access to external views, and plenty of natural daylight.

Thato Molapo, Modelling & Simulation Consultant at Solid Green, explains that advanced modelling techniques were leveraged to generate an energy model of the building during the design stage, comparing the building to a SANS 10400 notional building model. This helped to inform the building design to ensure high performance from a building envelope perspective.

Building Glazing Performance modelling was conducted, and performance values were agreed with the architect and mechanical engineer. Energy modelling also facilitated an assessment of internal operative temperatures, ensuring compliance with ASHRAE Standard 55-2004 Acceptability Limits for at least 98% of occupied hours, guaranteeing a high level of thermal comfort.

Jennifer Dean, Sustainable Building Consultant, adds that 5 Parks’ roof is high enough for the footprint to be fully maximised for PV panels without being overshaded by adjacent buildings. A solar installation boasting a capacity of 217,1kW generates 340.9MWh annually, significantly reducing the building’s reliance on energy derived from coal and lowering the project’s carbon footprint.

Resource efficiency measures include equipping individual or enclosed spaces with occupancy sensors, providing precise control and minimising energy consumption. Office lighting was intentionally designed to avoid over-illumination, maintaining an average illuminance level of no more than 300 lux. Furthermore, water efficient fittings have been specified that limit occupant water usage to 0.54L/day/m2. Sub-metering of major energy and water-consuming systems is in place.

Limiting Emissions and Waste

All selected gaseous and fire suppression systems, refrigerants and thermal insulants used for the development have an Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) of zero, to eliminate any contributions to long-term damage to the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer.

The implementation of a project-specific Waste Management Plan during construction guides activities to minimise environmental impact. Additionally, the building incorporates a waste recycling storage area, meeting Green Star sizing requirements and facilitating recycling of paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and metals, thereby reducing waste to landfill during building operations.

Through sustainable practices, careful material selection, a commitment to creating a healthy indoor environment, and integration with the surrounding environment, the building embodies responsible and forward-thinking design practices in the contemporary urban landscape.

Project Team

Owner: Intaprop
Accredited Professional: Solid Green Consulting
Architect: GLH Architects
Electrical Engineer: RWP Consulting Engineers
Fire Engineer: WSP
Lift Specialist: Schindler
Mechanical Engineer: Adaptive Resource Engineers
Quantity Surveyors: Agora Africa
Structural Engineers: Pure Consulting
Sustainable Design Review: Solid Green Consulting
Sustainable Building Consultant: Solid Green Consulting
Wet Services: Izazi Consulting Engineers
Main Contractor: Concor
Project Manager: Morta Consulting
Landscape Management Company: Insite Group
BMS Systems Professional: Adaptive Resource Engineers
Photography: Philip Schedler Photography

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