The steel structure obscuring the north elevation resembles some insect between a praying mantis and a caterpiller,
hence the project was code named 'praying mantis' by the architects. The steel structure was chiefly designed as a shading device,
hovering above the main circulation route, to protect the offices laid along this passage as well as the staff and visitors walking along it.
Fragile steel iffegular-shaped frames with green canvas sheets are supported from the steel structure
to create the effect of the sun filtering through the overhead canopy of leaves in the forest.

The shading device has a sculptural quality instead of traditional louvers, thus adding an extra dimension to the building.
However the mental 'praying mantis' is not the only feature of the new headquaters which makes this building a welcome deviation
from the usual dreariness and seriousness encountered in most corporate headquarters.

The four curved roofs of the laboratories can be interpreted as four silver waves rolling lazily onto the beach
(hot and arid Botswana can use urban symbols to create images of deep blue seas and lush tropical beaches)
but mostly they blend the building into the surrounding landscape, which consists of rolling hills. Inside these laboratories,
teams of specialising in different areas of food science conduct reseach to benefit the nation.