The ELVEE is a new mixed office and retail development in Gqeberha. It was designed by DMV Architecture and was overseen by STANCE Consulting Engineers on behalf of ELVEE Property Investments. The ELVEE is one of the first new projects in South Africa to use MiTek’s Posi-Rafter for its roof truss system.

Jean Jacques Kriel, the founder of STANCE, got in touch with MiTek as they were looking for support with the project’s roofing load data. They sent over the plans and once I saw the roof configuration, I knew that our Posi-Rafter product would be a perfect fit.

We’ve worked with Kriel before, and we discussed how Posi-Rafter could work well with their vision for The ELVEE’s internal aesthetics and design. Jean-Jacques is very open to new ideas and agreed that we put together a preliminary design so he could see what we had in mind.

I think it’s fair to say that Kriel and his team were impressed with what they saw in the MiTek 3D digital model, which also allowed them to easily present the roof design to the client and architect – who liked the approach so much, they asked for costings.

It turned out that using Posi-Rafters over a certain section of this project was cheaper, given that fewer of them can be used compared to the closely spaced 76×228 alternative.

The Posi-Rafter appearance is also aesthetically pleasing – an important consideration as the design called for the roof section to be exposed. So, with the pricing agreed, we got the go-ahead.

C&T Truss Solutions were appointed by the contractor to manufacture the Posi-Rafters. This was one of the first Posi-Rafter projects in South Africa, so we visited the component manufacturer to take their team through the manufacturing process. It is a testament to its simplicity and straightforward design that within an hour they had begun manufacturing the Posi-Rafters.

The process is quick as there is little cutting involved. Essentially, we worked with them to build one Posi-Rafter and once they pushed it through the roller, they were flying. It is very straightforward to manufacture, easy to handle, and the Posi-Rafter has a quick turnaround time from design to delivery to site.

While Posi-Rafter and Posi-Joist is being used extensively across the US, UK and EU, it is still relatively new in South Africa, so helping clients to understand what the structure will look like is key. This is where our 3D software really comes to life.

Our MiTek 3D can help clients understand what their project will look like. Of course, you can show clients a flat picture and try and explain things, but when you provide them with a link to a 3D model that can be opened on any computer or smartphone and rotated or manipulated, I think it raises the bar for communication between professionals.

While anyone can view our 3D models, component manufacturers that want to benefit from MiTek’s 3D design must be running our PAMIR software. C&T Truss Solutions were already using our PAMIR software, so it was easy for them to start utilising the Posi-Rafter capabilities.

Now completed, The ELVEE has already secured some major tenants, including sports brand Puma, luxury food emporium Off the Menu, and artisan café Banneton Bakery, to name but a few.

This has been a great project to be involved in, and an interesting way of showcasing the benefits of not only Posi-Joist, but also MiTek 3D.

We’re looking forward to seeing The ELVEE open and finding out what people make of the Posi-Rafter roof section. For us at MiTek, we hope this is going to be the first of many applications of our Posi-Rafter system here in South Africa.

And remember, if you’re in the Port Elizabeth area, make sure you pop by The ELVEE, grab a coffee and don’t forget to look up!