Weal House Redevelopment Competition Bid

2005 | Conceptual
Port Louis, Mauritius

Stauch Vorster Architects - Durban
Team: Ivor Daniel, Brandon Robertson

The RAK Government Administration Building was designed as a contemporary civic office for Ras Al Khaimah, providing efficient, adaptable government workspaces in response to the region's extreme desert climate. The brief required a large administrative facility that could support daily public services while maintaining comfortable internal environments and minimising energy consumption.

The principal challenge was controlling solar gain and heat build-up within a highly glazed office building without compromising daylight, views, or civic presence. The design therefore integrates passive environmental strategies tailored to local climatic conditions.

The building employs a layered double-skin façade comprising a conventional double-glazed inner envelope and an independent external glazed screen. Automated perforated metal vertical louvres within the outer skin track the sun throughout the day and across seasons, providing dynamic solar shading. The cavity between the façades creates a stack effect, allowing hot air to rise and dissipate naturally, reducing heat transfer.

The result is a climate-responsive civic building that combines passive cooling, enhanced thermal performance, and a distinctive architectural identity