In the aftermath of the massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, Japan has placed heightened urgency on building smart, sustainable cities, but it was moving in that direction even before then.

A public lecture by guest international speaker, David Bartlett, shone light on a new project to make the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) campus the first ‘smart campus’ in Africa.

Company owners have a responsibility, as employers and as visitors on this planet to live as sustainably as possible. This is the only way we can survive long-term and hand over to our children in a responsible manner.

Have you ever considered the benefits of a house with reduced energy demands? A house that has walls, roofs and floors, especially designed to make the smallest possible impact on the environment?

A new framework and rating tool for green buildings in the unique circumstances of developing countries is now being created, addressing societal challenges such as poverty, unemployment, inequality, lack of education and skills, and poor health.

South Africa’s Department of Public Works is the first provincial government building to receive a 5-Star office design rating from Green Star SA.

A new report shows that green building is profitable and increases productivity of building staff.

While Shell previously asserted that it would be able to recover 90% of any oil spilled as a result of its planned Arctic oil drilling, they are now claiming that it is impossible to make such claims.

Next week, Durban will play host to South Africa's most future-focused urban planning and investment event, and Green Times readers qualify for a special discount!

The Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association has announced that lead has been eliminated from all locally-manufactured plastic pipe products and that all plastic pipes manufactured by its members are guaranteed to be free of heavy metals.

The Green Lease Toolkit was officially launched at the 44th South Africa Property Owners' Association International Convention and Property Exhibition, in Durban on 30 May 2012.

Two of South Africa’s most pressing needs, namely the need for sustainable, low cost housing and the need to divert recyclable materials away from our overflowing landfill sites, have found an unlikely common solution in recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS). 

The winning trio of architects selected to expand the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) were chosen for their green credentials!

Why has green building not become standard practice for new buildings and refurbishments in South Africa?

A start has been made with construction of South Africa’s first “green” town that in time is expected to operate largely independently of the national energy grid. It will also be the first rural town fully integrated with an existing agricultural component, in this case a professionally run dairy farm, and one in which future food security has formed an important component of the overall planning.

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has announced the launch of the Pilot Certification Programme of the 4th Green Star SA rating tool ' the Green Star SA Public & Education Building PILOT Rating Tool.

Nedbank has received a 4-star rating for green office design from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) for its new regional head office currently underway at Menlyn Maine, Africa's first green city.

The green movement in the built environment is spreading like wildfire and in the month of September alone the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) certified three new green buildings in SA under the Green Star SA rating system.

Imagine an office space that uses the latest eco-friendly materials and technologies to create a completely sustainable environment; a tranquil, airy workspace filled with natural sunlight and surrounded by natural foliage. My team and I are lucky enough to occupy just such a workspace - a sustainable building in Westlake Business Park, Cape Town.

Exploring and exposing environmentally-sound solutions and giving visitors the know-how to go home and make their houses more ecologically friendly is the focus of Grand Designs Live, coming to the Coca-Cola Dome from 21 to 23 May.