Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Tshwane

A flagship public-private partnership project showcasing South Africa to the world

Completed in just 24 months, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) building in Tshwane involved bringing an unusually eclectic, asymmetrical design to reality.

The importance of the building’s aesthetic appearance meant that innovative engineering solutions had to be developed for even simple structures.

The design of numerous complex spiral staircases was pivotal to ease access and traffic within the building. This required the resolution of out-of-plane forces to produce a stable structure.

In addition, the design features “spider” column throughout the building. This was achieved by fixing structural steel onto the cast-in-situ standard concrete columns with precast concrete finishing to achieve unusual vertical and horizontal curved shapes. This eliminated the need to use costly and time-consuming off-shutter concrete. The design and manufacturing teams worked closely to resolve several problems associated with the manufacturing, transport and erection of these structural elements.

The design and manufacturing teams worked closely to resolve several problems associated with the manufacturing, transport and erection of these structural elements.
The DIRCO project was a flagship public-private partnership (PPP) contract that showcased Zutari’s engineering capabilities.

Another unusual aspect of the building design is the blockwork, which had to be done in stack bond instead of a stretcher bond. This meant that alternative methods had to be used to connect the external stack bonded blockwork with the standard brick modules on the inside

The DIRCO project was a flagship public-private partnership (PPP) contract that showcased Zutari’s engineering capabilities. The outcome is a landmark building that is a fitting emblem of South Africa’s new democracy and successfully provided the DIRCO with a home in which to enact its vision.

*The Aurecon Africa business has been officially renamed Zutari as at 21 July 2020.  Zutari acquired Aurecon Middle East on 20 November 2020.

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