One Rosebank is a high-quality mixed-use development in one of the Johannesburg’s most sought-after commercial, cultural and residential hubs. The client, Tricolt, envisaged a luxury residential development located close to the vibrant commercial hub of Rosebank, located north of the Johannesburg CBD.

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We responded with a design that contributes to the urban design language of the adjacent Oxford Parks precinct. The 1.2-hectare site is bordered by large commercial office buildings to the south and single residential homes on large, tree-lined plots to the north.

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The design responds to the site’s sloping topography, resulting in a seven-storey block to one side of the site and a lower, four-storey construction opposite, respecting the zoning requirements and acknowledging the scale of the surrounding urban fabric. These buildings encompass around 600 units in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom configurations, designed around a large landscaped courtyard that creates an active social environment containing a gym, swimming pool and ball court. Mixed-used elements include co-working spaces, a coffee shop with meeting rooms and a spectacular rooftop restaurant and a bar

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The architecture is simple and fresh, comprising a strong, two-storey tiled and colonnaded lower base, with upper levels of white-painted, raked, jointed brickwork. An alternating rhythm of inset balconies and windows are offset with projecting concrete framed bays. This forms a carefully modulated and taut composition, creating varying depths of light and shadow. Simple vertical steel balustrades further animate and enliven the façades. Walkway bridges and strong vertical breaks between blocks define entrances, the position of lobbies and vertical circulation. The retail components, gym and clubhouse are expressed as lightweight flat-roofed, steel and glass pavilions, with a publicly accessible terrace stitching the building sat the corner. The rooftop restaurant follows the same transparent architectural formula, with its angled shopfronts and corner tilted roof capturing the panoramic views above the dense tree canopy of the urban forest below.

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One Rosebank is one of a series of projects we have worked on in Rosebank. In 2016, we designed the masterplan for Oxford Parks, drawing from the concepts laid out in the Dunkeld Design Manual which we developed in 2015. We also designed several other buildings in the precinct including 203 Oxford, 6 Parks Boulevard for Arup and Radisson Red hotel, which have both been recognized in local awards series.

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