The Ponte building was built in 1975 as anenormous cylindrical structure.
This monument, that forms part of Johannesburg’s prominent skyline, includes 54 floors, communal facilities such as a tennis court, a basketball court and a swimming pool; and ascends up to 173 meters high.
Initially the building was earmarked as one of Johannesburg’s most popular places to reside, however, a few years on and its’ reputation plummeted after becoming infested with drug lords and criminals.
Property developers drafted many proposals to make productive use of the building,including transforming it into a prison, although, all of which were denied.
By 2001 the owners had renamed the building Ponte City, cleaned it up and enforced stringent security measures to eliminate the criminals, but they could not escape the fact that the building had been so neglected that it was in need of a major face lift if it was to ever become a success again.
The Kempston Group,who acquired the building prior to 2001, to add to their diverse property portfolio,had to make the arduous decision between selling a half-gutted building (after a failed developer buy-out) toa new investor or continue to complete the work that had already been started.
In 2009, the Kempston Group began the major refurbishment project together with suppliers such as Saint Gobain who provided the building and manufacturing materials; Voltex who provided the electrical supplies and equipment; Lifteknic who installed brand new state-of-the-art elevators; and Eticon who were responsible for the new construction. The Kempston Group decided to maintain full ownership of the building and fully let the apartments as a long-term investment initiative.
Location, Location, Location
The previous owners of Ponte City had planned on transforming the building into A-Grade apartments as part of the urban upliftment in the area which was (at the time) supported by the local municipality. However, the Kempston Group felt that this was no longer a suitable fit for the area and that despite the city upgrade prior to the World Cup 2010, the momentum of the inner-city clean-up had slowly fizzled out.
Thus, “we aimed to refurbish the apartments targeting the middle-income market” explains Jason Kruger from the Kempston Group, “particularlycatering for government employees such as policeman and nurses who would be able to live in close proximity to their work places”. Ponte City is only 15 minutes from OR Tambo International Airportand for those working in the Johannesburg CBD it’s within walking distance, while theatres like theMarket and the Civic are within five kilometres.
Light Steel Frame building technology
Eticon Construction was first appointed as the primary contractor to Ponte City by the Kempston Group in September 2010. Initially, their task was to renovate the 51st and 52nd floor and convert the original penthouse units into two- two bedroom luxury apartments. Due to the success of their work on these projects they were awarded the contract to build a facility for a fast food outlet in the commercial shopping area. On completion of this, Eticon Construction ended up renovating the complete commercial section of the building.
Eticon Construction has been hugely beneficial to Ponte City especially because of their specialised energy efficient Light Steel frame building technology. Light Steel frame building is an energy efficient, high performance alternate building methodology, which has been around for 4-5 decades in Australasia, USA and Europe in the form of timber frame buildings.
“With emphasis on high performance structures that are designed with less reliance on the national grid and yet are able to provide fantastic thermal and acoustic insulation as well as providing the client with an economical solution”, explains Wayne Bruun (Eticon Construction).
Worldwide reviews and research with reference to Light Steel Frame structures have proved to improve recyclability, increase energy efficiency, decrease manufacturing and construction concernsand emphasise durable and safe design flexibility.
The CSIR’s comparative thermal analyses indicate that Light Steel Frame buildingtechnology offers improved energy efficiency compared with conventional masonry buildings – this means significant savings (between 20% and 90%) of electricity required for heating of residential buildings.
These findings are generally supported by testimonials received from occupants of Light Steel Frame houses. In a recent survey carried out by SASFA, 57% of respondents reported that their Light Steel Framehouse was cooler in summer, while 71% said it was warmer in winter.
So, are lightweight structures more expensive or more economical to build with? The general consensus from those familiar with constructing such buildings is that the costs are almost the same. In fact, the client would probably enjoy a 5-10% saving if working with an accredited installer of Light Steel Frame technologies. Previous articles have highlighted the benefits of Light Steel Frame construction and from a costing perspective, this building methodology compares favourably when compared with conventional construction.
Overcoming Challenges
When the Kempston Group first took over the building the lifts were outdated but still operational and were used to cart materials and workers up to the various working areas. This created a huge challenge for the construction team as getting building materials and heavy tools 50 storeys up in an unstable set of lifts, was not an easy task.
This forced the Kempston Group’s hand in investing in a brand new set of state-of-the-art lifts. Despite the enormous financial outlay and the biggest spend thus far, they felt that the reward would be seen in the long term.
Progress
The revised building specifications included compact one-, two- and three-bedroom flats with built in kitchens (most of which include marble/ granite work spaces).
The servants quarters have been transformed into luxury apartments or altered for commercial use. The previous six penthouses at the top of the building, which were 270m² and covered 3 storeys, have been reconstructed into eighteen 1-storey high luxury 2-bedroom penthouses with fantastic views. Still to be completed is the commercial section which is said to be ready for occupancy by mid-2012. The parking area beneath the building is also on the list of improvements.
With 475 residential flats complete, eight new high-speed elevators which were installed by October 2011 and 75% occupancy thus far, the Kempston Groups’ predictions of a niche demand and a solid investment seem to be correct.
