The entire building was gutted and not much of the original structure remained. There was substantial value in the services as no upgrades for electricity, sewerage or water were required. Furthermore given that it was already zoned holding costs were kept to a minimum.

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Construction commenced following the approval of plans along with the necessary demolition permit. We were then notified that there was an oversight on the part of the council as the property formed part of the Parktown Heritage area. Construction was immediately halted pending the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority signing off on the plans. Thereafter we hired a heritage consultant to undertake a detailed study. Whilst the new building was a substantial improvement on its predecessor, we wanted to adhere to our original heritage conservation and development plan and ensure the retention of the large trees on the site and in so doing preserve the heritage environment. The end result saw us achieving all of these outcomes.

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With arbitration being a core component of Taback’s business, special attention was paid to constructing a facility that had a separate entrance and breakaway facilities. State-of-the-art meeting rooms with superb finishes were situated on the ground floor. This enabled us to ensure complete privacy of the work area on the first floor. Features such as a comprehensive reference library and glass staircase were designed in alignment with the firm’s dignified corporate culture. A fully functional kitchen and elegant dining room were constructed to accommodate partner and staff lunches.

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The building was also designed to allow for expansion space of approximately 10% for future growth. We executed this in a way that would facilitate expansion without a major disruption to the building and the high intensity of daily activity. The firm has subsequently utilised the opportunity for enlargement.