Construction is mushrooming in Waterfall City and this time it is the new African corporate headquarters for the multinational professional services firm Deloitte. Atterbury is partnering with Attacq on this prestigious new development, which will integrate Deloitte’s existing offices in Pretoria and Johannesburg into one hi-tech new building in the fast-growing, central business node of Waterfall City. Atterbury’s development manager Arno du Plessis gave us an update.
It has been nine months since sod-turning… is everything on schedule as per the original plan?
During the bulk earthworks process we were about a month behind schedule due to a blasting accident that caused the collapse of a large portion of lateral retaining structures. The JV of WBHO and Group 5 however came up with an acceleration programme to pull back the lost time. I am glad to report that we are right on target again.
What is currently happening on the site?
The concrete structure is progressing well. The four basement levels have been cast and work is currently focused on office levels one and two.
Were there any particular challenges that the development team had to deal with in this time; anything that might have slowed down the process?
Apart from the blasting accident and associated delays and additional costs, the project has actually been running very smoothly for a project of this size and nature.
Heading into the rainy season, are any measures taken or plans made to bear that in mind, or is it not too much of a concern?
Inclement weather out of the ordinary is always of concern. We do have time allowances to absorb potential delays due to inclement weather.
How many people are working on the site on a daily basis?
There are about 400 people on the site.
How involved is the client at this stage – do they conduct site visits to check on progress?
Interaction between Deloitte and their professional team and our professional team is quite intense at this stage with progress meetings taking place at least once a week. Meetings revolve around their specific requirements and ensuring that it is properly implemented into the base building.
When will the full height on the building be reached? And how long from then until final completion?
Work on the concrete structure will top out in May 2019. Practical completion is scheduled for 1 February 2020.
What is the next milestone that you are looking forward to in the construction process?
No specific milestones. It’s an ongoing process with multiple smaller milestones being achieved on a daily basis.
