WHAT is thought to be the first luxury home to be constructed in South Africa utilising pre-cast concrete elements, is nearing completion in Rugby Road, Oranjezicht, Cape Town.
Supplying the special concrete connections and composite beams for both precast and cast-in-situ applications is Peikko South Africa (SA) – a speciality construction products company – whose innovative solutions aim to make pre-cast construction faster, safer, and more sustainable.
The project was originally conceived as far back as 2017 and construction began in earnest post-COVID. The striking design strives to implement sustainable architectural design derived from the Living Building Challenge, a very stringent green certification design founded by the Living Future Institute. It provides the owner with amazing views in all directions yet incorporates elements of sustainability – energy and water conservation.
Design
The dwelling is one-single envelope comprising two – four storey units, each with four bedrooms and a total living space of 425m2 per unit positioned on a 900m2 erf.
”We chose the pre-cast method due to a number of factors: speed of construction, ability to cast intricate shapes repeatedly – necessary for capturing solar energy and rainwater retention – quality of surface finish and of course cost,” explained project architect Anthony Svelto, Architectural Designer at A-I-R Inc. in the USA.
“The striking visual concept of the project lends itself to the use of pre-cast concrete, which is the desired effect in this up market elevated location, which will not only provide the owner with amazing Cityscape, Mountain and sea vistas,” he said.
“But we’ve also ensured that we could optimise water and energy collections better with a precast concrete design than with conventional construction. The intent from an energy point of view, was to be net positive. To generate more energy than it consumes over the course of a year and to be entirely self-sufficient in water consumption, provided by integrating rainwater storage within the design parameters.”
Special pre-cast experience
Cape Concrete as the pre-cast suppliers, entrusted the specialised skills required to meet the architectural concepts, tolerances and the element’s flush connections to Peikko SA, whose experience and range of pre-cast connecting elements ensured a perfect fit between columns, beams and decks by the precise positioning of anchor bolts within the pre-cast mould.
“We were contacted by Cape Concrete to assist in the construction of this unusual project,” said Daniel Petrov, Managing Director at Peikko SA. “Unusual, as most of our work involves more traditional uses of pre-cast concrete in industrial and commercial buildings and structures such as bridge design. There was something of a learning curve for all the professionals involved in the Rugby Road project and we were pleased we could assist in fully meeting the architect’s design narrative.”
Petrov added that the company has been designing, manufacturing and supplying a wide selection of concrete connections and composite beams for both precast and cast-in-situ solutions in a variety of applications, since 1965.
