SA Affordable Housing March - April 2016 | Issue: 57 by Trademax Publications

March - April 2016 // Issue: 57

COMMUNITIES | INFRASTRUCTURE | DEVELOPMENT R216 per annum incl.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

ISSUE: 57

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Trademax Publications SA Affordable Housing Communities | Infrastructure | Development

Tel: 0861 727 663 Fax: 0866 991 346 Email: info@trademax.co.za www.trademax.co.za Postnet Suite 241 Private Bag X103 N1 City 7463

CONTENTS

PUBLISHER: Billy Perrin billy@trademax.co.za 082 266 6976 EDITOR:

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

ADVERTISING SALES:

COVER STORY

kylin@trademax.co.za

HOUSING NEWS

LAYOUT & DESIGN:

BLOCK-MAKING MACHINERY

CLAY BRICK

PROJECT FEATURE

INDUSTRY NEWS

CONCRETE

RETAINING BLOCKS

ALTERNATIVE BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

TRANSPORT

CLAY BRICK

CEILING RETROFIT PROGRAMME

CelĂŠste Perrin editor@trademax.co.za

Kylin Perrin

Craig Patterson craig@trademax.co.za SUBSCRIPTIONS: Belinda Thwesha belinda@trademax.co.za

DISCLAIMER The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Trademax Publications. Although we have done our best to ensure the accuracy of our content, neither Trademax Publications nor SA Affordable Housing magazine will be held liable for any views expressed or information disseminated, in editorial content or advertisements, in this issue.

26 MARCH - APRIL 2016

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

Game changers "Over the next three years, government and state-owned companies have committed R865.4-billion for investments in housing, roads, rail, public transport, water, electricity and community infrastructure," said the 2016 Budget Review.

hat a welcome boost that will be for the affordable housing industry in South Africa, as we continue our battle (along with many other countries) to counter rapid urbanization and, in certain areas, growing informal settlement populations. In a report titled ‘Stocktaking of the Housing Sector in SubSaharan Africa,’ the World Bank asserts that scarce government resources should target informal housing in low-income areas – upgrading infrastructure, improving land administration and planning regulations, and expanding access to finance through microfinance loans, credit groups and credit cooperatives. “Apart from the immediate and obvious benefits of adequate housing, a well-functioning housing sector leads to economic growth that can improve livelihoods, create jobs and expand the market for goods and services,” states Jonas Parby, one of the authors of the report. Other experts agree. In his recent talk ‘Architecture and the Future of Cities,’ delivered at an event sponsored by the South African Institute of Architects, renowned architect Mokena Makeka emphasized the pressures resulting from fast-growing populations, pointing out that cities have evolved into more complex spaces interlinked by a number of systems, and that planners have generally failed to read the ‘urban progression,’ meaning urbanites are missing out on quality of life.

Makeka said we need affordable and inclusive new adaptive cities with smart grids and full access. Looking to create such spaces where people can live, work, play and learn – all within a desirable, connected, safe, and socially inclusive environment, the Western Cape Government has announced a Better Living Model Exemplar Project (BLMEP), with plans in place to start breaking ground in 2018, and which they hope will be a game changer. This issue of SA Affordable Housing is proud to feature stakeholders that are already changing the game. Read on to learn more about how industry giant AfriSam is improving lives and creating concrete possibilities, in a timely company profile aligned with the upcoming Totally Concrete and African Construction Expo events. And to everyone else on board to create and deliver quality, affordable houses that the citizens of our country can call home, we salute you. SA Affordable Housing shares your commitment, and we are proud to be showcasing your achievements and game plan in this edition. Until next time, I hope you enjoy the read. Celéste

DO YOU HAVE A GREAT PROJECT OR STORY TO SHARE WITH SA AFFORDABLE HOUSING READERS? Send your article and high resolution images to editor@trademax.co.za or call 0861 727 663 for more information.

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MARCH - APRIL 2016

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EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS HOUSING FOR AFRICA CONFERENCE & EXPO

CAPE CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE & TRADE EXPO

9 MAY 2016, GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, MIDRAND, JHB

11 – 12 AUGUST 2016, CTICC, CAPE TOWN

View www.housingforafrica.com for more info Housing for Africa Conference and Expo is a forum focusing on the planning and development of sustainable housing infrastructure in Africa. With the continent now experiencing the world’s fastest economic growth and highest urbanization rate, this forum highlights the latest technologies, thinking, approaches and strategies.

TOTALLY CONCRETE EXPO

9 – 11 MAY 2016, GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, MIDRAND, JHB Visit www.totallyconcrete.co.za and www.construction-week.com for more info Totally Concrete Conference and Expo is the African educational and networking platform for insights into the latest developments and technologies associated with the concrete and construction industry. The event is designed to address challenges, demands and opportunities, including driving green initiatives and the entry of cement manufacturers into the marketplace.

CONSTRUCTION IT SUMMIT & EXPO

(CO-LOCATED WITH THE AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION AND TOTALLY CONCRETE EXPOS AND A PARTNER TO THE BIM INSTITUTE) 10 - 11 MAY 2016, GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, MIDRAND, JHB Visit www.construction-it.co.za for more info

3RD ANNUAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING AFRICA CONFERENCE

Visit www.cape-construction.co.za for more info Cape Construction Expo is a one-stop-shop networking and knowledge platform that allows the Western Cape building and construction industry to respond to changes in their environment and enhances their business opportunities. The Cape Construction Expo creates dialogue among government, policy decision makers and the building and construction sector. You can expect: • 3500+ visitors • 100+ exhibitors • Interactive expo with speciality zones such as green building, transport, safety and recruitment • Free to attend workshops • Product demonstrations

INTERBUILD AFRICA 2016

(CO-LOCATED SHOWS: GLASS EXPO AFRICA, PLUMBDRAIN AFRICA, ECOAFRIBUILD AND HARDEX AFRICA) 17 – 20 AUGUST 2016, EXPO CENTRE NASREC, JHB Visit www.interbuild.co.za for more info

18 – 20 JULY 2016, CAPE TOWN

NEW! WOOD WORLD SOUTH AFRICA (RUNNING ALONGSIDE INTERBUILD AFRICA 2016 IN HALL 5)

Email SofeaM@marcusevanskl.com for more info

Visit www.woodworldsa.co.za for more info

CALL 0861 727 663 TO BOOK YOUR KCT, a Public-Beneﬁt Organisation (PBO) which aims to advance the Khayelitsha Business District (KBD) through the development of commercial, residential and communal facilities.

CONTACT US BELLVILLE: HEAD OFFICE No3 Ground Floor, Old Dutch Square, Corner Bill Bezuidenhout and Old Paarl Road (t) 021 949 7741 (f) 021 949 7747 (e) info@kctrust.org

INSTITUTIONAL SUBSIDY HOUSING PROJECT

KHAYELITSHA: SATELLITE OFFICE Khayelitsha Training Centre Corner Lwandle and Spine Road (t) 021 361 6717 (f) 021 361 0911

www.kctrust.org

MARCH - APRIL 2016

KCT MALL

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Space matters The following case study of CAT (Child Aid Tubatse), a community centre in Tubatse, Burgersfort, located in the province of Limpopo, shares first-hand insight from the architect and reflects on the aspirations that took this project from dream to reality. Photographs: © Dustin A. Tusnovics

BACKGROUND CAT, or the Child Aid Tubatse Project, had its start back in 2008 as a joint initiative of Humana Austria and the architect Dustin A . Tusnovics. The aim was to improve and enable a needy community by building a centre for opportunity generation through skills transfer, training, and the creation of job opportunities. As a Humana People-to-People Project, the idea soon attracted additional partners from Europe and South Africa to slowly start realizing the project. Set up as an ‘open source’ project, a commitment was made to make all the data available to be shared freely, just as it was the team’s desire to learn from other projects. December 2009 marked the first measurable progress when the architect, along with the Humana Austria team, the Humana South Africa team, the Child Aid Tubatse staff and a South Korean volunteer officially started meeting with the local community to shape the scope of the project. In the space of only a few days, much was accomplished, in no small part due to, firstly, the involvement of local community representatives (three priests, two youth leaders and a community developer), and then the direct participation of more than 60 community members themselves.

A PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY, BY THE COMMUNITY Several workshops were held, which resulted in a ‘mapping of the community.’ The realization of the centre was envisaged as the process of engagement and participation in a sustainable project. The motivation and focus of the entire project was based on a model for a ‘bottom-up’ process, based on the ideology of giving ownership and responsibility to the community from the first moment on, and to have the community also directly involved in the design and building phases.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Accordingly, the community members came up with graphic elaborations of their needs as well as possibilities to fulfil those. They focused on local materials and skills, resources and reusable waste available and accessible within the community, the distance to the site, and other aspects that could be of significance during the building phase. Showing a genuine commitment, the community members fully engaged themselves. They drew plans, although rudimentary, that clearly plotted the whereabouts of the skilled labourers in addition to locations where sand, stones, gravel, grass, empty glass bottles, branches and other materials or ‘reusable waste’ that could eventually be used for the building, could readily be found. Specifics of the site included the absolute necessity for shaded space as protection from the harsh Tubatse sun, as well as consideration for the direction of the wind – also a very real problem in this part of the country. The requirements of the original brief where again verified: Office space, teaching space, a library and computer room, a kitchen, a big hall, and a courtyard. The space was defined to include a sloping roof, following the natural slope of the terrain over a single-storey building. The two halves of the complex would be covered with one distinct roof structure, generating lots of shade in the courtyard while providing the necessary offset to protect from sun and rain on the north-western corner. A model was started to capture all the agreed-to elements. As the workshops came to a conclusion, a name was selected: The community centre would be named “CAT – Child Aid Tubatse.” Finally, after all the project details were agreed on, even though the dimensions were still approximations, a timeline was defined. It would be four years later before CAT was fully realized.

ROOF RATIONALE The Limpopo weather can be brutal. It is not uncommon to experience 35°C heat in summer, accompanied by heavy rains when they come. The sun persists in winter as well, with temperatures easily hovering at 18 degrees during the day. So, the priority was to provide a floating roof of approximately 1,000m2 to give shade from the elements, with a complementary series of functional rooms under it.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DESIGN The design enables a sequence of open and enclosed spaces that allows for natural ventilation and passive heating of those spaces when the sun is low, and passive cooling by the thermic acceleration of air under the roof (‘Black Tent’ effect) when the days are hot. Each room acts as a functional unit that works in the context of its position. All spaces are grouped around the inner courtyard. This courtyard functions as an energy/oxygen generator for the centre and caters for some of the vegetables used in the centre’s kitchen. The spaces in the centre are mainly oriented towards the community, with a library, a computer room, a kitchen for cooking classes, as well as a crèche and the main hall for functions for up to 200 people. To accommodate the administrative and operational team, there are two office units (one being the original nucleus of the Child Aid Tubatse Project) and a security room to secure the entire site. This includes a landscaping design to harvest as much rainwater as possible whilst also being a green lung for the project – veggies and more. The fluidity of the spaces and the landscape work with the structural concept of the gum poles, forming a series of triangles – the strongest shape in architecture – and allowing for a playful logic of the readable structure. In this context, the cast walkways of the landscaping determine the approach and underline the connectivity of each space to its setting within the site. At the same time, these lines define areas and create shortcuts for the users of the centre to walk along.

STRUCTURAL EXCELLENCE The gum poles define the limit between the shade and the sun, between nature and built space – but they also enable the roof, a lightweight steel structure of approximately 1,000m2, to float over the entire area – and generate the much-needed shade and protection from the Limpopo elements. Although the original design vision, namely the realization of the entire building in a sandbag construction system, could not be achieved for various reasons, the structural design principal – a roof floating on a smart beam grid above the rooms – has been realized and gives the entire design its characteristic appeal with its triangular elements.

COLOURS Maybe the South African soil and sun does influence a lot, and therefore naturally generates the contrasts with the existing red sand to the green of the façades. And together with the blue of the hall and the purple of the staircase wall, it forms the basis for the simple but effective colour scheme of the project.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

All internal walls are a light grey to contrast and absorb the strong sun, and all ceilings are white. The hall has an open ceiling following the shape of the roof and generates a natural light and air feature for that space.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

PROFESSIONAL TEAM CLIENT: Humana SA , Durban - Tubatse ARCHITECTURAL FIRM: SPACE MATTERS architecture & urbanism PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT: Dustin a. Tusnovics ENGINEER: Richard Bailey BUILDING CONTRACTOR: CRDC (Durban)

TEAM COMPLEMENT:

Marlene Wagner (AT) Philippe Rudigier (AT) Jason Fraenkel (USA) Mathebang Matsela (Lesotho) Ana Habijanec (HR)

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:

Lenzing (AT), Voest Alpine (SA), Palfinger (AT), KTM (SA), Deloitte (AT), former Cement & Concrete Institute (SA)

MATERIALS USED FOUNDATIONS: Concrete and bricks WALLS: Originally designed in sandbags, but 75% realized in conventional bricks; 280mm cavity wall, plastered.

ROOF STRUCTURE:

MiTek light gauge steel structure on gum poles.

SPATIAL FLUIDITY In whole, the entire project reflects a simple structure that becomes legible through the strength of the gum poles that hold up the roof. But what really generates the fluidity of space is the openness of covered and shaded spaces and how they move, change, and transform the entire project with the movement of the sun and the shadows. The spaces, the open areas and veranda-like areas turn into perfect living spaces and make the entire centre an open but intimate place with a great variety of spaces for individual and collective use. This project reflects perfectly the belief that space matters – in a rural solution like this one, or in the urban context into which the setting of the centre will eventually be transformed. Today the Child Aid Tubatse Community Centre, structurally unique among its surroundings, has become a proud landmark in the rural landscape as a thriving hub of activity. Serving as a conference centre, youth centre, training centre, auditorium, playground, preschool and also food garden, it has become synonymous with sustainability.

FROM THE ARCHITECT

JoJo Tanks (donated)

“Well, how does one describe a piece of architecture best? It is the result that counts, and the spaces I designed work... the pictures probably let you see that. But what about the process? I am an idealist – that is why I am into architecture and into social projects in particular. I must say, this was a really incredible experience – after having understood what voluntarism means in a remote and destitute community in rural Limpopo. So, let the process be for this one and focus on the result that has been realized.” — Dustin Tusnovics

BUILDING DIMENSIONS

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

OVERALL AREA: 1,020 m2 BUILT-UP AREA: 510 m2 ENCLOSED SPACES: 400 m2 COVERED AREA: 510 m2 COURTYARD: 180m2

Dustin Tusnovics SPACE MATTERS architecture & urbanism Tel: (011) 614 0435 Cell: (073) 1495 037 Email: dustin@spacematters.co.za Web: www.archcom.at

ROOF SHEETING:

Klip-Lok over the entire surface with 2% inclination. LIGHTING: Sarita Sharman Lighting

WINDOWS AND FRAMES:

Doka – yellow window frames (donated) PG Glass and Primador – sliding doors (donated)

WATERTANKS AND PUMP:

MARCH - APRIL 2016

COVER STORY

AfriSam believes in creating concrete possibilities AfriSam is not about what its concrete makes, but all about what its concrete makes possible. This leading supplier of cement and concrete solutions has been building solid foundations throughout southern Africa for more than 80 years.

AfriSam was the first cement, aggregate and readymix producer in southern Africa to publish an environmental policy in 1994.

ichard Tomes, AfriSam’s Sales and Marketing Executive, says the company is so much more than merely a producer of cement, concrete and aggregate products and related services: “We are the brand that helps create spaces that foster life, relationships, stories and growth. At AfriSam, we are about creating concrete possibilities.”

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

“Making a difference extends far beyond AfriSam’s products and what these products can create,” Tomes continues. “The ethos of creating concrete possibilities is deeply entrenched in the company’s philosophy and values, and this is underpinned by many of the company’s business practices which clearly demonstrate our commitment to a lasting legacy.”

AfriSam signalled its seriousness about its environmental stewardship more than 15 years ago with the introduction of its first environmental policy in 1994. The company continues this drive towards ‘greening’ the industry at several different levels simultaneously, making it a leader in environmentally responsible cement and concrete manufacturing in southern Africa.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

AfriSam believes in ‘creating concrete possibilities’ for future generations by approaching sustainability in a holistic manner. This is achieved by investing in manufacturing processes and business practices that make a positive contribution towards conserving our planet.

COVER STORY

AFRISAM-SAIA AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE Together with the South African Institute of Architects, AfriSam is the founding partner of the AfriSam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture. Since their inception in 2009, these awards have grown into South Africa’s most prestigious sustainability awards, honouring outstanding achievements in sustainable architecture and creating public awareness and debate on architectural issues and sustainability in the built environment. Entries for the 2015/2016 AfriSam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture close at the end of March 2016. Significantly, two new categories were introduced this year – Sustainable Products and Technology and Sustainable Social Programmes. More information about the awards and the submissions can be found on www.sustainabledesign.co.za.

COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT AfriSam understands that it is part of the communities in which the company operates and believes in making meaningful contributions to their upliftment.

AfriSam’s continued focus on sustainability has seen best practice initiatives implemented across its operations. “Environmental stewardship is a business imperative for all companies today, and at AfriSam our continued focus on this aspect of sustainability has seen best practice initiatives implemented across our operations,” Environmental Specialist at AfriSam, Nivashni Govender, says. Significantly, AfriSam was the first cement, aggregate and readymix producer in southern Africa to publish an environmental policy in 1994. Today, the organization has a comprehensive sustainability roadmap that covers a broad range of focus areas, including waste management, water conservation, biodiversity conservation, emissions reduction and energy management. The company has established performance indicators that continuously monitor and track compliance to the company’s sustainability roadmap targets.

Tsholo Diale, AfriSam’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, says the company sees this as an opportunity to improve the quality of life of its employees, their families, and the communities around AfriSam’s operations. “In particular, we focus on areas that can make a difference to as many people as possible,” he says. One of AfriSam’s focus areas in terms of its Corporate Social Responsibility Programme is that of education. AfriSam, in partnership with the Department of Mineral Resources, the Western Cape Education Department and the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), created learning possibilities with the launch of a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose Learning and Resource Centre in Wesbank, Western Cape in July 2015. The Learning and Resource Centre is strategically located at Hoofweg Primary School, facilitating easy access for learners from neighbouring schools and the community. With three primary schools and one secondary school in the area, more than 5,000 learners are expected to benefit from the centre.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

COVER STORY

In the Northern Cape, AfriSam partnered with the Maths and Science Leadership Academy (MSLA) to create possibilities of quality education across 38 schools in Kimberley. It offers E-learning (teaching through information and technology), literacy, numeracy, IT literacy and library services. The library facility serves as the mainstream teaching resource for Grade 4 to Grade 7 learners, with the school using their existing media centre room for the foundation phase learners. “Our role as AfriSam is to create possibilities and uphold our legacy of building communities by making it possible for people to realize their dreams for the future benefit of our country,” Diale says. During 2015, AfriSam also established two state-of-theart computer laboratories for communities in Ladysmith and Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal, and donated mobile science laboratory carts to disadvantaged schools in the Ditsobotla District in the North West province as part of the company’s development programme to address skills shortages in South Africa. The science laboratory carts offer a cost-effective, mobile alternative to a traditional laboratory and allow for the integration of hands-on science activities in any classroom. The laboratory carts are designed to be a teaching platform from which a teacher can illustrate experiments. They also contain numerous laboratory apparatuses and chemicals, as well as manuals and safety equipment to cover the physical science curriculum for Grades 10 to 12.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

In the Northern Cape, AfriSam partnered with the Maths and Science Leadership Academy (MSLA) to create possibilities of quality education aimed at learners and teachers across 38 schools in Kimberley. AfriSam’s commitment to these initiatives is in line with its corporate social responsibility objectives of empowering and equipping communities with adequate knowledge and skills, as well as providing them with the tools and facilities to become self-reliant and sustainable. Angus Towell, General Manager at AfriSam’s Ulco cement factory, says the company’s role is to create possibilities and uphold its legacy of building communities by making it possible for people to realize their dreams for the future benefit of the Northern Cape and South Africa. A total of 440 learners between Grade 7 and Grade 12 who come from disadvantaged communities are set to benefit through the MSLA Maths Pioneers Programme that aims to provide them with opportunities to develop maths problem-solving skills. The programme will also empower 20 maths teachers by strengthening their content knowledge and bringing about change in their own approach to teaching mathematics. “We are proud to be part of these remarkable initiatives, and our hope is for this particular programme to encourage learners to stay in school and get an education, with the vision of a better future for themselves and their communities,” Towell says.

COVER STORY

AfriSam’s Supplier and Enterprise Development Programme aims to provide SMMEs with the necessary development and support for them to grow their businesses.

SUPPLIER AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Supplier and enterprise development is viewed by AfriSam as integral to promoting and fostering small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) development in South Africa. The company firmly supports the national agenda of promoting a thriving SMME sector as part of poverty alleviation initiatives. In 2014, AfriSam successfully opened its Supplier Development Centre in support of the company’s Enterprise Development Programme. The aim of the Supplier Development Programme is to identify blackowned SMMEs close to the company’s operations and provide these entrepreneurs with the necessary support and development for them to grow their businesses and ultimately be included in AfriSam’s database of registered vendors. To date, AfriSam’s Enterprise Development Team has held SMME campaigns and open days with communities around the company’s operations in Gauteng, North West and Northern Cape provinces. More communities will be included as the programme is rolled out to other provinces in the future.

Situated on a property adjacent to AfriSam’s Roodepoort cement operation, the Business Development Centre also provides SMMEs with access to a facility where computers have been set up with an accounting package enabling them to manage their accounts administration. A shortlist of suppliers identified from among these entrepreneurs have been enrolled in an accelerated development programme, with the aim of ensuring that they are ready to do business with AfriSam. Calie Ehrke, AfriSam’s Supply Chain Manager, says this is a concrete example of how AfriSam lives its values of ‘People and Planet,’ leveraging opportunities to make a sustainable difference possible to the communities in which the company operates. “AfriSam looks forward to contributing towards the sustainable growth of these businesses,” he says. For more information, visit www.afrisam.co.za.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

HOUSING NEWS

Putting people into homes With a new budget just announced, inviting renewed commitments from government and other industry players to invest in infrastructure and human settlements, we take a look at some recent happenings in the housing delivery sector. KNYSNA – CATALYTIC, NATIONAL PRIORITY The media outlet SAnews.gov.za has reported that the Ministers of Transport and Human Settlements have signed an agreement to transfer 72 hectares of land from the South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL) to the Housing Development Agency (HDA) for the development of an Integrated Human Settlements Project. The land, previously reserved for the extension of a national road passing near Knysna, is partially occupied by people who work in the area. Transport Minister Dipuo Peters and Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu declared the development a National Priority Project. “We declare this development that will start after 18 months a catalytic project. We will ring-fence funds for the first 500 units, and they should be complemented with social amenities. We want to see clinics, schools and business centres. We also no longer build houses where people have to travel long distances for services,” Minister Sisulu stated. Minister Sisulu continued to say that it was unacceptable that, after 21 years of freedom, there are still severe inequalities in communities. “It is not right that such inequalities still exist; the wealth you see in holiday homes and the poverty you see in black people’s residential areas is not fair. Nobody should live like this. Our people live in appalling conditions where there are no services, and some even erect shacks under high voltage of electrical servitudes,” the Minister continued. “My department cannot sit on the land and do nothing while people live in squalor conditions,” Minister Peters added, explaining that the initiative will foster the upliftment of local people: “The development will be integrated with different tenure options, which will include rental accommodation, Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses, and bonded houses.”

MPUMALANGA In another statement, Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza noted that the Mpumalanga Provincial Government is to invest R545-million in the roll-out of integrated human settlements in various municipalities.

Premier Mabuza said the housing product mix across the settlements will provide, among others, low-cost housing, gap market units, as well as social housing projects to ensure that the province caters for a broad spectrum of community needs. “We are in the process of upgrading informal settlements such as those in Phola, Hlalanikahle and Kwaguqa, and we have built 15 units for military veterans. We will also focus on upgrading informal settlements in Embalenhle and other areas like Leandra,” he stated. The province has made progress towards its target of delivering 44,000 units over the medium-term strategic framework period. To date, more than 17,000 housing units have been delivered. Premier Mabuza added that R28.8-million will also be allocated for the appointment of youth-owned contracting enterprises for the completion of human settlements projects. Furthermore, the Department of Human Settlements has been assigned to prioritize a number of areas that experience water and sanitation infrastructure challenges.

UPDATES FROM CAPE TOWN The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Benedicta van Minnen, recently gave an update on projects under her purview, explaining that some projects have been re-phased to ensure that all necessary legal and other processes (sometimes involving delayed national government processes) have been put in place and that the delivery is in accordance with the community expectations. • The Dido Valley housing project: The budget will be spent; however, the money was rolled over to the next financial year, pending the approval of a Water Use Licence by the National Department of Water and Sanitation. The tender process has commenced. • The Imizamo Yethu housing project: The budget was rolled over to the next financial year, as the challenging terrain (steep slopes, among others) required additional funding for civil works – which is still under way. However, bulk earthworks are set to commence soon.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

HOUSING NEWS

• The Brown’s Farm housing project: The land surveyor is to prepare the general plans for submission to the Surveyor-General’s office. Funding was provided for in the operating budget, and it has therefore been paid already. • The District Six funding: The funding, still in place, has been moved from this financial year to the next as a result of a delay experienced by the Regional Land Claims Commission. The National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform should be approached for further clarity, as the City was notified that the budget it had set aside would not be required – only about R14-million at this stage. The City willingly provided the full budget, but this has not been taken up by the Department and has been rolled over. Meanwhile, the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Gugile Nkwinti, visited the project to commemorate the 50 th anniversary of the declaration of District Six as a white area. A spokesperson confirmed that the third phase of the District Six redevelopment project, where about 108 flats and houses are currently being built, is under way. Minister Nkwinti said government has prioritized land claims, but it has proven to be complex to settle claims. A total of 2,670 District Six restitution claims were submitted to government at the end of 1998, of which 1,439 claimants opted for financial compensation and 1,126 claimants opted to return to the area. The first phase of rebuilding was completed in 2004, with 24 homes handed over to elderly residents. A second phase of 115 homes was delivered in 2012. A new restitution claims lodgement window opened in July 2014, to close in June 2019. By December 2015, already 1,300 new claims had been submitted. • The Macassar housing project: With the approval of the environmental impact assessment in 2015, additional requirements were set relating to the application and approval of a Water Use Licence Agreement (WULA), which resulted in delays. The latter is a National Government competency. The application has been made and is being processed, and town planning approval has since been obtained. Currently, the preparation of the tender documentation for the implementation and construction is under way. No capital expenditure is therefore anticipated in this financial year, with construction anticipated in the new financial year. The inputs into the adjustments budget, which was adopted during the relevant council sitting, reflect the situation. • The Kanonkop housing project: To date, a total of 295 units have been completed and handed over, including 46 units that were handed over in December 2015. There are a further 160 units which are to be completed

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and handed over during the course of this year. The main cause for the delay and reason for changing the budget period is the crime on site, which has forced the contractor to leave the site from time to time in the interest of safety. This has resulted in a slow-down of delivery and therefore the adjustment in the budget. • The Belhar-Pentech housing project: The contractor for the Belhar-Pentech housing project was procured via the standard supply chain management process. The contractor complied with all requirements and commenced with work in March 2015. The completion date was expected to be April 2016, but from the onset of the project the contractor’s performance was of a poor standard. This resulted in the contractor falling behind on the schedule. After following due process, the City had to terminate the contract because it cannot allow sub-standard performance in projects. The process of procuring a new contractor has commenced and the relevant line departments are in continual engagement to expedite the procurement process. The necessary budget alignment process has also commenced to ensure that budget is available for the remainder of the financial year as well as for the next financial year so that the contractor can implement the contract.

HOUSING PLANNING IN NORTH WEST In addressing some serious challenges it faces within its housing delivery programme, the North West Province acknowledges that its housing planning strategy should respond to targets in its distressed mining towns and informal settlements, but also that social housing and the development of housing for military veterans must be incorporated in terms of national commitments and requirements. In an effort to accelerate the provision of housing (together with much-needed infrastructure), the Province – alongside the National Department of Human Settlements, the HDA , the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) and other stakeholders – recently held an intense housing planning indaba to address obstacles towards achieving its goals. The list is extensive and included, inter alia: Insufficient feasibility analysis, unavailability of land (especially in mining areas), delays in land transfers, tribal or remote rural areas challenges, flood and dolomite areas, illegal sales of BNG houses, and illegal occupation of facility stands. But Tumisi Kgomo from the HDA said there is hope: “We managed to acquire thousands of hectares of land from private hands, and we are ready for development planning to address housing needs in different areas. In Rustenburg and Madibeng alone 419 hectares of land has been acquired for future projects.”

HOUSING NEWS

“We also have land requisition matters amounting to over 4,000 hectares still pending, which will be finalized in due course. As the Agency we are working tirelessly to ensure there’s land for development of housing in the entire province.”

GAUTENG DELIVERS TSAKANE EXTENSION 22 The R60-million Tsakane Extension 22 housing project, a partnership between the City of Ekurhuleni and the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, is coming to fruition (source - SAnews.gov.za). In February, approximately 849 beneficiaries were relocated to their brand new homes by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements. The beneficiaries hail from various communities in Eden Park, Tsakane, Kwa-Thema and Duduza and included the elderly, people living with disabilities, child-headed households and military veterans. Their new houses comprise two bedrooms; a bathroom fitted with a toilet, basin and bath tub; a lounge; and a kitchen with electricity and running water. The Tsakane Extension 22 project will have 4,117 households. The current phase has 850 stands with 425 houses already completed. The other 425 are under construction and have already been serviced with water and sewer services. Johannesburg, Gauteng Province: Twostorey, low-cost walk-up housing project in Alexandra Township’s East Bank. Photo: Chris Kirchhoff, Media Club South Africa. (www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com)

Speaking at the handing over, the Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements in Ekurhuleni, Aubrey Nxumalo, announced that the new development will also see the addition of community services such as a clinic, early childhood development centres, recreational parks, a library, taxi ranks, a business centre and places of worship in the future.

What is your need? For more than thirty years, we have constructed more than thirty seven thousand houses. We provided full turnkey solutions from green fields to fully efficient integrated developments. We’ve built shopping centres, community centres, offices that house established and start-up businesses; and built and expanded factories and warehouses to create more jobs. We’ve constructed bridges, roads and structures so that farmers and industrialists can serve their markets. We supplied the infrastructure for seven wind farms to support the country’s efforts to use renewable sources of energy. Discover what we can do at www.powergrp.co.za or contact us on +27 (0)21 907 1300 or general@powergrp.co.za. We’re always open for business.

BLOCK-MAKING MACHINERY

The official handover of the 27 affordable homes by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, built using Hydraform's interlocking block-making technology.

Hydraform instrumental in delivering housing to Radway Green Farm Agri-Village As one of the first Alternative Building Technologies (ABTs) available since 1988, Hydraform International has left an indelible mark on the Radway Green Farm Agri-Village just outside of Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.

he official handover of 27 affordable homes by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, built using Hydraform’s interlocking block-making technology, took place in mid-December last year in a ceremony that saw the Radway Green Farm dwellers addressed by the Minister, Gugile Nkwinti. This handover represented the end of a long and difficult journey for Radway Green Farm community members who waited no less than eight years for a place to call home.

HYDRAFORM ON THE MOVE

The Department bought the 53ha Radway Green Farm land some five years ago and resolved to use the space for new housing for the community. In pursuit of this mandate, the Department contracted Hydraform to undertake the construction of the project for the benefit of the community.

The Hydraform block-making machinery was transported to site, offering the community full and direct access to the manufacturing technology. The machinery’s mobility is not only convenient, the on-site set-up also means that the project doesn’t need to bear the cost of transporting bulk materials to site – and the final product does not carry the additional embodied energy associated with heavy transport.

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The Sales and Marketing Director for Hydraform, Nazlie Dickson, comments, “Hydraform’s role in the Radway Green Farm project was a dynamic one. While we supplied the block-making machinery to the project, we also engaged with the community, teaching them how to use the machinery and employing them for the duration of the project.”

BLOCK-MAKING MACHINERY

Minister Gugile Nkwinti. “Hydraform’s innovative dry-stacking method also means that the bricks and blocks have a lower embodied energy than traditional bricks and blocks,” remarks Dickson, adding, “Hydraform blocks aren’t baked or fired, which saves on energy, construction time and cement costs, and contributes to the overall sustainability of the project. These benefits really took centre stage on site – a rural setting without any formal water or power facilities or supply – and the machinery didn’t skip a beat.” Neither did the Radway Green Farm community members who readily took to the opportunity to learn new skills and earn an income, all while contributing to the construction of their own homes. “It was important to us to ensure that the community members were trained in both block-making and construction as part of the project’s skills development drive as set out by the Department. The community produced the 130,000 blocks that went into building their homes,” Dickson says.

LEAVING A LEGACY

27 families each received a home of 64m2; one family member from each of these homes was employed for the duration of the project, earning in excess of R25,000 per household.

The Radway Green Farm Agri-Village is a self-sustaining, independent development that will support its residents through a host of features, including solar geysers, solar power units, sanitation systems and rainwater harvesting tanks, as well as access to borehole water. Hydraform even left a brickmaking machine on site, giving the community the agency to manufacture their own bricks and blocks, thereby applying the skills they learned during this project to future community projects.

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BLOCK-MAKING MACHINERY

The official handover of the 27 affordable homes took place in a ceremony that saw the Radway Green Farm dwellers addressed by Minister Gugile Nkwinti. Hydraform has not only helped to deliver a housing project while imparting skills (and this through the heaviest rain season in years), but has also left a meaningful legacy at the Radway Green Farm Agri-Village: 27 families each received a home of 64m2; one family member from each of these homes was employed for the duration of the project, earning in excess of R25,000 per household; and 35 people from the local community were given employment opportunities, which translated into a total income of more than R700,000 for the project’s duration. Dickson adds, “Throughout the project, Hydraform sought to encourage local economic empowerment by engaging with 13 small local businesses that were used in the delivery of services and material. To this end, over R5million was retained by Grahamstown.” “The Radway Green Farm Agri-Village is a community project that has made a real and immediate impact, but it also embodies both the Department’s and Hydraform’s long-term vision for a housing project that is sustainable and that will give back to its inhabitants for years to come,” says Dickson. “With these successes and positive outcomes in mind, the Radway Green Farm Agri-Village stands testament to the work being done by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in creating homes, while fulfilling the government’s objective to support local business and to create local economic wealth and sustainable jobs through skills development. Hydraform is proud to have been a part of that,” Dickson concludes.

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Mrs Zimase and Minister Gugile Nkwinti. The Radway Green Farm Agri-Village forms part of the Department’s mandate, through its Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, to facilitate development and foster social cohesion in rural areas. The project was completed in December 2015. For more information, visit www.hydraform.com.

100% natural, energy-efficient

& environment friendly

IC E

CLAY BRICK

OF THE

IC K IN D US

A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE

Picture: Daily Dispatch, Lulamile Feni

LOCAL CLAY BRICK MANUFACTURERS PLEDGE FREE CLAY BRICKS TO REBUILD MANDELA-INSPIRED SCHOOL IN QUNU NoMoscow Primary School lies in ruins after a storm tore through the 3-year-old school in Nelson Mandela‘s birthplace of Qunu. We believe it is time to take action and build a long-term, safe, optimal learning environment for this struggling community.

100 year+ lifespan ■ safe & strong ■ superior thermal, fire & noise insulation ■ modular & versatile ■ low VOCs ■ superb investment ■ low maintenance ■ reduced electricity use

011 805-4206 | www.claybrick.org

CLAY BRICK

Wrecked ABT school will be rebuilt in clay brick Just three years after construction, the R5-million NoMoscow Primary School in Qunu, near East London, lies in ruins. In midFebruary, pupils and teachers escaped injury by mere minutes as gale-force winds tore through the school just after closing time. Photographs: Daily Dispatch, Lulamile Feni, used courtesy of The CBA

he school was built using Alternative Building Technologies (ABTs) that made use of a structural steel frame and prefabricated panels. Built within a record time of two months, it was hailed as a world-class learning environment in March 2013. Today, not a single wall is left standing. Four classrooms, a library, the principal’s office, the Grade R centre and toilets are among the sections flattened. The school had been a beacon of hope for the village. It was donated in honour of Nelson Mandela and operated within sight of Mandela’s Qunu home. The project was initiated by Mandela’s grandson, Mbuso Mandela. The original community school was destroyed during a storm in 2002.

“This area is known as The Wild Coast due to its extreme weather,” explains Jonathan Prior, Executive Director of The Clay Brick Association of South Africa (CBA). “This is a location that calls for conventional building technologies that are capable of withstanding high winds and heavy rainfall common in the Eastern Cape.”

CBA MEMBERS PLEDGE FREE BRICKS TO REBUILD THE SCHOOL In the spirit of Madiba’s vision of promoting education within an optimal learning environment, The Clay Brick Association members in the region have pledged to provide free clay bricks to rebuild the school.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

CLAY BRICK

A scene of devastation: Built from prefabricated ABTs in 2013, the NoMoscow Primary School in the Eastern Cape was levelled by a storm in February 2016. CBA members have generously pledged to provide free clay bricks to rebuild the school, which is located at Qunu, the birthplace of Nelson Mandela.

“Schools built with clay brick allow children to learn in safety,” explains Prior. “The natural structural strength and dimensional stability of clay brick, coupled with its high fire rating, ensures that children are well protected against natural disasters as well as civil crime, vandalism and unrest.”

“We are pleased to be able to offer them the most efficient and cost-effective building material solution in the long run – a traditional, world-class clay brick school,” concludes Prior.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: The Clay Brick Association of South Africa (w) www.claybrick.org

Y F THE CLA

Clay bricks are water resistant and impervious to frost, rain, hail, winds and extreme heat. Clay bricks cannot rot, puncture, dent, fade, decay, corrode or tarnish. With a lifespan of 100 years and more, bricks are often recycled and reused.

Brick is a low-risk building material. There is a huge body of knowledge and experience on construction standards and techniques, and local labour is easy to find. “Clay bricks are rich in tradition and fulfil all the requirements for school infrastructure. We are committed to supporting this local community who has now experienced the loss of two schools in the past 15 years,” Prior says.

SECURE & PERMANENT

COST-EFFECTIVE & PRACTICAL

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THE

Clay brick has always been the material of choice for safe, low-maintenance and long-lasting school infrastructure. While pre-manufactured building systems are faster to erect, they are not as well-regulated as conventional construction materials and technologies. The CBA has regularly drawn attention to quality issues with these experimental systems, and provided photographic evidence of cracking and disrepair on the exterior and interior walls of five ABT schools in the Eastern Cape, all occupied less than three years.

I N D U S T RY

THINKING OF INVESTING IN AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING IN GAUTENG?

CONSTRAINED BY FUNDING CHALLENGES? The Solution - The Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF) is the ideal partner for companies seeking to develop affordable residential properties for rental to cater for households with income up to R18000. Who Are We - Mandated by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements to accelerate the provision of human settlements, the GPF has leveraged over R2.2 billion in private sector funding for developers and investors in the affordable housing market. The GPF seeks to share ďŹ nancing risks with debt funders and developers for affordable housing projects. Opportunity exists - To access GPF funding that aims to assist rental housing developers by leveraging private sector funding into affordable housing rental market. The GPF funding enhances the bankability of projects to enable senior lenders to ďŹ nance on favourable terms. Please quote reference number 0029 when speaking to a GPF representative.

For more information or to apply for funding contact Phetsile or Maki: Tel: 011 685 6600 or Email: info@gpf.org.za Web: www.gpf.org.za

PROJECT FEATURE

The Panorama Gardens affordable housing development in Pietermaritzburg.

Attractive yet affordable - a

fresh solution from Khonastone Khonastone Projects is a medium-sized development and construction company that focuses on delivering real value -homes that are attractive yet competitively priced.

honastone sees the affordable housing market, specifically completed homes in the R500,000 to R700,000 price range, as its core development node or ‘sweet spot.’ And this 2012 winner of a Master Builders Excellence Award for its work in the community construction field is ready to bring its finely-honed, quality offering to new areas.

KHONASTONE VALUES Khonastone strongly believes in the value of nurturing long-term relationships with all stakeholders. Strong ties have been forged with suppliers, subcontractors and other professional partners, many of whom have been with the company or part of the team for years. In particular, Khonastone is proud to have helped create a number of small subcontractors over the years.

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The inimitable Khonastone Contracts Manager, 'Nkulu’ as he is fondly called by all, has redefined the acronym PSL. In his induction to new contractors, he always asks if they know PSL, to which he gets a 100% response of “Yebo – Premier Soccer League.” But he quickly corrects them to jovially explain: “No, no, no, here at Khonastone, PSL stands for Plumb, Square, and Level.” Khonastone Projects believes in its employees. Presently, the company’s administrative and management personnel are supported operationally by four site teams, made up of two site managers and two site supervisors backed by their core team of skilled and general workers. As part of their endeavour to grow in an expanding market, a primary focus for 2016 is the further training and development of Khonastone employees.

PROJECT FEATURE

PANORAMA GARDENS Since 2012, Khonastone has continued to build on the foundation that earned the company its industry award, namely the value that Khonastone homes offer in terms of market appreciation, style and cost. Khonastone is currently in the process of completing the final seven houses in the 40-unit phase of the residential development Panorama Gardens in Pietermaritzburg, whilst civil infrastructure work on the next 50-site phase has started. Although the project has been long in the making, now in its fifth stage and with the team having faced past delays in obtaining planning approvals, Khonastone is currently enjoying very good collaboration with the Msunduzi Municipality, and the build is progressing well.

CORNERSTONES OF KHONASTONE PROJECTS • Founded in 2003 – based in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal • Member of the MBA-KZN and the NHBRC, and registered on the CIDB • Winner of 2012 Master Builders Excellence Award in Community Construction • Specialists in: Sectional Title, 2-storeys and 3-storeys, blocks of flats, and freestanding freehold homes • One-stop provider: Development, construction, project management and unit sales

Khonastone Projects’ founder and current Managing Director, Andrew Jamieson, explains how the company keeps costs down without compromising on quality: “By undertaking the entire development process inhouse, with one profit centre, we are able to operate effectively in the affordable housing market. Khonastone undertakes it all – the development planning, the civil construction aspects, the building, as well as the actual selling process.” Unit prices range from R550,000 to R750,000 with the average price of homes sold on the current phase being R557,000. (The total selling price is inclusive.)

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PROJECT FEATURE

The average price of homes sold on the current phase is R557,000.

FORWARD-THINKING “One of the factors underpinning the success of Khonastone Projects is that we have re-invented our homes over and over in order to keep improving them and staying relevant to a continually evolving market,” Jamieson continues, explaining how the company has adapted on several fronts, including maximizing on space: “Space is a key element, and we are always looking for ways to improve our use of available space. When your most popular house size is 76m2 and you have to fit in three bedrooms – of which one has an en suite bathroom, another bathroom, a kitchen and lounge/dining room combo, you need every square metre to count,” he says.

“The basins and baths have mixers. In essence, we want our clients to be proud of their homes. Nothing looks or is cheap in these homes,” Jamieson says.

“The 76m2 evolved from 72m2 after we found that the additional 4m2 produced a significant improvement to the layout. But to keep the houses affordable even with the added space, the footprint is kept very simple or rectangular. Instead, attention is paid to other elements that improve the appearance of the homes. For example, the use of plaster bands, hip roofs, and face brick plinths to floor level,” Jamieson continues.

There is a clear indication that it is Khonastone’s ethos and overall attitude towards its work and mission that drives the company to continually find ways to improve its product and take it to new heights within the affordable housing sector.

“The attractive timber windows we use are specially made for Khonastone and have built-in burglar bars across the entire glazed area, including fixed panes. We also take care to provide special touches inside – the ceilings are skimmed, we use four-panelled doors, and the frames have architraves.”

There are many well known challenges that face any construction or development company in the current economy, the worst being the untenable and costly delays one can face over the course of the entire development process. However, Khonastone continues to operate at impeccable standards of professionalism and integrity. The company has great confidence in its product.

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LOOKING AHEAD

PROJECT FEATURE

Whilst Panorama Gardens is still in progress, the project is in fact nearing the final 100 units – and Khonastone is therefore in the very early stages of considering additional projects. Jamieson has every intention of taking the success of this model and expanding it into new areas. As a specialist in the affordable housing market, for Khonastone this could mean new locations (e.g., Pietermaritzburg, the KZN north coast, Midlands or Johannesburg) or new levels of affordability. For example, if land is made available at the right price, Jamieson says, an affordable retirement village would be a very easy conversion for the company. “The key is acquiring the fairly priced land, either by purchasing it or by partnering with the land owner,” he states. When asked for his thoughts on the growth prospect for the affordable housing market in the next five years, Jamieson comments: “We thought we’d hit our slump with the sub-prime crisis, and now we are watching the global collapse of the resources market and the resultant economic contractions. But we’ll adapt and forge on! Affordable housing should keep growing, although it may slow down somewhat with affordability issues resulting from the anticipated interest rate hikes. It will, however, be a challenge to keep prices down, considering the pressure from inflation – and this, too, will flatten the growth curve. But over five years, it will see growth.” For more information, visit www.khonastone.co.za.

DEVELOPER | CIVIL CONTRACTOR | BUILDING CONTRACTOR

We do more than just build CONTACT US: 031 701 0218 | info@khonastone.co.za | www.khonastone.co.za

INDUSTRY NEWS

International post for Concrete Institute’s MD Bryan Perrie, managing director of The Concrete Institute, has been elected vice-president of the International Society for Concrete Pavements (ISCP).

errie is one of South Africa's leading authorities on concrete pavements and globally respected in this field, having delivered papers on the subject at dozens of top-level conferences all over the world. He was elected to the new ISCP post at a recent ISCP meeting that coincided with the Transportation Research Board's 95th annual meeting held in Washington. Perrie is the first South African to serve in this capacity. ISCP, of which Perrie has been a board member for several years, has since its establishment in 1997 aimed to "facilitate the advancement of knowledge and technology related to concrete pavements through education, technology transfer and research at an international level." The ISCP's current Board of Directors includes concrete pavement authorities from many countries, including Chile, Germany, Australia, the USA, Canada and Belgium.

Bryan Perrie, MD of The Concrete Institute.

SA Patent no. ZA2011/01062

Brick easy is essentially a system to lay bricks in a new and improved manner. The only tool required for the actual laying of the bricks is a pair of gloves for the bricklayer and the other components of the team. Any labourer with a minimum amount of training can easily be part of a team of three that can lay 500 bricks in an hour. THE STRUCTURAL BENEFITS OF BRICK EASY: The other important function which the profile performs, is the strength offered when the brick is laid against it – as opposed to virtually zero strength of the traditional fish line. The bricklayer is able to force the brick flush against the profile and push the next brick and mortar vertically to close the gaps between bricks. This means that there will not be any air gaps between bricks and that the mortar will be adhesive to the entire brick, making the brickwork very strong. The Headed or English bond which is seldom used nowadays, is easy to lay with this system. By using the mortar box to spread the fluid mortar, the bricklayer simply has to slide the brick over, taking enough mortar with the brick to push against the next brick and close the vertical joint completely.

HIGH PRODUCTIVITY: THREE SEMI-SKILLED WORKERS 500 BRICKS PER HOUR Giuseppe Dalla Torre +27 (0) 83 305 5191 gadallatorre@telkomsa.net

The little building pictured, measuring approximately 5m², was not only built for the purpose of the SABS test, but also to see how quick a building labourer could learn how to use the Brick Easy System. The SABS test was successful on all the requirements and parameters and a Certificate was issued. With a little bit of supervision, the three building labourers were able to lay six hundred bricks in the first hour, and two hours later the job was completed. W hen the time came to demolish the little building, I used a two and a half ton fork lift with a weight of four tons. I pointed the forks two brick courses from the top of the building, kept a distance of half a meter from the building and proceeded to impact the forks against the wall. However, there was no sign of movement and no cracks were noted. Only on the second attempt at the top brick course of the building did I manage to dislodge some bricks. I could not continue using the fork lift for fear of damaging it, and I opted for an air-driven breaker which still took a long time to eventually demolish the building.

CONCRETE

Don't take a break when you cure concrete Interrupted curing of concrete will inevitably have a negative effect on the final quality of the concrete, cautions Bryan Perrie, MD of The Concrete Institute.

errie says the need for continuous curing of concrete is most critical during the first few days after the concrete has been cast. “When curing is interrupted in this period, and the cement paste is allowed to dry out, hydration of the cement ceases. More importantly, it becomes more difficult to get water back into the pore structure during subsequent wetting to re-activate the hydration process,” he explains. The difficulty for water to effectively reach the pore structure is caused by the following developments, which take place when the concrete dries out: • The pore water is saturated with calcium hydroxide – and when the water evaporates, this is deposited in the pore structure near the surface of the concrete; • The calcium hydroxide reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form poorly soluble calcium carbonate, which occupies a larger volume than the original calcium hydroxide; and • This volume increases, which, coupled with the fact that calcium carbonate is considerably less soluble than calcium hydroxide, reduces the access of water back into the pore structure. “In this way, when concrete is allowed to dry, pockets of unhydrated cement are created, which are surrounded by hydrated material and pores blocked with calcium carbonate. Because of their inaccessibility to water, these pockets of cement will not be hydrated when the concrete is wetted again – and the cement will end up serving only as fine aggregate particles,” he says. “This is why the quality of concrete exposed to interrupted curing, or intermittent cycles of wetting and drying during the early stages of hydration, will always be inferior to that of continuously cured concrete,” Perrie adds. For more information, visit www.theconcreteinstitute.org.za.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

RETAINING BLOCKS

Terraforce excels in Qatar When a custom seating solution was required for this historic market in Qatar, Terraforce’s 4×4 Multi Step Block™ and L16™ retaining blocks provided the ideal, and beautiful, answer.

evived in the last decade as the social heart of Doha, Qatar, the Souq Waqif historic shopping hub is a must-see highlight of the city. Because there has been a souq (outdoor market) on this site for centuries, the area was skilfully redeveloped to look like a 19 th-century souq – complete with mud-rendered shops, exposed timber beams, and some beautifully restored original Qatari buildings. To provide parking for large numbers of visitors, an underground parking facility in Downtown Doha became necessary. The design of the car park offered architects some extra space above ground to facilitate place-making, a collaborative process that shapes the public realm in order to maximize shared value.

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RETAINING BLOCKS

With this is mind, Dragana Lutic Djokic, landscape architect at Parsons Qatar, contacted Consent LLC (Terraforce Licensees in the UAE) and requested an amphitheatre design. Specifically, the engineers at Parsons were looking for a product suitable for both retaining and seating purposes. Consent subsequently proposed an arena design with the Terraforce 4Ă&#x2014;4 Multi Step Blockâ&#x201E;˘ â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a light, dry-stack concrete unit generally used for constructing low terrace walls, stairs and seating arrangements. Aimed at providing efficient and economical steps in conjunction with the original Terraforce retaining blocks, in this case the L16â&#x201E;˘, they have become very popular (in South Africa and abroad) not only for stairway access, but also for comfortable, practical stair and seating arrangements at leisure amenities and school sports facilities. Here, again, the system proved ideal for the project. The final design was completed by Fred Laker of Terrasafe, Terraforceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international retaining wall design service. It was approved by Parsons, and Palmera Agriculture Business LLC put in the order: Approximately 5,100 of the 4Ă&#x2014;4 Multi Stepâ&#x201E;˘ blocks and 4,757 of the L16â&#x201E;˘ blocks were used. LED lighting, installed at intervals for night-time ambiance, completed the setting.

PROJECT DETAIL PROJECT: Souq Waqif, Doha (Qatar), completed 2014 CLIENT: Private Engineering Office (PEO) PROJECT CONSULTANT: JAIN Sustainable Engineering Solutions DESIGN CONSULTANT: Parsons, Qatar MAIN CONTRACTOR: UrbaCon Trading and Contracting SUBCONTRACTOR: Palmera Agriculture Business LLC WALL DESIGN: Terrasafe BLOCK SUPPLIER: Consent LLC

Find a supplier www.terraforce.com MARCH - APRIL 2016

Tel: 021 465 1907

ALTERNATIVE BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

The possibilities of ‘cargotecture’ Repurposed shipping containers have been in demand all over the world for decades. They have been used as clinics, schools, housing, storage, parking, apartments, shops and other meeting spaces. In this article, Umnyama Ikhaya shares with us their philosophy behind this alternative building technology and how it can be used in a creative and socially uplifting way - as an affordable housing option. Sketch and renderings: © Grow Architecture

mnyama Ikhaya, meaning ‘rainbow homes,’ specializes in modular building, using high cube (HQ) shipping containers measuring 12,19m L x 2,44m W x 2,9m H. These containers offer more ceiling height and qualify in terms of permanent housing. According to John Venter, Director of Umnyama Ikhaya, their modular housing concept can be applied to all aspects of society, from low- and medium-cost options to premium housing products – both on and off the grid. It is fully customizable and can be used to construct everything from an outside room, shop, apartment block or township, to an upmarket house. All permanent structures will be fitted to a 6x concrete pier foundation with 40cm ground clearance. Only registered BEE contractors will be utilized for the work, and on a subcontractor basis. The depth of the foundation will be site-specific and will be quoted separately depending on accessibility, soil type and the slope of the site. The possibilities are endless, in line with the company’s motto of “You dream it, we build it.” The company’s main focus is completely off-the-grid green housing, integrating solar, wind, green wall façade, waterless toilets, rainwater harvesting systems, gas installations, sustainable fireplaces, LED lighting and more. Venter says the beauty of the concept is in its simplicity, yet it offers an unlimited diversity of applications and uses.

COSTING Umnyama Ikhaya’s first factory opened its doors just outside of Cape Town in March 2016, ready to begin manufacturing the 30m2 pod homes. The concept has officially been accepted by government as an official alternative building method, so there should be a fairly simple council approval structure in place with no delays.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

ALTERNATIVE BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

The 1-bed and 2-bed, completely off-the-grid pod homes are selling for R275,000 and R295,000, with up to 100% finance available, with zero deposit required and repayable over 99 months, through GreenFin Financial Services, a registered credit provider. Terms & Conditions apply. (Full inventory details available upon inquiry.) Venter is firm that only repurposed high cube containers will be used at all times as building blocks. As a form of upcycling, this not only avoids the landfill, but saves 95% energy compared to recycling where the containers must be melted down. “Our aim is to get economies of scale involved and to bring the cost of green off-the-grid living down considerably. This technology must be available to everyone, not just the fortunate few,” Venter states.

Typical 1-bedroom unit

BENEFITS OF CARGOTECTURE Also referred to as ‘cargotecture,’ the question remains – why container homes? Venter offers the following reasons that make container homes an interesting consideration that could offer a viable housing solution whilst making green living more affordable:

Typical 2-bedroom unit Container housing, 1 and 2-bed layouts – for informational purposes only.

• Affordable • Stronger yet simpler • Short manufacturing time; less labour intensive • Space saving solution (stackable) • Very small carbon footprint • Mobility (originally designed for transport) • Insurance savings

GOALS Venter adds that his goals include the promotion of entrepreneurship and education by involving communities with skills development programmes – the basic homes will be built on this principle. One challenge is to attract and convince local banks to supply mortgage finance for medium-cost container housing. This, in turn, will help South Africa with its housing shortage, and at the same time help to procure international and local government subsidies for such lower-cost housing programmes. “The same moment we can offer 20-year mortgages will be the day households can afford a home. A joint or single income of R10,000 per month will qualify for such a loan with a monthly bond repayment of under R3,000 per month.” Based in Cape Town, Venter says service will extend to all parts of South Africa, with long-term plans to expand into Africa as he believes the entire continent stands to benefit from this venture. For more information, visit www.umnyamaikhaya.co.za. John Venter, Director of Umnyama Ikhaya.

MARCH - APRIL 2016

TRANSPORT

Nomzamo Public Transport Facility The small township of Nomzamo, just outside of Strand in the Western Cape, now boasts a Public Transport Facility (PTF) that gives priority to the community’s needs, thanks to quality construction work backed by a stellar design.

lthough the community hall and the business centre in Nomzamo were built some 12 years ago, a proper taxi rank was never developed. At one point a grass and gravel patch located between the community hall and Michael Street was being used informally by minibus-taxis to load passengers. Having identified an urgent need for the informal minibus-taxi rank to be upgraded, the City of Cape Town appointed SMEC South Africa in January 2013 to carry out the design and construction of the Nomzamo PTF. The preliminary design was completed in July 2013, while construction of the facility was finalized in August 2015. “The new facility has integrated several aspects of sustainability into its functionality,” Doug Calverey,

MARCH - APRIL 2016

Technical Specialist – Roads and Highways, SMEC South Africa, comments. “It has been planned to accommodate minibus-taxi movements in the most efficient manner.”

COMMUTERS ARE THE TOP PRIORITY In addition, the commuter has been treated as the number one priority in terms of comfort and safety, so that conflicts between pedestrians and moving minibus-taxis are reduced. The roadway along Michael Street, which passes through the minibus-taxi precinct, has been raised and paved with a grey interlocking concrete paver, so that drivers are made aware that they are entering a public transport area where pedestrians have priority.

TRANSPORT

Safe pedestrian crossings have been provided at strategic points, delineated in red brick pavers so as to stand out from the surrounding grey concrete or black asphalt. The commuter loading and off-loading areas, as well as the pedestrian walkways, have all been designed with overhead canopies to ensure adequate protection against sun and rain. Low walls and bollards under tree cover have been designed to double as seating opportunities and to prevent minibus-taxis from mounting the kerbs and parking in areas identified for the exclusive use of the commuter. Adequate refuse bins have been placed at strategic positions on columns or against walls to discourage littering. The buildings themselves include a meeting room for use by the community and the taxi association. The Red Box Security Tower has been designed so that the security officer has an unobstructed view of the whole taxi rank as well as the adjacent soccer kick-about fields and the pedestrian avenue in front of the community centre. The buildings also include a managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office so that adequate management can be provided by the city to control the maintenance, cleaning and operation of this important public transport facility. This is critical, as the facility generates a huge volume of litter deposited by commuters.

These will be hired out by the City of Cape Town at a suitable rental fee intended to cover operational costs. All the kiosks have been provided with water, wash basins, fat traps and an extractor fan. The kiosks themselves are separately metered so that water and electricity costs can be recovered from the traders. Six open trading bays have also been demarcated on the new paved area outside the Nomzamo business centre so that informal traders can be accommodated in a controlled environment. A wash bay has been constructed for two taxis with an overhead canopy and a separately metered water supply. The intention is to provide a business opportunity for an entrepreneur to provide a taxi washing service. The wash bay features an underground oil separator that prevents oil and grease from entering the sewer system. A photovoltaic (PV) system provides adequate electricity supply for 100% of the administration buildings and ablution block when the sun is shining. The PV system can always be expanded in the future to include batteries in order to accommodate lighting at night. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is hoped that the Nomzamo community takes ownership of the facility and proper management control is implemented, so that this public open space can be used for the benefit of the entire community,â&#x20AC;? Calverey concludes.

TRADE ENCOURAGED Six trading kiosks have been constructed specifically for traders who wish to cook and provide food for commuters and taxi drivers. MARCH - APRIL 2016

CLAY BRICK

High streets for low income areas The social complexities of a developing country cannot be ignored when blending all the ingredients that go towards achieving world-class architectural design that has a profound sense of place and is relevant to its environment. Consequently, innovation is an essential attribute for modern architects as they employ their technical skills to create aesthetically appealing and functionally built structures that will endure into the future.

hese were the words of Dirk Meyer, Managing Director of Corobrik, ahead of the 29 th Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Awards – which have been held annually for almost three decades to encourage and reward innovation and technical excellence amongst the country's most promising architectural students. “We expect new and distinctive ideas from the students, in addition to a high standard of technical skills, creative flair, a good grasp of sustainability issues, and a clear understanding of the role a built structure is expected to

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fulfil in its environment,” said Christie van Niekerk of Corobrik as he recently presented prizes to the University of Cape Town regional winners. “The winning students have accomplished this with aplomb,” he continued. At the award ceremony, Matthew Mills was the regional winner of R8,000; Sophie Zimmermann was awarded the second prize of R6,500; while Clint Abrahams won the third prize of R4,500. An additional R4,500 prize for the best use of clay masonry was also presented to Clint Abrahams.

CLAY BRICK

HIGH STREETS Clint Abrahams’ entry is entitled “High Streets: Constructing the public realm in low income areas,” and it offers a refreshing solution to a very real problem. Abrahams’ interest in high streets comes from growing up in Macassar, an apartheid planned township where there is no high street. After living in Observatory for the past seven years, he became intrigued by the different energies emanating from the adjacent high streets in Observatory. He researched what makes a functioning high street and how architects and urban designers could retrofit this idea to lower income areas. Abrahams sited his thesis in Delft, a low-income area 25km from Cape Town CBD, due to the unique street energy he believes is reminiscent of areas such as Observatory. However, the energies in Delft are brought about by the informal activities and not institutional use. The dissertation design explores how institutional buildings can also aid positive street-making conditions in the same way the informal use does. Clay brick is incorporated into the thesis because Abrahams believes the building trade, in particular brick masonry, supplements the livelihoods of many households in low-income areas. These trades are often practiced outside in order to build up wealthier areas. He believes this is reminiscent of how apartheid planned towns remain subservient to wealthier towns. Masonry work is practiced in an ad hoc manner and is not representative of the creativity and skills of local labour. Abrahams believes these skills that are practiced elsewhere should be brought home. By using clay brick in a creative manner, it challenges the mundane use of clay brick in traditional institutional buildings in these areas. Brick is used as enclosure, screening, ground cover as well as craft in the design, and it pays homage to the informal way it is used in the area.

10 - 11 MAY 20 1 6 G A L L AG H E R C O N V E N T I O N C E N T R E JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA

THE ONLY practical platform to showcase Digital Construction

REASONS wHY YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS THIS EVENT:

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Van Niekerk added that clay brick masonry brought a myriad of benefits to a building project, including low maintenance, durability, long-term life performance and energy efficiency (by reducing the heating and cooling costs of buildings), along with providing a healthy and comfortable living environment. Another major advantage of clay brick was its capacity for both recycling and reuse.

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CEILING RETROFIT PROGRAMME

City project giving residents decent ceilings is taking off The City of Cape Town and its partners are nearing the completion of the first 1,000 ceilings in historic State-subsidized housing units in an effort to improve the lives of more vulnerable residents.

Photograph by Jesus Rodriguez.

he first phase of the R133-million large-scale ceiling retrofitting initiative, comprising 8,001 units between 2015 to 2017, is under way in Broadlands (Strand), Wesbank, Kalkfontein, Vrygrond and Lwandle. The pilot roll-out has already been completed in Eureka Estate (Uitsig) and comprised 250 units. “It is hoped that the first phase of the project will be completed in September 2016. Phenomenal progress has been made,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Benedicta van Minnen. “Between 1994 and 2005, the majority of State-subsidized housing units were constructed without insulated ceilings and weatherproofing. This was because the subsidy which was then provided by the National Government did not make provision for the installation of ceilings. Having to live without a ceiling has caused much discomfort for residents who are subsequently affected by the poor thermal performance of the homes as well as

MARCH - APRIL 2016

condensation which gives rise to damp conditions and inferior internal air quality. This also holds health implications for our residents,” Councillor van Minnen continued. “It is estimated that in Cape Town alone, there are approximately 40,000 State-subsidized homes that do not have ceilings. It is a great task but, ceiling by ceiling, we are trying to improve the lives of our more vulnerable residents,” she concluded. After 2005, the standard for subsidized housing was improved and the housing subsidy was increased to provide ceilings, weatherproofing and partitioned bedrooms. It is envisaged that Phase 2 of the Ceiling Retrofit Initiative will be implemented in the following areas in the new financial year: Phumlani, Chris Nissen Park, Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, Heinz Park, Silver City, Gordon’s Bay and Macassar.

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