Rising utility costs, paired with competitively priced sustainable tools to supplement municipal electricity and water use, mean that sectional title schemes are becoming a more viable marketplace for the green building sector. While each scheme has unique characteristics, their expenses are often centred around meeting similar needs, namely: electricity and water use, … [Read more...]
Affordable housing designed with the environment in mind
A Western Cape design project that encourages innovation and affordable solutions in low-income housing is in the running for a prestigious US$85,000 award. Known as the Better Living Challenge (BLC), the project is in the finals for the Human City Design Award, organised by the Seoul Design Foundation. The winner will be announced on Thursday 26 September in Seoul, South … [Read more...]
Learn natural building skills for a sustainable future
Take the first step to a sustainable future by learning hands-on natural building skills. Understand the alchemy of how different types of earth work, and do not work together, their potential and limitations. You will also explore questions around sustainable living based in Peter McIntosh’s experience living off-grid since 1999. This October, Peter will be hosting the … [Read more...]
Recycled polystyrene used in new Table Bay mall construction
More than 15 tons of recycled, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) have already gone into the production of 20,000 Greenlite Concrete blocks used in the new Table Bay Mall that is currently being constructed. Expected to open its doors at the end of September this year, this 65 000 m² regional shopping centre is located on a 20 ha site on the corner of the R27 (West Coast Road) and … [Read more...]
Drought adaptation DIY style: steps to save water
January was not for chickens in the Cape – extreme drought and fires saw the gardens shrivel up and die. So sad to witness and feel the distress all round. Once our veggie plants got stressed the diseases followed. Watching your water consumption with Stage 3 water restrictions and growing food without the farmer’s concessions calls for innovation. How to capture each … [Read more...]
UCT excels in environmental innovation at second Greenovate Awards
Young environmental visionaries from the University of Cape Town took first place in the Growthpoint Greenovate Awards for the second year running. The awards recognise innovative solutions for the property industry to environmental challenges. Now in its second year, the awards programme is an exciting initiative by Growthpoint Properties in association with the Green … [Read more...]
New sustainable architecture awards promote regeneration, reconciliation and restoration
Seven Awards and four Commended projects were announced in the 2015/2016 AfriSam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture + Innovation at the gala event in Cape Town. The eleven projects chosen by the award adjudicators were among a total of 22 final qualifying entries that had been selected from a record number of eligible submissions earlier this year. “The Awarded and … [Read more...]
Eco-friendly extension to Menlyn Park shopping centre a first
Four green stars for a shopping mall. Hats off! The extension of Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria has been awarded a 4-star Green Star Retail Design rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) for the substantial effort undertaken to develop their first building phase, on environmentally friendly design and construction principles. This forms part … [Read more...]
Waste into home building materials brings new hope
Here is a beautiful fusion of human and environmental needs addressed through innovative design and creative solutions. The Polystyrene Packaging Council (“PSPC”) in partnership with the Mobile Education and Training Trust (“METT”), a Non-Profit Organisation, recently launched the new Village of Hope, a R285 million project that is nearing completion in Kosmos in the North … [Read more...]
Green Building Council calls for total energy debate in SA
As the country receives Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's 2016 Budget Speech, the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) has called for a total energy debate. Gordhan, who was recently re-appointed as Finance Minister by President Jacob Zuma, faces a difficult challenges: energy, restoring confidence in economic policy, keeping the nation from losing its … [Read more...]
Cape Town office block achieves SA’s first socio-economic impact certification
Karl Bremer Office Block in Bellville, Cape Town, is the first project to achieve a Socio-Economic Category (SEC) Pilot rating in Africa as part of its 5-Star Green Star SA rating, achieved at the same time, announced the Green Building Council of SA (GBCSA). The office block is a project of the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works. The Socio-Economic … [Read more...]
Hemp house coming for Khayelitsha soup kitchen
The Yiza Ekhaya Soup Kitchen feeds, cares for and offers a safe place for around 200 - 250 children in the local community. Recently, some of the children have started sleeping there as their home situations are unsafe. Up until now, it has operated from founder, Mickey Linda’s RDP house. Mickey and the children need a safer building. Tony Budden from Hemporium, Wolf Oliver, … [Read more...]
Save your rands, build with sand
Sand has been the most widely used construction material for the last 10 000 years and even today at least a third of the world’s population live in houses built of sand. The idea of making walls by stacking bags of sand or earth has been around for at least a century. Sandbags have been used for flood control and military bunkers because they are easy to transport to where … [Read more...]
