Case Study
A Dekton-clad luxury apartment building rises to the treetops in Johannesburg
dhk Architects
Location
Johannesburg (South Africa)
Developer
Tricolt Developments
Installer
Furtak Tiling
Colour
Gada
Thickness
8 mm, 12 mm
Architecture / Design
dhk Architects
Fabricator
Stone House Projects
Material
Dekton
Application
Glued façade, pool cladding
End date
2022
Inspired by its location in Johannesburg, one of the world’s largest urban forests, Tree Tops Houghton is a new apartment building located between the popular suburbs of Houghton and Rosebank. As its name suggests, Tree Tops is situated at an elevation point where residents of the 131 units have views of the city’s lush canopy of trees. The Tree Tops residential precinct features a central piazza and entertainment deck which includes a clubhouse and a lap pool.
The visionaries behind the building, dhk Architects and Tricolt Developments, wanted a facade that reflected the luxury of the project, so they turned to the team at Cosentino. The client ultimately went with Dekton in Gada as the perfect choice for both the exteriors of the building and the cladding around the pool.
Decked out with Dekton
Thanks to its high strength and versatility, Dekton was a natural choice for both Tree Tops projects. The large-format Dekton slabs offered the option to use the surfaces as custom-sized tiles to fit the application as well as the space perfectly. The UV-resistant and low-maintenance properties of the material make it an ideal choice for long-lasting elegance, that comes with a 25-year warranty.
Instead of using a traditional tile format, dhk Architects employed 8mm Dekton Gada in strategic places on the exterior of the building to create aesthetically pleasing focal points. The same ultra-compact stone was used in 12mm thickness for the cladding around the outdoor pool.
A colour for the ages
Tree Tops’ unique location places it at the centre of both urban and natural beauty, where verdant trees sit alongside upmarket houses and office blocks. Because of this, the architectural team chose a timeless colour palette with subtle textures that would reflect the surrounding opulence without distracting from the natural setting.
Here, Cosentino’s Dekton Gada steps up. With a matte satin finish, Dekton Gada’s warm, natural tones evoke sun-drenched quartzite as the building’s facade catches the light.