New FNB office development now open

Seven-storey building has two parking levels

FIRST National Bank has opened Willowbridge Place, a new office development in Cape Town’s Tygerberg suburbs that will become a regional office for FNB and RMB.

“FNB believes in the economic growth potential of the Western Cape and sees this building as a tangible expression of its commitment to this city and region,” says Stephan Claassen, FNB Western Cape provincial head.

“The building is already a landmark on the corner of Old Oak and Carl Cronje roads, across the road from Tyger Valley shopping centre.”

Willowbridge Place has consolidated nine different offices of the FirstRand group scattered across the Tygerberg suburbs into one complex. The sectional title development i s owned by Fi r s t Rand a nd Growthpoint Properties. The development consists of an 8 500m office block for FNB and a second 6 000m2 block for Growthpoint.

The FNB side of the building has been designed for the bank’s purposes and differs from the specifications of a traditional commercial property in that the primary electrical, mechanical, data and security access control equipment specifications are more complex. The Growthpoint building is rented out to Visa.

The seven-storey building has two parking levels and five office levels and will house about 300 employees on the FNB s i d e a n d 2 5 0 o n t h e Growthpoint side.

In addition, t he Willowbridge development has two basements for FNB access-controlled parking, and on the ground floor there is limited retail for Growthpoint and a proposed FNB branch.

The t wo parking l evels above ground are solely for Growthpoint parking and on the podium level the parking shuttle lifts open into a common lobby with access to the Growthpoint and FNB lobbies.

The FNB reception overlooks a small planted podium piazza with a heron water feature. On this podium floor are a board room and a main doublevolume atrium leading to the main lifts to access office floors, staff dining facilities and the welcome centre.

The welcome centre is a series of glazed meeting rooms where staff in business units can meet customers.

The interior design and procurement of furnishings for high-touch areas such as business unit receptions, as well as the furnishings and partitioning and décor on general office floors, was implemented by FNB Building Management Services, in association with the various tenants to determine the space planning criteria.

Claassen says the result is that 90 percent of furnishings were standardised to achieve economies of scale and ease of facility management during the numerous changes that are common in business units.

The Willowbridge Place design concept was composed by Stauch Vorster Architects, and the principal contractor was Murray & Roberts. Green credentials include:

The latest-generation economical fluorescent T5 lamps for general lighting. LED accent lighting. Motion sensors in meeting rooms.

A building management system that powers down the building after hours.

High-specification generators.

INVEST: Willowbridge Place, the new office development opposite Tyger Valley shopping centre, is jointly owned by FirstRand and Growthpoint Properties.