2010 Awards - COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS UNDER R40M

WINNER

"Discovery Call Centre", by Grid Construction (Pty.) Ltd

Located in Riverhorse Valley, this project commenced in January 2009 and in accordance to its allocated time frame, took 8 months to complete. It is essentially a warehouse that was strategically converted to accommodate a high class call centre for one of the countries best known health insurers.  Discovery Health took occupation in August 2009 and with the structure’s internal insulation for sound and thermal protection, the success of the project was immediately apparent. An ideal environment for a call centre had been created.

The ground floor level where the main operation exists accommodates some 800 staff on specialist access flooring. On this level, areas include auxiliary offices, ablutions, hairdresser / beauty salon “chill rooms, customer marketing liaison centre and reception, along with meeting rooms. The ground floor layout boasts a specialist kitchen, cold room an upmarket canteen, coffee bar comforts and in-house catering facilities for functions.

Fixed to the reinforced concrete framework the external and internal facades of the main building frontage are clad with 150mm thick concrete precast tilt- up panels. The flooring finishes include polished porcelain tiles, timber decks, carpet and artificially grassed areas, making up a collage of internal flooring textures heightening the structures ambiance. The finishing touch is a lit up water feature surrounded by a Balau timber deck intended as a recreational area for the staff.