Planned – Designed – Managed

This building in Boksburg belonged to the department of correctional services.  With our clients needing to convert this into offices and large meeting rooms we were given six months to complete the project on a low budget.

We opted to keep as much of the original structure including suspended timber flooring and internal timber cladding as possible as reuse of product is an element of eco sensitive building practice.

The adjacent structures are built with no gap between this building and the next, so the only windows were street facing. Increasing the ability for natural light to penetrate deep into the office areas needed to be focused on, so we made use of the clearstory window on the third floor to light meeting rooms, passages stairways and as many offices as we could.

In the effort to save the client money and reuse as much as possible we made the decision to allow:

· 3 of the existing air conditioning units to remain as they were fully serviced and    new ducting installed. However these have never worked as they should and  have damaged the ceilings due to water leaks.

· The opening windows to 2 floors. Again, these were serviced, re-puttied and painted,  however with use their hinges have deteriorated and are difficult to close.

3 years later this building is still beautiful, but these items have to be replaced.  The cost to repair surrounding finishes will double the cost of having replaced these during the construction time. A reminder to clients and renovation teams that some items should not be re-used!

Shimwell Designs participated in the “Off the Grid” show on the Starflower Project  stand on the 3rd of December last year.

Many solutions for sustainable living were showcased and Project
Starflower exhibited our solution, which is building with natural products, thus
reducing the energy need. We also showcased our electrical solutions to getting off the
eskom grid.

Featured in the pics are Stuart, the client for the Starflower Project, Kate  from Shimwell Designs and Maurits from Green Habitat our energy consultant.

This building in Port Elizabeth was competed in December 2011.

As with all projects where the move in date is in December the final décor touches and commissioning of systems keep the project team working until late at night.  SSI regional office has been waiting for a new home for a long time and the staff who were not part of the move team were kept out of the building until Monday 8am, when Greg the office manager opened the doors and had the pleasure of seeing all the delighted faces and expressions from staff members.

Finishing projects and seeing the concepts that were carefully designed and planned by the professional team come to life is one of the most exciting things about our business!

Shimwell Designs were the Interior decorators and Project Managers for the entire interiors fit out. This building was carefully planned with sustainable solutions that would contribute to the reduction of energy costs and consideration of a low carbon footprint in the design and supply of finishes.

We are certain to hear from the Port Elizabeth staff of enhanced work efficiencies. This has been what all of our clients have experienced after the refurbishments or new offices are complete.

Port Elizabeth we loved working with you.

Kate

The Starflower Site

Welcome to Shimwell Designs.

We will be posting weekly and sharing what is happening in our world of eco sensitive interior and exterior design and construction. Follow the joys, excitement and challenges of the projects that we are busy with. Take a peek at our gallery as we document our work. Enjoy the extreme makeovers as we renovate and revitalise old buildings. We invite you to check in regularly and follow our news and views on Facebook, Twitter and on this site.

The current project that we are part of is the exciting Starflower Straw Bale Project in Johannesburg North. Shimwell Designs is part of a team that are committed to the process of building a natural home for a couple who have a desire to live out their dream of sustainable living.

Join us on this journey of building a straw bale home in South Africa – the highs and lows and everything in between. Find inspiration in an eco friendly lifestyle and learn about the possibilities and challenges of making this a reality.

The Team