The presence of the iconic Wings building in the Nigerian real estate market is a game changer. It has changed the way developers are fusing sophistication, design, and functionality in office development. This is coming at a time when the commercial real estate market in Nigeria is gathering momentum. There is no doubt that the Wings office development with its Intelligent Building Management System has made the Wings an ideal work location for corporate tenants.

With 700 parking bays and 27,000m² of leasable office space across 12 floors, no office building in Victoria Island, Lagos can boast of this much space. These functionalities provide an ambient environment that enhances business operations.

The architectural properties of the Wings building

Unlike other Grade-A offices, the ‘Wings‘ design is different. The core design, shape and orientation of the towers, are configured to provide grade “A” commercial space with multi-tenant flexibility. The building features high-quality finishes, which have been completed and finished on site to a high standard. The small office plates of 1000m² feature 360-degree views to virtually all workstations in any particular tenant layout.

“The façade gives an alluring feature view of the city offering comfort plus the quality of work comparable to international standards. It allows for energy efficiency and adaptability to climatic heat conditions,” said Lyall Dukes, Associate Executive at Stauch Vorster, lead architects of the ‘Wings’ building.

The tenants of the wings building will appreciate three major aspects of the building, which are the urban view from the high-rise, the energy efficiency of the floor plate integrated into the design and the lifestyle/workstyle possibilities.

The offices, built to enhance tenant enjoyment and appreciation of the working environment, are also climatically controlled to facilitate maximum comfort with lighting and visual stimulus. “A work environment that is a pleasure to use and interact with on a daily basis will result in better productivity and positive attitude,” said Lyall Dukes.

How safe is the “Wings” building during emergencies or fire outbreak?

According to Chimera Fire Protection Pty (Ltd), a fire consultant with its roots in South Africa, the building is fully sprinkler protected. It has a sprinkler and firewater systems supplied via dedicated pumps and tanks with an hour capacity based on the maximum assumed fire test. Each tower also has two pressurized emergency routes and a fireman’s lift, together with an analog addressable smoke detection and voice evacuation system.

What about the engineering structure of the building

The lifespan of the building is said to be 60 years and the quality of the building is not matched in Nigeria. The façade system and comfort levels plus quality of work are done to international standards.

“The CEM II cement that was used in building this façade also contains Limestone extender to reduce the amount of pure cement that is used,” Johan Piekaar, Office Director, WSP Structures.

A look at the electrical designs and environmental friendliness of the “Wings” building

According to Chien-Wen Sung an Electrical Engineer at CKR Consulting Engineers, unlike other buildings, green building electrical features have been installed in the wings building and this is a huge benefit for its client. Oil-less transformers equipped with AVRs (Automatic Voltage Regulators) have been installed in the building.

“These transformers provide superior performance compared to the conventional transformer and they also prevents potential fire hazards,” said Chien-Wen Sung.

The generators are equipped with control panels where an automated calculation is done to minimize fuel consumption, and automatically balance electrical load during operational hours between all units.

In addition, all major electrical equipment have been linked to the Building Management System (BMS), providing maintenance personnel with real-time updates to prevent any potential failure that may occur. The electrical design also complies with Intelligent Building Management specifications (IBMS). This is a system that optimizes the centralized control of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting thus promoting the building’s functionality.

“The IBMS is also designed to detect potential thieves, as warning signals will be triggered if there are any irregularities from particular areas of the building,“ said Chien-Wen Sung

There is separate metering of electricity consumption for each occupant to measure the individual tenant’s electricity consumption. These digital meters are extremely accurate with negligible errors. Independent meters are provided for every floor and every tenant. In the unlikely event of meter failure, the calculations can be performed by balancing the readings of the other meter.

Should businesses consider relocating their offices to the “Wings?”

Mr. Gbenga Olaniyan of Estate Links Limited, a professional firm of estate surveyors and valuers, believes that business would consider the Wings because of its location and structure.

“Businesses would consider The Wings because of its prime location – Victoria Island, Lagos, which is in the heart of Lagos’ central business district with dual accessibility – it can be accessed through the Five Cowrie Creek via a jetty,” said Gbenga.

The wings will also be providing ferry services to tenants with excellent connectivity between Island and mainland with ease of access to clients and other business partners.

According to Gbenga, the wings is set apart from its competitors because of its notable feature which includes: dedicated Jetty, Restaurant, Banking hall, Wi-Fi connection throughout the building, Cell phone reception boosters, LED lighting, motion sensors to all public areas and High surveillance CCTV systems.